Weather and Packing Tips for Primitivo in July

[Orujo]

For those who've walked the Primitivo in late June/July, I'm curious about the weather and the amount of rain to expect – and wondering whether to pack warm stuff like a puffy jacket in addition to wet weather gear (Altus poncho) – I'm assuming it's cooler at altitude and mornings are cold? What are people's thoughts on Goretex shoes (or not!) if the trail is wet and muddy. And did you need your sleeping bag? Thank you

 

[howardd5]

Vortex or not , personal choice . My poor feet sweat under most conditions and I found Gortex too confining and got blisters and had to change socks every couple hours. I wear now either Merrill breathable runners OR my favorite Teva sandals ( sometime with socks) my last two CF treks were 90% sandals. They were also my town shoes. Most of the Primitivo is like the CF , only more remote and few Albergues. You best stay where you can after 3:30

 

[wanderlustesq]

For those who've walked the Primitivo in late June/July, I'm curious about the weather and the amount of rain to expect – and wondering whether to pack warm stuff like a puffy jacket in addition to wet weather gear (Altus poncho) – I'm assuming it's cooler at altitude and mornings are cold? What are people's thoughts on Goretex shoes (or not!) if the trail is wet and muddy. And did you need your sleeping bag? Thank you

I did the Primitivo early last June. Although it was officially not “hot” yet, I was warm as I hiked. I never used my puffy jacket. Occasionally in the evening I wore my light fleece jacket. I consider myself to be always on the cold side and I packed my fears of being cold. Completely unnecessary. I was hot most of the time even though the high temperature for most days was in the lower 70’s. With all the hills and terrain, my metabolism went into high gear. In order to cool off slowly after hiking, I wore merino wool leggings and a long sleeved merino wool T-shirt. I find merino wool to be the perfect material. Warming and cooling at the same time.

I ran into little rain and was sweating so much with my Zpack rain pancho/jacket, I preferred to get rained in and not overheat. This year I’m leaving it at home and bringing a very light rain jacket and pack cover.

 

[wanderlustesq]

I only used a sleep liner because most accommodations had blankets. I was never cold and slept in merino wool leggings and tshirt.

No gortex because it makes you sweat and sweat can cause blisters! I used trail runners and they were perfect for the very rough terrain you’ll occasionally encounter and do fine on the black top you need to endure as well. A thin coating of Vaseline, Injini toe socks in merino wool with a thin pair of Darn Tough merino wool socks kept me blister free. There were mud puddles I came across, but they were always avoidable.

I found the route to be very challenging in the early days due to elevation climbs and descents. It is doable for most abilities, but doing more than 24 kilometers a day was tough. Using the elevation map from the Pilgrim Ninja app kept me mentally prepared. It was exceptionally accurate. You show as a red dot on the hills, so it lets you know how much is left to go when you are praying it’s almost over!

I am a 61 year old female in good shape who regularly hikes at higher elevations in the western USA. It was tough for me. But I met 25 year old hearty Germans who weren’t as physically challenged.

 

[Trekker One]

I can't speak to the specific conditions you may face on the Primitivo in July as I walked it in mid September in 2018. I don't think you will need any kind of 'puffy' or heavy jacket at all. Best to go with layers.
We didn't have any issue with wet or muddy trails as we didn't experience even a drop of rain. We could see evidence of where alot of standing water had been on the trails from earlier in the year.
We actually ended up in Santiago two days ahead of schedule as we had heard it was hard, but actually we found it easier than expected, but certainly harder than most days on the Francis route
All that said the Primitivo remains our favorite route by a wide margin. Hope to walk it again some day along with the San Salvador from Leon.

 

[LTfit]

Keep in mind that you are often in a mountainous regiin which can mean fickle weather. Definitely be prepared for rain though Gortex shoes not necessary. If it does rain you probably do what most of us do, put newspapers in your shoes, change once and in the morning they're dry.

The first time I walked the Primitivo was April 2019 and a fleece plus hard shell was sufficient. I did it again after the San Salvador June 2021 and only had the fleece and if course rain gear. I didn't bring a sleeping bag in June

It's my favorite Camino but definitely more physically demanding than the Francés or any other Camino I've walked so far.

 

[Orujo]

I only used a sleep liner because most accommodations had blankets. I was never cold and slept in merino wool leggings and tshirt.

No gortex because it makes you sweat and sweat can cause blisters! I used trail runners and they were perfect for the very rough terrain you’ll occasionally encounter and do fine on the black top you need to endure as well. A thin coating of Vaseline, Injini toe socks in merino wool with a thin pair of Darn Tough merino wool socks kept me blister free. There were mud puddles I came across, but they were always avoidable.

I found the route to be very challenging in the early days due to elevation climbs and descents. It is doable for most abilities, but doing more than 24 kilometers a day was tough. Using the elevation map from the Pilgrim Ninja app kept me mentally prepared. It was exceptionally accurate. You show as a red dot on the hills, so it lets you know how much is left to go when you are praying it’s almost over!

I am a 61 year old female in good shape who regularly hikes at higher elevations in the western USA. It was tough for me. But I met 25 year old hearty Germans who weren’t as physically challenged.

Thanks so much for your reply to my question - very helpful.

 

[peregrino_tom]

Sus1, my observations as follows
- the climate emergency means meteorological history and pilgrims' experiences in previous years count for much less than they used to. If you had been walking June/July last year your main concerns would have been the intensity of the heat and and the proximity of forest fires. This year it might be battling unprecedented rain - who knows.
- although the Primitivo is up and down and through the hills, the typical height and highest points are both lower than the equivalent stages (from Astorga) to those on the CF. The CF actually passes closer to the high spine/massif of the Cantabrian mountains than the Primitivo.
- being further inland, the Frances is more susceptible to extremes of temperature such as cold mornings. These are somewhat moderated for the Primitivo as it is on the Atlantic side of the Cantabrian massif.

Looks like you've walked the Frances a couple of times already, so you should know pretty well by now what kit works for you in relation to footwear and layers. Add that poncho and I'd say you're good to go
Cheers, tom