Where to walk 3 weeks in April

[Anniesantiago]

I stayed home last year to nurse my ankle and care for my dying brother. Both contributed to my current need to get back into shape slowly.

I thought I'd leave around The first of April and begin with some less strenuous stretches. But I can't decide where to walk.

I still need to finish the following routes:

VDLP from Caceres
Madrid from Cignuela by I wouldn't mind walking from Segovia again.

The Montserrat route interests me mostly because I'd end up in Pamplona where I need to meet my group, but I've walked from Jaca twice

Any suggestions for a fairly flat or short stages (to start) walk?

 

[jpflavin1]

I stayed home last year to nurse my ankle and care for my dying brother. Both contributed to my current need to get back into shape slowly.

I thought I'd leave around The first of April and begin with some less strenuous stretches. But I can't decide where to walk.

I still need to finish the following routes:

VDLP from Caceres
Madrid from Cignuela by I wouldn't mind walking from Segovia again.

The Montserrat route interests me mostly because I'd end up in Pamplona where I need to meet my group, but I've walked from Jaca twice

Any suggestions for a fairly flat or short stages (to start) walk?

Annie:

Why don't you walk backwards from Astorga or Leon to Pamplona. This would meet your criteria of about three weeks of relative gentle walking and end up in Pamplona.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

It's hellish difficult walking backwards ..... ..... and you miss all the yellow arrows ....

 

[Anniesantiago]

Haha Steve!

That might be a good option Joe except I've walked the Frances 7 times and was hoping to walk a different route.

But it might be the best option.

 

[jpflavin1]

Haha Steve!

That might be a good option Joe except I've walked the Frances 7 times and was hoping to walk a different route.

But it might be the best option.

Annie:

My suggestion is based on your arriving in Pamplona at the end. You could also walk the Vasco (tunnel route) and then walk backwards from Santo Domingo de la Calzada. The Vasco starts gentle, imo, until Zegama where you have a pretty steep climb. It is a very nice walk through Basque country until you get into the wine region of Brinas/Haro. I liked this walk very much and am surprised it is not walked more frequently. This would take about 15-16 days without a rest day and put you on a route you have not walked.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[peregrina2000]

Annie, any chance you´d be interested in the Levante? Or how about the short stages on the Invierno? (I see you "liked" that post -- do you have doubts?) It is very true that the Invierno has a lot of ups and downs but you can easily break it up into short (and sometimes very short) stages. When you say the "Montserrat route" are you thinking about maybe starting there? If so, I'd be happy to help you come up with reasonable stages. How many days do you want to walk? Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Hanne]

2 weeks on one of the caminos in France, bus or train to Bayonne, and then Camino Baztan from Bayonne to Pamplona.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Joe, I don't know anything about the tunnel route?
I'll look to see if there's more info on the forum.

Laurie, yes, I visited Montserrat a couple of years ago and would love to walk that route if I could break it up into shorter stages.
It appears to be pretty flat starting out.
I have no time schedule and can leave whenever I want, as long as I arrive in Pamplona before about May 7.
I don't mind the monotony - I just need a way to slowly build my strength back up.
I realize the first day is a climb, but I've done it and can do it slowly again.
I remember it being spectacular!

What about the VDLP from Caceres forward?
How is it? Flat?
I'd still like to finish that route.

 

[peregrina2000]

Laurie, yes, I visited Montserrat a couple of years ago and would love to walk that route if I could break it up into shorter stages.
It appears to be pretty flat starting out.
I have no time schedule and can leave whenever I want, as long as I arrive in Pamplona before about May 7.
I don't mind the monotony - I just need a way to slowly build my strength back up.
I realize the first day is a climb, but I've done it and can do it slowly again.
I remember it being spectacular!

