To sello or not to sello, that is the question

[roamingpaddy]

Within 100 km, do I still have to get 2 sello's even on a break day?

 

[Vacajoe]

Two per day of walking.

 

[markie6]

get extras when ever you can. Last year the gentleman in SDC office didn't want to give me my distance certificate due to lack of stamps. It just happened I had walked it all too fast even though I had 2 per day from Sarria he did say next time I should get more

if you see a sello / stamp available... get one imo

 

[dougfitz]

Within 100 km, do I still have to get 2 sello's even on a break day?

As you have heard, getting them on days you walk is required for the Compostela. I got into the habilt of getting one whenever I stopped during the day, then in the evening. Only one time, walking on the CI on Palm Sunday, didn't I find somewhere open during the day. Every other time it hasn't been a problem to collect several stamps each day.

Edit: I notice in another post, you started with a pretty substantial walk. My own view is to leave no doubt for the Pilgrim Office that the minimum distance has been covered walking. In that context, it might be worthwhile collecting more than the minimum of two to avoid any discussion about having skipped a stage.

 

[Bradypus]

get extras when ever you can. Last year the gentleman in SDC office didn't want to give me my distance certificate due to lack of stamps. It just happened I had walked it all too fast even though I had 2 per day from Sarria he did say next time I should get more

I often walk quite long stages and might well cover the last few stages "too fast" by some standards. Did the man in the pilgrim office give you any idea about what he believed the minimum time to walk from Sarria should be? And is there any official policy on the matter?

 

[markie6]

I often walk quite long stages and might well cover the last few stages "too fast" by some standards. Did the man in the pilgrim office give you any idea about what he believed the minimum time to walk from Sarria should be? And is there any official policy on the matter?

It was just to do with the number of stamps I had collected. In his mind, the number of stamps was not enough for a trip from St Jean to Santiago, even though 2 per day from Sarria was all I thought I was required.

Most of the groups I saw last September walking from Sarria had booked up accomodation in advance and were taking 5 days. I think as long as you get your stamps at different intervals it shouldn't matter how long it takes you 5 or 50 but just to be aware .. extra stamps makes it look like you aren't trying to pull the wool over their eyes once you arrive in Santiago

 

[markie6]

The gentleman from the Pilgrims Office followed the instructions .

yes that's right. It all worked out fine. Those who want a distance certificate should be aware to grab extra sellos / stamps just to make it easier for all concerned.

1 per day from St Jean to Sarria and 2 per day afterwards might not look like many if you walk fast.

 

[Bradypus]

I think as long as you get your stamps at different intervals it shouldn't matter how long it takes you 5 or 50 but just to be aware .. extra stamps makes it look like you aren't trying to pull the wool over their eyes once you arrive in Santiago

Thanks for your reply. I no longer ask for a Compostela or distance certificate at the end of my Caminos but I was interested to know if there was any definite policy beyond the two sellos per day rule.

 

[henrythedog]

Within 100 km, do I still have to get 2 sello's even on a break day?

On not much more than the distance you’re doing I filled a full credencial and three taped on pages! I treat sellos as weight-free souvenirs.

 

[Bradypus]

On not much more than the distance you’re doing I filled a full credencial and three taped on pages! I treat sellos as weight-free souvenirs.

I just walked the Frances from SJPDP and only filled one side of the credencial from the SJPDP pilgrim office. Just counted - 32 in total.

 

[J Willhaus]

On the other hand, if you enjoy sellos, you may find you fill up your credential. We were looking for a second one by Leon!

 

[Arctic_Alex]

It was just to do with the number of stamps I had collected. In his mind, the number of stamps was not enough for a trip from St Jean to Santiago, even though 2 per day from Sarria was all I thought I was required.

Most of the groups I saw last September walking from Sarria had booked up accomodation in advance and were taking 5 days. I think as long as you get your stamps at different intervals it shouldn't matter how long it takes you 5 or 50 but just to be aware .. extra stamps makes it look like you aren't trying to pull the wool over their eyes once you arrive in Santiago

The last 100 are easily done in 3 days for a keen walker who had time to ramp up his daily mileage over the weeks before. It can even be done in 2 days if you are a real power-hiker ;-) ... but this is rare.

 

[markie6]

The last 100 are easily done in 3 days for a keen walker who had time to ramp up his daily mileage over the weeks before. It can even be done in 2 days if you are a real power-hiker ;-) ... but this is rare.

