Tarmac percentages on the VdlP

[Moniq]

Hi all, I have difficult feet and found two pairs that I like, one is more road oriented the other more trail with more agressive lugs. Can any give me a tough guess what percentage of the VdlP/Sanabres is tarmac or pavement?

 

[Josefus]

Roughly estimated: 50%

 

[Donna Sch]

There is very little road where you cannot walk off to the side on real dirt. I'd get the trail version of the shoes.

 

[Robo]

I have only walked from Sevilla to Astorga on the VdlP, so cannot comment on the Sanabres section to Santiago. But it "seems" a lot less tarmac that the Frances for example.

One of the aspects I loved on the VdlP was the walking surfaces.

Lots of graded dirt/fine gravel country roads and farm tracks.

As for shoes and "lugs", not as a recommendation as it's very personal choice, but I wore Hoka Stinson ATR6 and they worked well on that route.

 

[CTLawGal]

Are you walking the entire VDLP? I haven't done it (it's on my list for next year!), but I think that's close to 1000 km? Are your choices boots or trainers?

I have difficult feet too, I used trainers because I have never been able to find a pair of boots that works with my feet, but really didn't feel I needed them for my Camino. People I met wearing boots seemed a little wistful about not choosing a lighter shoe given the terrain, especially on the extended portions of paved road. Although that's purely anecdotal, I didn't feel so bad about not being able to find a boot that works for me for that reason.

When I walked about that distance on the Norte/Primitivo/Finisterre/Muxia route, I found that the trainers didn't last more than about 300-400 km. I had brought two pairs, one best for tarmac surfaces, one better for trails ("trail runner) with more grip to the sole for rocks and slippery surfaces. I tied the second pair to the outside of my pack. I checked the ratio of paved/unpaved surfaces in my guidebook each morning before starting to determine which ones to wear, would occasionally switch pairs if it was a long stretch of one or the other. I know this sounds kind of crazy, but I do think it made a difference for my feet. Even before I reached Lugo, I knew they wouldn't make it to the end, bought a third pair there, not my preferred brand but the best I could do under the circumstances.

I'm walking similar distance on the Gebennensis and Podiensis this spring and will bring 3 pairs, ship one pair ahead once I arrive. I haven't yet decided if I will bring all 3 trail runners or bring one pair of road walking shoes. For what it's worth, I use the On-Running brand, but I think most people have found all brands of trainers to breakdown after 300-400 km or so.

 

[Moniq]

Are you walking the entire VDLP? I haven't done it (it's on my list for next year!), but I think that's close to 1000 km? Are your choices boots or trainers?

I have difficult feet too, I used trainers because I have never been able to find a pair of boots that works with my feet, but really didn't feel I needed them for my Camino. People I met wearing boots seemed a little wistful about not choosing a lighter shoe given the terrain, especially on the extended portions of paved road. Although that's purely anecdotal, I didn't feel so bad about not being able to find a boot that works for me for that reason.

When I walked about that distance on the Norte/Primitivo/Finisterre/Muxia route, I found that the trainers didn't last more than about 300-400 km. I had brought two pairs, one best for tarmac surfaces, one better for trails ("trail runner) with more grip to the sole for rocks and slippery surfaces. I tied the second pair to the outside of my pack. I checked the ratio of paved/unpaved surfaces in my guidebook each morning before starting to determine which ones to wear, would occasionally switch pairs if it was a long stretch of one or the other. I know this sounds kind of crazy, but I do think it made a difference for my feet. Even before I reached Lugo, I knew they wouldn't make it to the end, bought a third pair there, not my preferred brand but the best I could do under the circumstances.

I'm walking similar distance on the Gebennensis and Podiensis this spring and will bring 3 pairs, ship one pair ahead once I arrive. I haven't yet decided if I will bring all 3 trail runners or bring one pair of road walking shoes. For what it's worth, I use the On-Running brand, but I think most people have found all brands of trainers to breakdown after 300-400 km or so.

