Wet April?

[Daniel Crowe]

Hi all,
I was to do the Frances in May this year but now have to do April if I have any chance! But I was preparing for slightly warmer and maybe drier conditions in May. I did the Frances 5 years ago but I can't remember how wet the conditions were early on. Can anyone tell me how rainy a month April is on the Frances?
I recently got told I have Reynauds, which means colder weather and rain are effectively no bueno for my hands as the blood doesn't travel properly to my fingers. Other than that I'm fairly fit, but I need to be sure of my clothing and jackets.

Thank you,
Daniel

 

[trecile]

Weatherspark.com is a good site for historical leather data. Here are the results for Pamplona in April.

Pamplona April Weather, Average Temperature (Spain) - Weather Spark

In Pamplona during April average daily high temperatures increase from 58°F to 63°F and it is overcast or mostly cloudy about 54% of the time.

weatherspark.com

 

[Bradypus]

Can anyone tell me how rainy a month April is on the Frances?

You can look up past weather data for towns along the Frances on weatherspark.com. The probability of rain on any given day in April is anywhere between 20% and 37% depending on which part of the way you look at. Not surprised to learn that Santiago is amongst the dampest spots on the path! But those are averages based on past history - no one knows what this particular year will be like.

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Yeah, cheers Bradypus. I'll give her a look. 20% - 37% seems to suggest to pack for more than a couple of rainy days ha

 

[C clearly]

But I was preparing for...

You have to be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. I would pack the same things for either April or May, but I would expect to use some items more in April than in May. Does that make sense?

You need to have good rain gear. If it rains 10 days in April and only 6 days in May, you will need to have the same things in your backpack. If it is chilly at night 7 times in April and only 5 times in May, you will still need (or at least will want) to have the appropriate layers with you.

Since you have Reynauds, you should have good gloves. You might find that your hands are coldest on those rainy days, especially if you are using poles. Consider taking some light weight warm ones, and even putting waterproof dishwashing gloves over them. I found that my gloves quickly got wet and were uncomfortable and difficult to remove quickly. Maybe experiment with glove combinations at home in the rain, before your Camino. If you don't have enough rain at home ( ) you could put your planned gloves on your hands, run them under a tap, and then go for a walk with them on. I am actually serious about this!

So, really the planning and preparation is virtually the same for April and May, no matter what the weather turns out to be.

 

[alexwalker]

in the beginning of April 2022, I had snow leaving Uterga and Puente la Reina...

 

[Bradypus]

in the beginning of April 2022, I had snow leaving Uterga and Puente la Reina...

On higher ground it can still be VERY cold and snowy in April. I took a screenshot from the webcam in O Cebreiro on 24 April 2019. Unlikely but far from impossible.

 

[Elvis]

Yeah, cheers Bradypus. I'll give her a look. 20% - 37% seems to suggest to pack for more than a couple of rainy days ha

You may want to try some fishing gloves. The brand I use is GLACIER GLOVE.

 

[Tincatinker]

On higher ground it can still be VERY cold and snowy in April. I took a screenshot from the webcam in O Cebreiro on 24 April 2019. Unlikely but far from impossible.

View attachment 142384

It looked a lot like that in April 2012 as did the Cruz Ferro and the Montes de Oca. The historical stats on Aemet and other sources all suggest that snow on the ground is more than just possible in early-mid April along most of the Camino Frances high points. Sound boots, warm gloves and a song-in-your-heart can all come in handy

 

[mla1]

I also have Reynauds and always carry gloves. Temperatures between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius are the worst! Here is a review of the waterproof gloves I use:

Review: Showa 282 Gloves || Preferred cold & wet solution, but imperfect

When hiking or running in cold & wet conditions, my hands struggle to stay comfortable. The Showa 282 Gloves are the best option I've found.

andrewskurka.com

Some of the (not cheap!) waterproof hiking gloves are impossible to get on if your hands are wet!

 

[Brenda Ryan]

Hi all,
I was to do the Frances in May this year but now have to do April if I have any chance! But I was preparing for slightly warmer and maybe drier conditions in May. I did the Frances 5 years ago but I can't remember how wet the conditions were early on. Can anyone tell me how rainy a month April is on the Frances?
I recently got told I have Reynauds, which means colder weather and rain are effectively no bueno for my hands as the blood doesn't travel properly to my fingers. Other than that I'm fairly fit, but I need to be sure of my clothing and jackets.

Thank you,
Daniel

Hi Daniel,
I have Raynauds and rarely wear gloves as they don’t allow my hands to warm up. I did take a light nylon liner pair for dry cool mornings… but I would suggest light wool mitts and a waterproof overmitt (which I purchased.)

 

[Daniel Crowe]

Hi Daniel,
I have Raynauds and rarely wear gloves as they don’t allow my hands to warm up. I did take a light nylon liner pair for dry cool mornings… but I would suggest light wool mitts and a waterproof overmitt (which I purchased.)

Hi Brenda,
I've noticed that myself, in colder conditions it's almost worse to wear gloves it feels like. It must be to do with the fact that the material is wrapped tighter around your fingers, the blood probably doesn't flow as normal. But I will strongly consider that. Thank you.