Walking the Camino with a blind friend

[Jackie96]

I have a friend who is totally blind and it is her dream to hike the Camino Frances in 2015. I will be her guide. Neither one of us has done this before. I have done a lot of backpacking but she has not. She is however, very independent and lives alone. What is the opinion of those of you who have done this walk? Is it possible for her?

 

[wayfarer]

Anything is possible but it will take more time to do. You should start training with her soon and get a routine going. It is a lovely thing you are doing.
Buen Camino.

 

[Former member 22438]

Yes . On the Dutch television was a documentary about the camino Frances and there were two ladies walking from SJDP to Santiago. They were interviewed several times and did very well

I can see if I can find something of it on f.ex.you tube
I bought 2 dvd's about this documentary as a preparation for our two caminos we walked in the meantime. Only beginning of this week we watches the dvd with these ladies again. What a coincidence that you ask about it.

 

[shefollowsshells]

I would not dare answer this question...to do so would be disrespectful to your friend.
Assuming she is an adult if she has the dream to do the Camino and wants to do it she is the only one who could answer this, if she thinks she can do it that is the ONLY answer one would need assuming the question is addressing the blindness.

Buen Camino!

 

[Former member 22438]

I have a friend who is totally blind and it is her dream to hike the Camino Frances in 2015. I will be her guide. Neither one of us has done this before. I have done a lot of backpacking but she has not. She is however, very independent and lives alone. What is the opinion of those of you who have done this walk? Is it possible for her?

And Jacky my wife reminds me a minute ago... In my son in law family somebody walked with a blind man all away from SjDP to Santiago last year . so you will not be the only one.

 

[Former member 22438]

I have a friend who is totally blind and it is her dream to hike the Camino Frances in 2015. I will be her guide. Neither one of us has done this before. I have done a lot of backpacking but she has not. She is however, very independent and lives alone. What is the opinion of those of you who have done this walk? Is it possible for her?

Here is the link to the trailer of the documentary ,unfortunately for you in Dutch .
You can see the couple in the trailer. A lady with a light green coat

If you send me a pm (conversation- do not know how to do that by now but maybe somebody reacts on this item and can explain how to send a conversion in this thread than I know it too )
With your email address i can probably copy (do not tell further ) the dvd and send it to you. The couple is shown at various stages from SJDP to Santiago and are telling about their experiences.
This I can do for you.

 

[Former member 22438]

I have a friend who is totally blind and it is her dream to hike the Camino Frances in 2015. I will be her guide. Neither one of us has done this before. I have done a lot of backpacking but she has not. She is however, very independent and lives alone. What is the opinion of those of you who have done this walk? Is it possible for her?

Here another one of this documentary
http://kruispunttv.rkk.nl/seizoenen/2014/afleveringen/20-04-2014

 

[Former member 22438]

I have a friend who is totally blind and it is her dream to hike the Camino Frances in 2015. I will be her guide. Neither one of us has done this before. I have done a lot of backpacking but she has not. She is however, very independent and lives alone. What is the opinion of those of you who have done this walk? Is it possible for her?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have a friend who is totally blind and it is her dream to hike the Camino Frances in 2015. I will be her guide. What is the opinion of those of you who have done this walk? Is it possible for her?

Yes. I walked with a couple; the wife was blind. They walked at least as fast as I did. Both carried backpacks.

 

[Kiwi-family]

We met a family this spring - the mum was pushing two toddlers in a stroller and carrying a pack, the dad was blind and carrying a pack and walking with his dog. It certainly can be done.

 

[Former member 22438]

We met a family this spring - the mum was pushing two toddlers in a stroller and carrying a pack, the dad was blind and carrying a pack and walking with his dog. It certainly can be done.View attachment 11719

Very brave ! My full respect !