Hi, Annie, look at gronze, eroski or mundicamino and you'll see that from Montserrat you can do shorter stages and that you don't have much in the way of elevation gain till after Huesca. Which "first day" are you referring to as having a climb? Because the first day from Montserrat has very little. If you mean walking TO Montserrat, yes that's a huge climb, it almost did LT in, she says, but there is apparently a less extreme ascent. I came in from the north (Manresa) and had a climb but not strenuous.

What about the VDLP from Caceres forward?
How is it? Flat?
I'd still like to finish that route.

Vdlp from Cáceres forward is certainly an option -- not much elevation to speak of till you get several days north of Zamora and by then you'll be strong.

But I keep whispering..... Invierno.....Invierno.....

 

[Anniesantiago]

Laurie, seems the climb up to the top of the hill at Montserrat wasn't hard, but wasn't flat either. lol!

I'm going to go look at the Invierno but it's at the other end from Pamplona, right?

I hate having these untied ends on the VDLP and also the last 3 days of the Madrid route.
I thought about maybe flying into Madrid, taking a train or bus to Segovia (which I'd like to see again), and re-walking from there, picking up those last few stages I missed, then ??? walking backwards? I did love that Madrid route and would like to call it finished.

I don't know.
Decisions, decisions...

The nice thing about the Montserrat route is it puts me closer to Pamplona, not on the other end of the country.
Have you walked the Camino Vasco?

 

[peregrina2000]

Ok, now I get it. I can see why you are leaning towards something in eastern Spain. The Montserrat route would be perfect in that you would wind up on the Camino Aragonés and can then just hop on a bus to get to Pamplona or keep walking till you need to stop. Then maybe next year, you could walk after you and your group arrive in Santiago, in which case the Invierno would be perfect!

So, Annie, take a stab at some stages if you feel like it and I'll be happy to react. Laurie

 

[jpflavin1]

Joe, I don't know anything about the tunnel route?
I'll look to see if there's more info on the forum.

Laurie, yes, I visited Montserrat a couple of years ago and would love to walk that route if I could break it up into shorter stages.
It appears to be pretty flat starting out.
I have no time schedule and can leave whenever I want, as long as I arrive in Pamplona before about May 7.
I don't mind the monotony - I just need a way to slowly build my strength back up.
I realize the first day is a climb, but I've done it and can do it slowly again.
I remember it being spectacular!

What about the VDLP from Caceres forward?
How is it? Flat?
I'd still like to finish that route.

Annie:

There is a section on the Vasco in the forum. It is a nice walk but somewhat pedestrian in the beginning. I liked this route and it is sparsely traveled, The Gronze and Eroski sites both cover this route.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Castilian]

I still need to finish the following routes:

VDLP from Caceres
Madrid from Cignuela by I wouldn't mind walking from Segovia again.

Any suggestions for a fairly flat or short stages (to start) walk?

You could walk the camino de Madrid from Segovia to Sahagún. Once in Sahagún, take a train to Ávila. Once in Ávila, walk the Levante till Zamora and once in Zamora continue walking the Vía de la Plata till Astorga. Once in Astorga, you can take a direct train to Pamplona.

That would be 21 days walking (unless you wanted to have a slower pace). You would need to add another day to get from Madrid to Segovia and another one to get from Astorga to Pamplona. If you don't have those 2 extra days, you could start walking in Coca instead of in Segovia.

All the walks I quoted are basically flat. And with the walks I quoted you end the camino de Madrid and make another part of the Vía de la Plata. The leg of the Vía de la Plata from Cáceres to Zamora has some stretches that aren't as flat as the ones I suggested and I think it could be a good idea to leave it for another time mixing it with the Sanabrés from Granja de Moreruela to Santiago de Compostela (you would repeat the two stages on the Vía de la Plata from Zamora to Granja de Moreruela -that you would walked this year too- but I don't think that should be a problem).