Thanks for your long reply! And yes I am going to walk the whole route. I have bunions and the joint in my left feet hurts a little after a lot of km’s. On my other Caminos I used trainers, walked 700 km on a New Balance pair and could have done more. And 900 km on a Brooks pair which I still use. I am not hesitating between Topo and Karhu, a Finnish brand. I need the shoes to be stiff for my left feet and wide enough at the toebox. And it definitely will be trainers! After this Camino I might consider surgery although I hesitate as I still am able to walk long distances. I like to idea of looking up the the paved/unpaved percentages but that is not in the book. So that is why I am asking this. I am very weight conscious, everything I take has been on a kitchen scale so my pack will be less than 5 kg . Shipping one pair might be an option I can consider. Do you ship it to a post office or an albergue?

 

[CTLawGal]

Thanks for your long reply! And yes I am going to walk the whole route. I have bunions and the joint in my left feet hurts a little after a lot of km’s. On my other Caminos I used trainers, walked 700 km on a New Balance pair and could have done more. And 900 km on a Brooks pair which I still use. I am not hesitating between Topo and Karhu, a Finnish brand. I need the shoes to be stiff for my left feet and wide enough at the toebox. And it definitely will be trainers! After this Camino I might consider surgery although I hesitate as I still am able to walk long distances. I like to idea of looking up the the paved/unpaved percentages but that is not in the book. So that is why I am asking this. I am very weight conscious, everything I take has been on a kitchen scale so my pack will be less than 5 kg . Shipping one pair might be an option I can consider. Do you ship it to a post office or an albergue?

I haven't shipped yet, but in France my plan was to ship Poste Restante at a post office. My guess is that most albergues may not want to accept a package that won't be picked up for weeks - but others can maybe suggest where best to ship in Spain. Maybe book one hotel at a place where you think you'd be ready to switch? My thinking is a hotel is more likely to be willing to accommodate a guest? I think best is to ship once you arrive in the country, not try to ship across different countries.

I have wide feet too (I wear men's shoes), many people on the forum have suggested wearing one size up for these long Caminos and I have found that to be a helpful suggestion. I also have a problem with the ball of my right foot, some cartilage damage and the start of a bunion, so I have found I need something with cushioning but not to soft, otherwise my foot just sinks in where the right toe doesn't flex much. A boot just irritates that area for me, no matter how comfortable it feels in the store and on the first few miles, after a couple of hours I feel completely crippled, my toes are numb. So I've been sticking to trail runners which work for me.

Buen Camino!

 

[Moniq]

I haven't shipped yet, but in France my plan was to ship Poste Restante at a post office. My guess is that most albergues may not want to accept a package that won't be picked up for weeks - but others can maybe suggest where best to ship in Spain. Maybe book one hotel at a place where you think you'd be ready to switch? My thinking is a hotel is more likely to be willing to accommodate a guest? I think best is to ship once you arrive in the country, not try to ship across different countries.

I have wide feet too (I wear men's shoes), many people on the forum have suggested wearing one size up for these long Caminos and I have found that to be a helpful suggestion. I also have a problem with the ball of my right foot, some cartilage damage and the start of a bunion, so I have found I need something with cushioning but not to soft, otherwise my foot just sinks in where the right toe doesn't flex much. A boot just irritates that area for me, no matter how comfortable it feels in the store and on the first few miles, after a couple of hours I feel completely crippled, my toes are numb. So I've been sticking to trail runners which work for me.

Buen Camino!

Buen Camino! I also wear men’s shoes!!

 

[trecile]

According to the Buen Camino app from Sevilla to Astorga (that's all that is included on the app) is about 35% on tarmac.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I think most people have found all brands of trainers to breakdown after 300-400 km or so.

Actually, no. Anecdotal evidence here on the forum suggests that a handful of people have this issue, however most seem to get seven hundred to 1200 kilometers out of their trail runners.

My Altra trailer runners for example: 1 Pair lasted as little as 750 kilometers, in my current pair I have done well over a thousand.( Admittedly the last 500 k's of that has been daily use, so probably 50% Road 50% Trail). The other two I have owned were around the 1000 Mark.

The wear you get from shoes appears just as varied as what shoes we find comfortable. Or any other gear for that matter!