Yes , the problem for the volunteers in the office is your credencial looks empty. I have always walked into Santiago from Arzua on my last day. When I make my last Camino.. I plan to walk very slowly taking extra photos and grabbing extra stamps

 

[t2andreo]

Sello early, sello often - and twice daily inside 100 km.

 

[Anthony Rocco]

Within 100 km, do I still have to get 2 sello's even on a break day?

The young man in the pilgrim office was very meticulous...and so were we. We walked in Portugal and there were days when we couldn't find any sellos. But we made sure that we got a sello as often as possible for the last 100 kms. We had four sellos per day for that last stretch...took up two pages. It's really not hard the closer you get to Santiago. Look on a bar counter and there's usually one unattended. Estampar a usted mismo." How convenient. We often hopped in for a stamp and went immediately on our way.

 

[El Cascayal]

On not much more than the distance you’re doing I filled a full credencial and three taped on pages! I treat sellos as weight-free souvenirs.

Yes! And the extra Credenciales needed do not count as added weight.

 

[Flog]

Did the man in the pilgrim office give you any idea about what he believed the minimum time to walk from Sarria should be? And is there any official policy on the matter?

There is no official policy outside of the two sellos per day on a recognised route for the last 100km. Of course it would look better and it would add more credibility if you happen to walk it in one, two or three days, to get a few more sellos to fill up your credential, but it isn't a requirement. The two sellos per day is.

 

[Former member 92300]

The last 100 are easily done in 3 days for a keen walker who had time to ramp up his daily mileage over the weeks before. It can even be done in 2 days if you are a real power-hiker ;-) ... but this is rare.

Yes - I do it in 3. Could do it in less... but 3 is plenty of distance/day

 

[dougfitz]

The last 100 are easily done in 3 days for a keen walker who had time to ramp up his daily mileage over the weeks before. It can even be done in 2 days if you are a real power-hiker ;-) ... but this is rare.

There are ultra-marathon walkers who could cover the distance in a day, but I think these are a special breed, and are indeed very rare. In Australia, there are only a handful capable of doing this, although the world record for that distance is a staggering 8 hr 38 m 07s for a man and 10 h 04 m 50s for a woman. Some of the ultra distance records were set back in the mid-1980s, some indication of how rare it is to walk these world record times.

 

[Bradypus]

There are ultra-marathon walkers who could cover the distance in a day, but I think these are a special breed, and are indeed very rare.

In my 30's I once made a 24 hour sponsored walk across central Scotland and covered 111km. Wouldn't have been able to do it again the next day though!

 

[dougfitz]

In my 30's I once made a 24 hour sponsored walk across central Scotland and covered 111km. Wouldn't have been able to do it again the next day though!

I have never done a 24 hour event. That is a special achievement.

Back about 20 years, I did 59.7 km in 12 hours, which upset me because I thought I had done enough to get to 60 km but someone remeasured the track and I lost 0.3 km in the process. More recently I have done 66 km over two days in a local two day IVV/IML accredited event, but this year, I have been limited by recent knee surgery to 11 km and 12 km for this event. I am hoping to get back up to around 20 km a day before I walk in Portugal later this year.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Yes - I do it in 3. Could do it in less... but 3 is plenty of distance/day

Love your new avatar!

 

[Bradypus]

I have been limited by recent knee surgery to 11 km and 12 km for this event. I am hoping to get back up to around 20 km a day before I walk in Portugal later this year.

I hope your recovery goes well. My distances have been limited in the past few years by osteoarthritis in both knees. A couple of walks have ended prematurely because of it. I'm told that surgery is on the cards at some point but probably a few years away yet. On the Camino Frances in January I had one day that stretched to 42km and walking that with a rucksack was probably at the top end of my comfort zone these days.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I did 59.7 km in 12 hours, which upset me because I thought I had done enough to get to 60 km but someone remeasured the track and I lost 0.3 km in the process.

I have posted this before, but my distance certificate said I walked 799 kilometers. l think most guidebooks seem to say the Frances is an 800k walk.

Also, on my first Camino I only had one sello per day both before and after Sarria; I guess I'd not read the requirements as I did not do it on purpose. The young man issuing my pilgrim certificate scrutinized my sellos, but never said a word. Thankfully on this forum I have learned otherwise a short time later; per day after Sarria. As with traveling insurance, it pays to read the details.

 

[Bradypus]

I have posted this before, but my distance certificate said I walked 799 kilometers. l think most guidebooks seem to say the Frances is an 800k walk.

My distance certificate from 2016 says that I covered 775km from SJPDP. Is continental drift a big issue in northern Spain?