 

[LTfit]

Here is my 2c based on having walked the Plata, the Levante, the Aragonés and the Camí to and from Monserrat (sorry Annie but I disagree the walk up to Monserrat was straight up!): finish the Plata! The terrain is doable and I am sure that the flowers will be coming up by that time. I agree, I like to "finish up" one Camino before starting another. You'll make it to Zamora doing short stages (or beyond) and still have time to get back to Pamplona.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Here is my 2c based on having walked the Plata, the Levante, the Aragonés and the Camí to and from Monserrat (sorry Annie but I disagree the walk up to Monserrat was straight up!): finish the Plata!

I agree, LTfit - I feel I want to finish either the Madrid or the VDLP or both before starting another route.

Thanks to everyone for their great suggestions. I'll look at all these routes and figure it out. I have lots of time before I go. I'm on no schedule except to arrive in Pamplona or SJPP in time (I've decided I will meet the group in SJPP this year).

LTfit, are you saying the walk up to Montserrat was NOT steep?
I'm going to go back and look at my photos.
It wasn't horribly steep, like going up to Orisson, but it wasn't what I'd call flat either.
But then, I hear you, like Laurie, are a machine!

 

[KinkyOne]

2 weeks on one of the caminos in France, bus or train to Bayonne, and then Camino Baztan from Bayonne to Pamplona.

Nice idea. And "only" 110kms, much less than Annie could do in 3 weeks

 

[KinkyOne]

Laurie, seems the climb up to the top of the hill at Montserrat wasn't hard, but wasn't flat either. lol!

I'm going to go look at the Invierno but it's at the other end from Pamplona, right?

I hate having these untied ends on the VDLP and also the last 3 days of the Madrid route.
I thought about maybe flying into Madrid, taking a train or bus to Segovia (which I'd like to see again), and re-walking from there, picking up those last few stages I missed, then ??? walking backwards? I did love that Madrid route and would like to call it finished.

I don't know.
Decisions, decisions...

The nice thing about the Montserrat route is it puts me closer to Pamplona, not on the other end of the country.
Have you walked the Camino Vasco?

Hey, Annie, what about ending those 3 days on Madrid finally and hop forward on to Invierno (maybe even walk Sahagun - Ponferrada in between)?

Ultreia!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hey, Annie, what about ending those 3 days on Madrid finally and hop forward on to Invierno (maybe even walk Sahagun - Ponferrada in between)?

Ultreia!

Hi Kinky,
Well, for one thing, I need to end close to SJPP, not Santiago
Then, looking at the profiles, it looks pretty scary - I'm recovering from an ankle injury so am looking for a flatter route for 2-4 weeks.
But I will definitely put it on my list!
I think I need to finish the Madrid and the VDLP - but still haven't decided because the route from Montserrat is calling me too.
Sooooooo many Caminos and soooooo little $$$ and time!

 

[LTfit]

LTfit, are you saying the walk up to Montserrat was NOT steep?
I'm going to go back and look at my photos.
It wasn't horribly steep, like going up to Orisson, but it wasn't what I'd call flat either.
But then, I hear you, like Laurie, are a machine!

haha @Anniesantiago this is definately a case of misunderstanding each other! YES, I agree that the walk up to Monserrat was steep. And this comes from someone who didn't think the walk to Orisson was bad. The fact that it was my second day walking, it was warm and I had already walked 35 km before the climb up also influenced my impression. But still. There are several ways to ascend. I meant to take the GR 6 but somewhere during the climb I found myself on the GR 5.

 

[Anniesantiago]

haha @Anniesantiago this is definately a case of misunderstanding each other! YES, I agree that the walk up to Monserrat was steep. And this comes from someone who didn't think the walk to Orisson was bad. The fact that it was my second day walking, it was warm and I had already walked 35 km before the climb up also influenced my impression. But still. There are several ways to ascend. I meant to take the GR 6 but somewhere during the climb I found myself on the GR 5.

It's definitely a walk you want to do first thing, not after you've walked 35k!
Yikes!
But it sure was gorgeous!