I haven't shipped yet, but in France my plan was to ship Poste Restante at a post office. My guess is that most albergues may not want to accept a package that won't be picked up for weeks - but others can maybe suggest where best to ship in Spain. Maybe book one hotel at a place where you think you'd be ready to switch? My thinking is a hotel is more likely to be willing to accommodate a guest? I think best is to ship once you arrive in the country, not try to ship across different countries

Be aware that in both France and Spain post restante will only hold your mail for 15 days. A trick others on the forum have suggested: In Spain the way to get them to hold it longer is to make the return address the same as the delivery address; as I understand it they may well then hold it for another few weeks while they figure out what to do with it! I have no personal experience of this.

You're absolutely right: don't ship from outside of the country, ship from within if possible. Certainly from within the EU or you may well find yourself facing customs issues, let alone lost gear or delays.

Shipping to a hotel has certainly worked for me, I simply made a reservation then asked them if it would be okay to ship a parcel to them.

I'm fortunate in that I can get my Altra lone peaks in Spain online, so I only need to order them a few days - 1 week prior. (They were delivered within three days)
It might be worth researching your preferred brand to see if that is also a possibility for you.

 

[Moniq]

According to the Buen Camino app from Sevilla to Astorga (that's all that is included on the app) is about 35% on tarmac.

View attachment 183764

That is great to hear! Thanks so much. This is the only app I didn’t look into;-)

 

[CTLawGal]

I like to idea of looking up the the paved/unpaved percentages but that is not in the book.

I just checked my Cicerone VDLP guidebook, they list the percentage paved at the start of each stage. Here, first stage is 37% paved

 

[trecile]

I'm fortunate in that I can get my Altra lone peaks in Spain online, so I only need to order them a few days - 1 week prior. (They were delivered within three days)

Many companies will ship to a parcel locker. I purchased some things from online Spanish retailer Trekkinn and had them delivered to a parcel locker in Logroño. They carry popular brands like Altra and Hola.

I had to look up the postal code for Logroño to find the locations of the parcel lockers, then I identified which one was closest to my reserved hostal by using Google Maps.

I think that the item will be held in the parcel locker for about a week, so you need to time your purchase so that it will arrive when you need it.

 

[Moniq]

I just checked my Cicerone VDLP guidebook, they list the percentage paved at the start of each stage. Here, first stage is 37% paved

Thanks!! Does that also includes the Sanabres?

 

[trecile]

Thanks!! Does that also includes the Sanabres?

The Buen Camino app shows the Sanabrés to be about 50/50.

 

[Moniq]

The Buen Camino app shows the Sanabrés to be about 50/50.

View attachment 183781

I looked into the app but couldn’t find this. Where is it hidden;-).

 

[CTLawGal]

Thanks!! Does that also includes the Sanabres?

yes

 

[C clearly]

I need the shoes to be stiff for my left feet and wide enough at the toebox. And it definitely will be trainers! After this Camino I might consider surgery although I hesitate as I still am able to walk long distances.

My story, too, except my right foot is the bad one!

I found that the trainers didn't last more than about 300-400 km.

Anecdotal evidence here on the forum suggests that a handful of people have this issue, however most seem to get seven hundred to 1200 kilometers out of their trail runners.

I'm not sure about the "most" versus "handful" statement, but I would agree that "many" get more than the suggested length (300-500 miles) but also "many" do not.

I think the difference lies mainly in the tolerance of the person's feet. If your feet don't need superior cushioning or stiffness, then you won't notice the subtle changes but they do exist. I am not hard on my shoes - in weight or walking style - and they look to be in excellent condtion at 500 km. However, my feet feel the loss of stiffness and support.

 

[trecile]

I looked into the app but couldn’t find this. Where is it hidden;-).

It shows the km on tarmac and on trails for each stage. I created one stage that covered the entire route to get the overall percentage.

 

[ScouseKeith]

Thanks for your long reply! And yes I am going to walk the whole route. I have bunions and the joint in my left feet hurts a little after a lot of km’s. On my other Caminos I used trainers, walked 700 km on a New Balance pair and could have done more. And 900 km on a Brooks pair which I still use. I am not hesitating between Topo and Karhu, a Finnish brand. I need the shoes to be stiff for my left feet and wide enough at the toebox. And it definitely will be trainers! After this Camino I might consider surgery although I hesitate as I still am able to walk long distances. I like to idea of looking up the the paved/unpaved percentages but that is not in the book. So that is why I am asking this. I am very weight conscious, everything I take has been on a kitchen scale so my pack will be less than 5 kg . Shipping one pair might be an option I can consider. Do you ship it to a post office or an albergue?