 

[Alan Pearce]

We met a family this spring - the mum was pushing two toddlers in a stroller and carrying a pack, the dad was blind and carrying a pack and walking with his dog. It certainly can be done.View attachment 11719

I met this family first in Rabanal where they stayed at the Gaucelmo albergue, and then 2 weeks later in Compostela. They were from Finland, and the wife/mother, who spoke good English, gave the necessary details to the hospitalero as they were being booked in. When asked did her husband speak English she replied that he did not, but that he listened fluently. We gave them their own room in the albergue and the kids, and the dog, loved romping around ine the big yard at the bottom of Gaucelmo. As the photo shows so well, the kids [aged 2 and 4 ] travelled in a pram, which was fitted with an old mobile phone which played nursery rhymes and nursery stories.
I was lucky enough to meet them again in Compostela 2 weeks later. They had spent 2 nights there and were preparing to walk on to Finisterre. The kids were starting to get a bit weary of it all, the mother said, but the father was as keen as ever.
Don't you just love the camino.

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

Bringing a trained dog sounds like a good idea. If she has one.
You probably then have to stay at hostals/hotels most of the time, as albergues generally do not allow dogs.
It sounds like a fantastic adventure the both of you starting with planning it now!
It is absolute amazing what a human can do once the mind is set to it.
I think it also could be a wonderful opportunity for your friend to make a travelbook about her experience of the Camino.
Best of luck and do ask folliw up questions on the forum.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[Alan Pearce]

Hola

Bringing a trained dog sounds like a good idea. If she has one.
You probably then have to stay at hostals/hotels most of the time, as albergues generally do not allow dogs.
It sounds like a fantastic adventure the both of you starting with planning it now!
It is absolute amazing what a human can do once the mind is set to it.
I think it also could be a wonderful opportunity for your friend to make a travelbook about her experience of the Camino.
Best of luck and do ask folliw up questions on the forum.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo

As I understand Spanish law, a seeing-eye dog cannot be turned away from any place that their owner wishes to visit. I am a long way from Spain, however, and it would be good if someone a bit closer to the action could confirm if this is true. I hope it is.

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[Kanga]

I met this family first in Rabanal where they stayed at the Gaucelmo albergue, and then 2 weeks later in Compostela. They were from Finland, and the wife/mother, who spoke good English, gave the necessary details to the hospitalero as they were being booked in. When asked did her husband speak English she replied that he did not, but that he listened fluently. We gave them their own room in the albergue and the kids, and the dog, loved romping around ine the big yard at the bottom of Gaucelmo. As the photo shows so well, the kids [aged 2 and 4 ] travelled in a pram, which was fitted with an old mobile phone which played nursery rhymes and nursery stories.
I was lucky enough to meet them again in Compostela 2 weeks later. They had spent 2 nights there and were preparing to walk on to Finisterre. The kids were starting to get a bit weary of it all, the mother said, but the father was as keen as ever.
Don't you just love the camino.

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

What an extraordinary, inspirational family. Everything is possible.

 

[Dutch]

I have a problem believing that albergues will deny seeing-eye dogs. Just don't believe it.
I dont think there is a westerm country in the world where this, by law, would be allowed. To me, it would be even worse if an albergue, of all places, would do this.

I think its amazing, walking the camino blind. Wish you and your friend all the best.
Buen camino.

 

[Jackie96]

Thanks for all the replies. My biggest concern has been her tripping and falling when the trail is uneven. I sometimes get distracted and don't do a great job guiding. That is something I will have to work on. I am glad to hear that others who are blind have done the Camino. My friend had a service dog for a few years, but the dog died from old age. To get another one my friend would have to take quite a bit of time off work for the training involved.

 

[bokormen91]

I read an article the other day (in Norwegian, and cannot find it at the moment). The gist was that the "hiking association " along with the "Association for blind/vision impaired" were creating a training course for those that would be interested in being a hiking companion for those with visual impairments.

From what I gathered the training would give ideas for both how to deal with obstacles, difficulties etc on the path, but also ways of being able to describe the visual experience. May be there are similar organisations in your area that would offer comparable training courses?

 

[Former member 22438]

Here is the link to the trailer of the documentary ,unfortunately for you in Dutch .
You can see the couple in the trailer. A lady with a light green coat

If you send me a pm (conversation- do not know how to do that by now but maybe somebody reacts on this item and can explain how to send a conversion in this thread than I know it too )
With your email address i can probably copy (do not tell further ) the dvd and send it to you. The couple is shown at various stages from SJDP to Santiago and are telling about their experiences.
This I can do for you.