 

[dougfitz]

I have posted yhis before, bit my distance certificate said I walked 799 kilometers. l think most guidebooks seem to say the Frances is an 800k walk.

Count yourself lucky. My distance certificate from SJPP is for 775 km. I have no idea how they arrived at that figure.

 

[Bradypus]

Count yourself lucky. My distance certificate from SJPP is for 775 km. I have no idea how they arrived at that figure.

Snap!

 

[Flog]

I have posted this before, but my distance certificate said I walked 799 kilometers. l think most guidebooks seem to say the Frances is an 800k walk.

My distance certificate from 2016 says that I covered 775km from SJPDP. Is continental drift a big issue in northern Spain?

Continental drift might indeed be an issue, but 'officially' it's anchored at 779km..

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Continental drift might indeed be an issue, but 'officially' it's anchored at 779km..

I walked up to the castle on the big hill in Castrojerez. That should count for at least one additional kilometer.

 

[Flog]

At least

 

[henrythedog]

I hope your recovery goes well. My distances have been limited in the past few years by osteoarthritis in both knees. A couple of walks have ended prematurely because of it. I'm told that surgery is on the cards at some point but probably a few years away yet. On the Camino Frances in January I had one day that stretched to 42km and walking that with a rucksack was probably at the top end of my comfort zone these days.

We should start the ‘bad knee but it’s not stopped me yet’ club.

 

[Bradypus]

We should start the ‘bad knee but it’s not stopped me yet’ club.

The Patella Nostra?

 

[henrythedog]

The Patella Nostra?

Or ‘rodillas dudosas’?

 

[WendyWild]

On not much more than the distance you’re doing I filled a full credencial and three taped on pages! I treat sellos as weight-free souvenirs.

im going to do this!

 

[MariaSP]

And beware ! Two stamps a day if you want to walk the Variante Espiritual. This walk the stamps count but not the kms you walked so if you apply for a Certificate of Distance the 55 kms of the VE are not mentioned . And that writing , be sure you start in Tui of Vigo and collect your two stamps a day from there . The VE is not recognized by the Pilgrims Office and just a nice touristical walk with a nice attraction, a boat ride to Pontecessures nearby Padron.
Volunteering at the Pilgrims Office there were so many discussions about this matter and it was very sad for Pilgrims they started in Pontevedra with their first two stamps and they were refused to get a Compostela certificate. And they argumented they walked more than 100 kms .

The Variante Espiritual is a recognised route, as you can see in the image of the credencial issued by the cathedral. It clearly says there that, in order to receive a Compostela, you must start at least in Vigo or Porriño.

 

[Flog]

Yes, it's a recognised route. it's just the extra distance of it that doesn't count. There has been a lot of confusion and misinformation around this.

 

[dougfitz]

The Variante Espiritual is a recognised route, as you can see in the image of the credencial issued by the cathedral. It clearly says there that, in order to receive a Compostela, you must start at least in Vigo or Porriño.

Thank you for clarifying that. It appears that with these start points, one could take the boat from Vilanova de Arousa to Padron and still have walked over 100 km on the remainder of the stages.

 

[dougfitz]

Yes, it's a recognised route. it's just the extra distance of it that doesn't count. There has been a lot of confusion and misinformation around this.

I don't understand what extra distance is involved here. Can someone explain this please?

 

[MikeJS]

Having walked a number of caminos I no longer bother with the sellos. Queuing at the pilgrim office for another piece of paper that end up in a draw at home seems a waste of time and effort now.

 

[Flog]

I don't understand what extra distance is involved here. Can someone explain this please?

Which bit don't you understand? Pontevadra to Padron by the variant is a greater distance than by the original way. This extra distance doesn't count for a compostela and you still need to begin in Vigo or porriño to count as 100km.

 

[Kathor1]

Thank you for clarifying that. It appears that with these start points, one could take the boat from Vilanova de Arousa to Padron and still have walked over 100 km on the remainder of the stages.

To me, the map says, in words on the top left, para obtener la Compostela, la variante espiritual deber iniciarse, como minimo en Porriño o Vigo. So that ought to be clear to every pilgrim who has obtained the Cathedral’s credencial and can read.

The map also says that the distance from Pontevedra to Santiago is 60 km. Seen in the context of explanations given previously I understand it to mean that for the purposes of the Pilgrim Office, the distance that counts for them is 60 km no matter how many kilometres anyone covers who gets from there to Santiago on approved Caminos and in an approved manner and how these Camino walkers/pilgrims measure the distance they covered. Much like the distance from Lugo and the distance from Saint Jean Pied de Port are pre-defined quantities for the Office and not open for discussion for them - just for us on the forum.