I wore trekking boots on my first Camino and midway I bought a pair of trekkers. I found the boots way to heavy and rigid, on the other hand the trekkers were lightweight had a good solid sole and I’ve used trekkers on my last five and they’ve never let me down and walking through the summer you don’t need heavy duty footwear. I’m walking the vdlp in June and I’ve been wearing my trekkers for a couple of months now well broken in.

 

[Moniq]

It shows the km on tarmac and on trails for each stage. I created one stage that covered the entire route to get the overall percentage.

Thank you so much for doing this!

 

[maruska89]

I walked the full VdLP in one pair of Hokas in 2022. They were worn down but still good enough to walk in. It really depends on many factors, a person's weight, your stride, how you hit the ground, etc. so I think that's why people have varied answers to how long they will last. I found there was less road walking than on the Frances. I'm not sure I should say this, but anyways, if you can still walk long distances I would be leery of surgery. But of course your doctor/surgeon knows best.

 

[Moniq]

I walked the full VdLP in one pair of Hokas in 2022. They were worn down but still good enough to walk in. It really depends on many factors, a person's weight, your stride, how you hit the ground, etc. so I think that's why people have varied answers to how long they will last. I found there was less road walking than on the Frances. I'm not sure I should say this, but anyways, if you can still walk long distances I would be leery of surgery. But of course your doctor/surgeon knows best.

Thanks! My trainers also held up well on the long Caminos. And after that they serve as city walk shoes, summer walks and after that I use them in the gym. Have of couple of them waiting for that ;-).
I will postpone surgery as long as possible as I am afraid that I might not be able to walk those long distances. On the other hand, my partner waited to long. The surgery was more complicated and the outcome was not that well, so we’re not walking long distance paths together anymore. Difficult decision, will wait for a doctors advice.

 

[LTfit]

I've never walked a Camino that needed anything more than trail runners (14 different routes to date) including those through hills and mountains. I've walked from Sevilla twice and the Sanabrés four or five times and don't remember much asphalt.

If planning to walk till Santiago you may need 2 pairs depending how tough you are on shoes. It doesn't seem to matter what brand I buy (Salomon, Saucony or Merrell) but after 500-700 km the soles are shot. The last Merrells had a Vibram sole which did seem to last longer than the others. I usually buy a new pair a month or so before I start a Camino.

 

[Moniq]

I've never walked a Camino that needed anything more than trail runners (14 different routes to date) including those through hills and mountains. I've walked from Sevilla twice and the Sanabrés four or five times and don't remember much asphalt.

If planning to walk till Santiago you may need 2 pairs depending how tough you are on shoes. It doesn't seem to matter what brand I buy (Salomon, Saucony or Merrell) but after 500-700 km the soles are shot. The last Merrells had a Vibram sole which did seem to last longer than the others. I usually buy a new pair a month or so before I start a Camino.

Thanks! Nice to know that there is not a lot of tarmac. It must be a nice route as you walked it more than once. I am looking forward to walking it. I am not that though on shoes. The ones I used changed too much with the new version. I think I am going to use Karhu shoes, Vibram. A Finnish make. I also train in the shoes I am going to use and then take a new pair with me. I did the whole CF and then onwards to Porto with one pair and I guess these will last as well.

 

[maruska89]

Thanks! My trainers also held up well on the long Caminos. And after that they serve as city walk shoes, summer walks and after that I use them in the gym. Have of couple of them waiting for that ;-).
I will postpone surgery as long as possible as I am afraid that I might not be able to walk those long distances. On the other hand, my partner waited to long. The surgery was more complicated and the outcome was not that well, so we’re not walking long distance paths together anymore. Difficult decision, will wait for a doctors advice.

Yes it would be a difficult decision for sure. Good luck and buen camino. You will enjoy it. There are several long days in the beginning 1/3 of the route to be aware of, but there are ways to shorten these as I once did with a taxi for a short stretch.