I found out making a conversion can only made at the website of www.camino.me by clicking on the avatar of the person you want to send a message.
This does not work with the app on an Ipad such as I am using all the time.



Winners have a plan; losers only an excuse !

 

[JohnMcM]

I have a friend who is totally blind and it is her dream to hike the Camino Frances in 2015. I will be her guide. Neither one of us has done this before. I have done a lot of backpacking but she has not. She is however, very independent and lives alone. What is the opinion of those of you who have done this walk? Is it possible for her?

With a friend like you, anything will be possible for her.

Maybe, just maybe, it will be a good decision for you both to consider using the Jackotrans (bag transport) service.

I don't mean that in a condescending way Jackie. Some of the sections are very unstable with loose rocks and stones and it may be tricky to tell your friend about everything underfoot.

Just a thought

I would love to know how you are getting on.

Buen Camino

 

[simply B]

Jackie96 –


I have related experience from recently guiding a friend with impaired cognitive abilities …not exactly the same circumstance but with some similarities. ("Sighted but unable to reliably process what is seen" seems similar.)

The physical difficulties on the path are one thing. There are several stretches where close attention will need to be paid and I think that the objective for distance traveled will need to be adjusted down for the day. I like 'bokormen91’s' suggestion – perhaps there is a local support group for wilderness experience for the blind in your area. Your major outdoor retailer would be a good potential contact point.

The other two areas where I would expect a challenge are: a) the morning routine of getting oneself together and out on the Way and b) the afternoon/evening routine of showering down, getting ready for bed and keeping valuables secure during the process.

I believe that all of these challenges are manageable as long as you do not put yourself under time constraints and prepare appropriately. (Starting prep NOW would be a good idea based upon my experience.)

Should you desire more detailed suggestions, feel free to PM me. I'll be happy to work with you through the preliminaries over the next week or so as I can scrape together the time. You can then bring your draft plan back to this group for their expert, insightful review. (I’m good enough to get you dialed in but the “master class” instructors are all the brains and experience that shows up here daily.)

Buen Camino!

B

 

[Pelgrimpaul]

I remember the documentary of the 2 Dutch women walking the Camino, Albertinho.
One told the other what she smelled, the other could tell what she saw.

 

[Valeriina Silas]

We did our camino this spring. I pushed our kids in a buggy and my husband (100% blind) walked with his guide dog “Uuno”.

In my opinion, it is possible for you two to do the camino next year.

Here are some thoughts that you might need to consider…

I would suppose the biggest problem for you is not the guiding part. If you two train together, I’ll find your way to work as a team. I think the hardest part would be being together 24/7. Unlike travelling with a sighted person, you have more responsibilities towards your companion. Unless she wants to stay in a albergue “alone”, you two will most likely be spending a lot of time together. And this works both ways: it could be hard for both, not just you. I don’t know where you are from or does your friend speak English. With this I mean, could she spend some time with other pilgrims too? In our camino we found that people gladly helped, if you let them. My husband doesn’t speak much English, so he was even more dependent on me. Of course, he always had his guide dog to walk with, so he wasn’t as dependent of me as he would have been without Uuno. My husband said that he couldn’t have done camino without Uuno. But he has had guide dog most of his sightless life, so he is biased

Even if you are not going to do your camino with a guide dog, here are some things related to that. It is demanding for the dog. I think our Uuno was at the perfect age (5 years) for our over 800 km camino. He doesn’t have age related medical problems yet, but he has been guiding my husband for 3 years now and they had built a solid relationship before starting our camino. Uuno didn’t have any problems with his paws etc, but we had been training a lot and the dog had got used to long walks in walking paste. In Spain, hotels, hostals etc are obligated to accept guide dog in their premises. That, however, doesn’t mean that they will do so. The route takes you into small villages where people have never seen guide dogs before and they honestly don’t know about the rights of a guide dog. We had some problems regarding Uuno. In the end, only one albergue refused to let our dog in and one hotel refused to make a reservation after hearing, that we had a guide dog. We found, that the best way to get accommodation was to ask the people from the hotel we were staying in, to make a reservation for the next day. Usually, when a local person “guaranteed” that the dog was calm and well behaving, we were accepted in the next accommodation too.

