What routes need a new guidebook?

[JohnnieWalker]

Traditionally the CSJ produced guidebooks to the lesser walked routes. For example when I first wrote the guide to the Camino Inglés only 1000 pilgrims a year walked the route. Nowadays more than 12000. More pilgrims means more facilities and other commercial guidebooks are available. Job done.

Looking to the future are there lesser known routes for which we should look at writing guides? What's your wish list?

All of the guidebooks published by the CSJ are produced by volunteers. No one involved get paid anything.

 

[Tia Valeria]

The Lugo Amigos hoped that the Ruta do Mar (Ribadeo to Ferrol via San Andrés de Teixido) would gain recognition, joining as it does then with the Camino Inglés.
After our experience in 2015 I would say that this route is badly in need of a good clear guide, like your one to the Camino Inglés.
This outline starting in Ribadeo is the only 'guide' and the stages are not suited for ongoing walking but for day walks dropped off and collected from places without necessarily having accommodation. There are also some blogs with other details but no true guide.

 

[Isca-camigo]

Two routes, the 1st being the Camino Portuguese del Interior, from Viseu to Verin, it needs all the help it can get. The other being the route from Faro to Lisbon, the amigos have waymarked the 1st 4 etapas, and will probably finish the rest of before next summer, they are treating it as the start of the central route.

 

[Tia Valeria]

The Lugo Amigos hoped that the Ruta do Mar (Ribadeo to Ferrol via San Andrés de Teixido) would gain recognition, joining as it does then with the Camino Inglés.
After our experience in 2015 I would say that this route is badly in need of a good clear guide, like your one to the Camino Inglés.
This outline starting in Ribadeo is the only 'guide' and the stages are not suited for ongoing walking but for day walks dropped off and collected from places without necessarily having accommodation. There are also some blogs with other details but no true guide.

If exploring this Camino IMO it would be worthwhile to check out the (ancient?) way from Viveiro to Ferrol, rather than via San Andrés.
We heard that pilgrims landed at Viveiro rather than risking the dangerous sea route round to A Coruña. They then took a fairly direct walking route to Xubia (Neda/Narón).

 

[Deleted member 29041]

Those from the Mediterranean coast, like C. Gironi, C Catalan, Ruta del Ebro, C Castellano-Aragonés.

 

[jl]

Looking to the future are there lesser known routes for which we should look at writing guides? What's your wish list?

I haven't looked to see if there is and English guide, but have had discussions with a number of people about walking the Baztan route. If there is not one already, that might be a good one?

 

[Bronte DownUnder]

Unless something has changed since we walked the Chemin Saint Jacques (Le Puy en Velay to St Jean Pied de Port) in 2015, we struggled to find any guide book written in English. The recommended book Miam Miam Dodo is in French and even though we contacted the authors we got no response. We suggested that the first 40 pages be translated into English and made available electronically. The maps were adequate and it was easy enough to work out the accommodation using the symbols but it would be fantastic if this lesser walked route had an easy to follow English guide book. We also contacted John Brierly but he replied that it wasn't his intention to write a volume about this route. If someone knows of a comprehensive English publication we'd love to know. Buen Camino from DownUnder

 

[mspath]

Unless something has changed since we walked the Chemin Saint Jacques (Le Puy en Velay to St Jean Pied de Port) in 2015, we struggled to find any guide book written in English. The recommended book Miam Miam Dodo is in French and even though we contacted the authors we got no response. We suggested that the first 40 pages be translated into English and made available electronically. The maps were adequate and it was easy enough to work out the accommodation using the symbols but it would be fantastic if this lesser walked route had an easy to follow English guide book. We also contacted John Brierly but he replied that it wasn't his intention to write a volume about this route. If someone knows of a comprehensive English publication we'd love to know. Buen Camino from DownUnder

Have you checked these guides in English offered by CSJ--
https://www.csj.org.uk/planning-you...o-santiago/the-routes-today/the-le-puy-route/

The Lightfoot guide was most recently published in 2016.

 

[Bronte DownUnder]

Thank you mspath - I've just looked at the cjs website & see there are several English publications. I am not familiar with the Cicerone books. Do they have comprehensive maps as well as a list of current accommodation (like the Brierly)? The solocamino.com website listed on cjs looks as though it could be a valuable basic resource - I've bookmarked it for further reference.

 

[natefaith]

I would say Ruta do Mar as well, or the Ruta dos Faros - people are starting to hear about that one more.

 

[peregrina2000]

With Ender's recent work, I think the Olvidado could use a good guide. Susanna and I have the bones of one in the Resources section, but it's out of date and doesn't incorporate all of the changes that seem to have occurred. I think there are even albergues opening, so it may be a good one to work on. And the mountain stages into and out of Fasgar are BEUUUUUUTIFUL.

 

[KinkyOne]

I would be more than happy to write two or three per year if my costs would be refunded

EDIT: Thinking of it I would even take that as my full time job, wouldn't you

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I would be more than happy to write two or three per year if my costs would be refunded

EDIT: Thinking of it I would even take that as my full time job, wouldn't you

Sorry KinkyOne - no one gets paid anything or any expenses covered - it's a labour/labor of love!

 

[KinkyOne]

Sorry KinkyOne - no one gets paid anything or any expenses covered - it's a labour/labor of love!

I know but as unemployed I have to make a living too

 

[Deleted member 29041]

I also think that the VPP could do with some tender love. As far as I recall, there's a book in French, but very little in other languages.

Personally, I'd love to start in Lourdes, turn left in Oloron-Sainte-Marie and continue on C. Aragonés. Quite a few seen to want to walk to SJPDP and continue on the C. Francés, which also seems like a lovely idea.

 

[caminka]

Two routes, the 1st being the Camino Portuguese del Interior, from Viseu to Verin, it needs all the help it can get. The other being the route from Faro to Lisbon, the amigos have waymarked the 1st 4 etapas, and will probably finish the rest of before next summer, they are treating it as the start of the central route.

I posted a partial guide to CPI here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/unfinished-description-of-cpi.50100/. at the moment, I don't have plans to continue it to verin as I only intend to walk to villa real or parada de aguiar. but when I finish with all the other guides for that year's camino, I can research the rest of it. note that this is not a tested version.

I would be more than happy to write two or three per year if my costs would be refunded
EDIT: Thinking of it I would even take that as my full time job, wouldn't you

I'll join you!

 

[MrLogan]

Hi John,

I'll be entirely selfish and suggest the route I've been looking into: The Via Turonensis (specifically, Paris - Chartres - Tours - Bordeaux - St. Jean Pied-de-Port). The CSJ did once produce a guide for this route, but this is no longer available (I understand that it was never updated after one of the authors died). The only available pilgrim guides are in French. The GR655 from Tours ends in Mirambeau without ever reaching Bordeaux, so the GR system doesn't cover the entire route. I've been considering muddling through this on my own, as I understand that the local associations have devised a route for the non-GR portion of the Turonensis, but like any other pilgrim-to-be I'd prefer to have information beforehand.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thank you mspath - I've just looked at the cjs website & see there are several English publications. I am not familiar with the Cicerone books. Do they have comprehensive maps as well as a list of current accommodation (like the Brierly)? The solocamino.com website listed on cjs looks as though it could be a valuable basic resource - I've bookmarked it for further reference.

I have the Lightfoot guide and using it to help plan my June 2018 Camino on the Chemin and am quite happy with it. It is very detailed with numerous lodging options. I love that it is in English. The only negative for me is that the size of the print is quite small.