 

[BillW]

I was in the cathedral at Astorga last fall and asked for a "sello" at the ticket desk. He sent me around the corner to an empty hallway with restrooms.

My poor Spanish was to blame. He thought I said "aseos."

And FWIW... Like others, I enjoy getting stamps as a form of keepsake. Walking about 70 days from Le Puy to Santiago I got 132 stamps. Including, eventually, one in the cathedral in Astorga.

 

[Jenyat53]

The last 100 are easily done in 3 days for a keen walker who had time to ramp up his daily mileage over the weeks before. It can even be done in 2 days if you are a real power-hiker ;-) ... but this is rare.

I have twice done the last 100 km from Sarria in three days (including 1x 50 km from Melidé). Each time I expected to be asked to explain having just 6 sellos but it wasn’t an issues either time.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

I have twice done the last 100 km from Sarria in three days (including 1x 50 km from Melidé). Each time I expected to be asked to explain having just 6 sellos but it wasn’t an issues either time.

I remember the main concern was to have two sellos per day in my case, which stupid me did not have as I did not want to start a new credential just for 2 sellos that would not fit ... but the person at the office was really nice so I got my compostela .
Mileage was not a problem as you said.

 

[henrythedog]

Having walked a number of caminos I no longer bother with the sellos. Queuing at the pilgrim office for another piece of paper that end up in a draw at home seems a waste of time and effort now.

I do partially agree. I collect sellos as souvenirs, but also be be sure that the options of municipales and donativos are open to me.

Unusually I collected a Compostela in February, which I haven’t done in quite some time, but had it dedicated to my wife. There was no queue whatsoever at the pilgrim office. I’d pre-entered my data, had a QR code and was in and out within two minutes.

 

[MikeJS]

I do partially agree. I collect sellos as souvenirs, but also be be sure that the options of municipales and donativos are open to me.

Unusually I collected a Compostela in February, which I haven’t done in quite some time, but had it dedicated to my wife. There was no queue whatsoever at the pilgrim office. I’d pre-entered my data, had a QR code and was in and out within two minutes.

Strangely, I do not think I have been asked for my Credential since I did the Frances.

 

[trecile]

I was in the cathedral at Astorga last fall and asked for a "sello" at the ticket desk. He sent me around the corner to an empty hallway with restrooms.

My poor Spanish was to blame. He thought I said "aseos."

Maybe you said "a sello" instead of "in sello."

 

[dougfitz]

Which bit don't you understand? Pontevadra to Padron by the variant is a greater distance than by the original way. This extra distance doesn't count for a compostela and you still need to begin in Vigo or porriño to count as 100km.

To me, the map says, in words on the top left, para obtener la Compostela, la variante espiritual deber iniciarse, como minimo en Porriño o Vigo. So that ought to be clear to every pilgrim who has obtained the Cathedral’s credencial and can read.

Thank you for your responses, but neither actually address the question that I asked. Pity.

I made the observation that if one walked to Vilanova de Arousa, then took the boat to Padron, the actual distance walked would be little different to walking the CP directly from Pontevedra to Padron. In either case, one would have walked a little over 100 km if one started in Porino. I haven't done the calculation from Vigo.

So, yes, it is clear that if one walked from Vilanova de Arousa, one would be walking a longer distance. That just wasn't what I was concerned about. I apologise for not making my question clearer.

 

[Kathor1]

If you want a distance certificate, the extra few km of the spiritual variant won't be included as it isn't recognised

I simply don’t understand that you insist on saying that the Variante espiritual is not “recognised” when there was a very official reply from the Cathedral via the Pilgrim Office that también admitimos la Variante Espiritual si han comenzado en Porriño, pero no en Pontevedra
https://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegrino/prensa/verprensa.asp?PrensaID=13748

 

[Flog]

Thank you for your responses

You're welcome

I apologise for not making my question clearer.

Don't worry about it, you expressed yourself quite clearly.

 

[Kathor1]

I was looking through the thread to see how we got from two sellos - are they needed or not on a rest day - to this massive discussion of the Variante Espiritual. I see that it happened in post #7. Is @roamingpaddy even considering covering this section? And if so does he want a distance certificate?