We met three visually impeded persons on our camino. All of them were walking from Sarria. The path is easy to walk and mostly even from thereon. It doesn’t mean, that you couldn’t start your camino elsewhere. However, you might need some extra time, because guiding a blind person especially in down hills, is slow and demanding job. I’m sure, if you two put your mind into it, you’ll be just fine. You should train on tracks/paths, though.

I had some other thoughts, too, but I’m tired and my head just feels empty If you have some questions, feel free to ask – here or privately. I wish you all the best in your preparations. You have a great experience waiting for you next year!

 

[Former member 22438]

We did our camino this spring. I pushed our kids in a buggy and my husband (100% blind) walked with his guide dog “Uuno”.

In my opinion, it is possible for you two to do the camino next year.

Here are some thoughts that you might need to consider…

I would suppose the biggest problem for you is not the guiding part. If you two train together, I’ll find your way to work as a team. I think the hardest part would be being together 24/7. Unlike travelling with a sighted person, you have more responsibilities towards your companion. Unless she wants to stay in a albergue “alone”, you two will most likely be spending a lot of time together. And this works both ways: it could be hard for both, not just you. I don’t know where you are from or does your friend speak English. With this I mean, could she spend some time with other pilgrims too? In our camino we found that people gladly helped, if you let them. My husband doesn’t speak much English, so he was even more dependent on me. Of course, he always had his guide dog to walk with, so he wasn’t as dependent of me as he would have been without Uuno. My husband said that he couldn’t have done camino without Uuno. But he has had guide dog most of his sightless life, so he is biased

Even if you are not going to do your camino with a guide dog, here are some things related to that. It is demanding for the dog. I think our Uuno was at the perfect age (5 years) for our over 800 km camino. He doesn’t have age related medical problems yet, but he has been guiding my husband for 3 years now and they had built a solid relationship before starting our camino. Uuno didn’t have any problems with his paws etc, but we had been training a lot and the dog had got used to long walks in walking paste. In Spain, hotels, hostals etc are obligated to accept guide dog in their premises. That, however, doesn’t mean that they will do so. The route takes you into small villages where people have never seen guide dogs before and they honestly don’t know about the rights of a guide dog. We had some problems regarding Uuno. In the end, only one albergue refused to let our dog in and one hotel refused to make a reservation after hearing, that we had a guide dog. We found, that the best way to get accommodation was to ask the people from the hotel we were staying in, to make a reservation for the next day. Usually, when a local person “guaranteed” that the dog was calm and well behaving, we were accepted in the next accommodation too.

We met three visually impeded persons on our camino. All of them were walking from Sarria. The path is easy to walk and mostly even from thereon. It doesn’t mean, that you couldn’t start your camino elsewhere. However, you might need some extra time, because guiding a blind person especially in down hills, is slow and demanding job. I’m sure, if you two put your mind into it, you’ll be just fine. You should train on tracks/paths, though.

I had some other thoughts, too, but I’m tired and my head just feels empty If you have some questions, feel free to ask – here or privately. I wish you all the best in your preparations. You have a great experience waiting for you next year!

My full respect for you ! Compliments ! Tack så mycket !

 

[jmcarp]

We met two young ladies from Minnesota, one of whom was blind, in Riego de Ambros last fall. They had started walking in Astorga, and we walked with them off and on the rest of the way into Santiago. Michelle, and Maria, another young lady we met back near Lorca who was walking with horribly burned legs and partially burned away feet, were my two greatest inspirations from the Camino. Michelle is a person of great cheer, and told us that she considered her loss of vision as a child to be a gift from God. When I told Maria that she was an inspiration, she told me that I inspired her for walking at my age (70, which is not old on the Camino). When I found myself hobbling through the pain of plantar fasciitis I only had to think of them to inspire me to continue on. Meeting people like them is what makes the Camino so special.