Just to be clear, here are some actual kilometers, with thanks to the Wisepilgrim website:
INLAND VIA CALDAS DE REIS - 36 km
VIA THE VARIANTE ESPIRITUAL - 44 km on foot + 28 km on foot or ferry

As to the 28 km on foot or ferry - you get a Compostela even when you did not walk them but went by boat instead, and you won’t see them included in your distance certificate even when you walked them; when walked these 28 km don‘t count for any document for pilgrims. Have I got it right now? And if so, isn’t that all I would ever need to know ?

 

[Kathor1]

https://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegrino/prensa/verprensa.asp?PrensaID=13748

The link of the website @Kathar1na points to is not the official one from the Cathedral of Santiago aka la oficina de Peregrinos.

Perhaps you did not notice that it says Fuente: Oficina del Peregrino at the bottom of the text and, being made public after all by the Federación Española de Asociaciones de Amigos del Camino de Santiago as an answer from the Oficina / CathedraI I consider the text as pretty reliable and as official as it gets. I assume that we are not privy to all the communications coming from the Cathedral and their Oficina, and it is not only us here on the forum who are excluded but also the many volunteers from all over the world at the Office?

 

[Dave Morgan]

If I'm doing the complete CF, is one sello a day enough (to get into albergues) until I'm 200 km (I will by cycling) from CS?

 

[Bradypus]

It should be. No albergue has ever questioned me for only having one sello per day in the early stages of a Camino. I rarely bother to collect them during the day and usually only have one from my night stops. But if you want a Compostela on arrival then do be sure to collect at least two per day in the last 200km.

 

[Former member 92300]

If I'm doing the complete CF, is one sello a day enough (to get into albergues) until I'm 200 km (I will by cycling) from CS?

Yes 1/day is fine until you reach the 200km point for bicycling and 100km/day for walking. Then you get 2/day the rest of the way.

 

[Kathor1]

Besides the source is mentioned Oficina del Igreja Peregrino. I googled this but no single hit . And as is Castillano not my language ( I speak Brazilian Portugues but in my opinion it should be Oficina de la Iglesia Peregrina but my opinion for another (better one) .

Fwiw, I don’t know what it looks like on your screen but on my screen it looks like this (see below), and ”Iglesia” is a category (because it concerns a church, namely the Cathedral of Santiago), followed by the source of the article (“Fuente”) and finally the date as you correctly observed. Oficina del Peregrino is the name of the Pilgrim Office in Santiago as they use it on their own website www.oficinadelperegrino.com
Here is an example of another such article, this time about albergues and about HosVol:

 

[Kathor1]

View attachment 143725

Thank you for posting this screenshot. I understand now: Your screen is so small that it is not obvious to which part of the text the individual words belong. Happy to know that this is clarified.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I would get one sello on a rest day -- and indeed, last year I did so.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Thank you for posting this screenshot. I understand now: Your screen is so small that it is not obvious to which part of the text the individual words belong. Happy to know that this is clarified.

Yes, it is actually "Fuente: Oficina del Peregrino" and not "Fuente: Oficina del Iglesia Peregrino" as it seems to be on very narrow displays due to unlucky line breaks when everything gets squeezed together.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

[...] you sent me in a fairly agitated post [...]

Agitation is something easily read between the lines even when it is not there. Written language on the internet is known to often transport emotions to the recipient that were not present in the moment when the sender wrote it.

I would simply say, the two of you got caught in the social media trap of escalation without much cause

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Written language on the internet is known to often transport emotions to the recipient that were not present in the moment when the sender wrote it.

This is very true. Even at home my words have occasionally been misunderstood in face to face conversation.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

This is very true. Even at home my words have occasionally been misunderstood in face to face conversation.

Haven't we all been there ?

 

[BennyB]

get extras when ever you can. Last year the gentleman in SDC office didn't want to give me my distance certificate due to lack of stamps. It just happened I had walked it all too fast even though I had 2 per day from Sarria he did say next time I should get more

if you see a sello / stamp available... get one imo

What if you run out of blanks? Do you just adapt and stamp them on the pages covered with writing?…or…can you use another credential as a continuation?

 

[J Willhaus]

What if you run out of blanks? Do you just adapt and stamp them on the pages covered with writing?…or…can you use another credential as a continuation?

You can use another credential or you can just have stamps on some blank paper that you insert or add to the credential. See entry number 9 on this thread for an example of someone who did.

 

[JabbaPapa]

What if you run out of blanks?

I have, since the 1990s, glued together multiple credenciales to make a more spacious one.

 

[BillW]

I have, since the 1990s, glued together multiple credenciales to make a more spacious one.

I didn't even glue them together. I just started new books.

I also only used one side of each book, so I could display them when I returned home. See attached.