Who is the oldest pilgrim you have met on the Camino

[Kieran Kenneally]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno

 

[scruffy1]

2011 - Two lovely Frenchmen aged 84 and 86 walking back and forth Burgos to Castrojeriz with plastic bags and light weight trash grabber tools picking up pilgrim litter along the way. Sadly, their garbage bags weighed more than their backpacks.
2012 - Another wonderful Canadian woman who admited to being older than 89 walking short distances in Galacia between her favorite albergues.

 

[Tia Valeria]

...............
2012 - Another wonderful Canadian woman who admitted to being older than 89 walking short distances in Galacia between her favorite albergues.

This might have been the same lady that we met in A Brea (May 2012) Her shortest day to there was 2kms and her longest was 8km because of accommodation. The other 90 year old lady was there the same night. Amazing ladies.

 

[Chrisp]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno
View attachment 35331

Hi Kieran, Incredible! Don't you hope that will be us?! BTW, I thought I recognised you from August 2014. I don't suppose your crazy, funny (delightful) brother Patrick is with you? Please say hi to him from me please. Regards, Chris, an Aussie in Kazakhstan!

 

[Kieran Kenneally]

Hi Kieran, Incredible! Don't you hope that will be us?! BTW, I thought I recognised you from August 2014. I don't suppose your crazy, funny (delightful) brother Patrick is with you? Please say hi to him from me please. Regards, Chris, an Aussie in Kazakhstan!

Yes that's me don't think I will look that good though at 87 though.Will certainly pass on your regards.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

And 84 year old Italian man walking the Primitivo, walking faster than everyone else. I remember him saying that would be his last Camino, I asked why, that's when he told me his age. He looked 10 years younger to me.

 

[cher99840]

October 2013 a 90 year old Spanish lady shared her birthday cake with us. She was walking her 4th Camino.

 

[KinkyOne]

In 2011 I met 87 yo man from Norway who just put his a bit younger wife on a bus because of injury in Los Arcos. He was walking from Le Puy that year and his wife joined in SJPdP. Sadly she had to stop. It was his 7th Camino and had such a long stride that although I'm 180 cm (5'11") and was less than half his years I couldn't walk that fast.
Incredible.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I once chatted with a man in his 70s walking his 6th Frances. Said this was the first time she did not come. I assumed tored/old age. Oh no! She stayed back home to train for a marathon!

 

[Stivandrer]

I am so glad that I met some pilgrims that were both 82 and 88 !
Means that that I, at the tender years of 62, have a good 25 years to still walking the Camino....

 

[scruffy1]

This might have been the same lady that we met in A Brea (May 2012) Her shortest day to there was 2kms and her longest was 8km because of accommodation. The other 90 year old lady was there the same night. Amazing ladies.

That's her!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Kudos to all the amazing octogenarians you all have met along the way! What a great thread as it gives encouragement and hope that we can continue to have a full life, even in our "golden years".

 

[grayland]

One of our long time members walked into Santiago on her 80th birthday!

(I will leave it to her to identify herself if she wants to)

 

[C clearly]

One of our long time members walked into Santiago on her 80th birthday!

(I will leave it to her to identify herself if she wants to)

I think maybe she's off walking in Scotland now!

 

[Kiwi-family]

For me it was americans - married couple 84 and 83 years old. We stayed at the same place in Melide. Amazing couple - and we had dinner together in the town. It turned they had been walking since August 2. (We were at this point at Oct.15). The woman could only walk about 8-10 km a day. And they insisted on going all the way. Met them again in Santiago on my return from Finisterra and Muxia - where they were also going. Amazing -

I so hope that's me (and my hubby) in 36 years!

 

[Esther66]

During my walk from Sarria in May 2017, I met an 82-year-old woman from Australia. One day she walked 20 km. Other days she walked 10 and took a bus part way. She was very active back in Australia, having been involved with the Girl Scouts for over 50 years. She had received the Order of Australia in recognition for this and other selfless acts.

And my Nova Scotian neighbor is 89. He has walked over 200 km on the Camino several times during his 80's and plans to go next year as well to do another 200 km. He didn't go this year because he was doing a long walk in England.
To celebrate his 70th birthday, he walked 54 km in one day around the Aspotogan peninsula in Nova Scotia! A friend who was worried about him committing to such a feat followed him with his car in case he needed emergency support or wanted to rethink this challenge. However, he completed the walk in under 11 hours!
.... 54 km in one day at any age is astonishing but at 70 it is priceless! He is my mentor!

 

[Kanga]

88 year old Erica from Canada who walks the last 100km from Sarria every year. She does it in stages of between 5 and 10km a day. Amazing wonderful woman.

 

[AMNAUSA]

Good to hear all these wonderful stories about these great older pilgrims. It gives me hope that I too will still be walking Caminos in my eighties. I am 75 and planning another Camino next year when I'll be 76. It will be my 7th Camino in 10 years. ( 3 Frances, Northern, Portuguese and Chemin ). My husband, who is now passed, was 78 on his last Camino and it seemed we were always the oldest.

 

[Nick Lomnte]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno
View attachment 35331

Kieran, Thank you for posting this. Yes, my good friend and neighbor Lou, celebrated his 87th birthday while in Rubiaes on the Portuguese route from Porto. I was blessed to be his companion on this pilgrimage. I celebrated my 75th birthday in February and look forward to another Camino. We averaged 20 km per day and met so many wonderful pilgrims along the way. I recalled pilgrims from 17 different countries and 9 states in the US. Kieran and Aidan from Ireland were a blessing to us.
This was one of my lifes highlights. Don't let age scare you away from this wonderful experience.

 

[Kieran Kenneally]

 

[nycwalking]

Camino 2002, I met a 75 year old pilgrim who was walking for peace. He was an Aushwitz survivor who'd last seen his mom on her way to gas chamber. He had a generous spirit bought me a coke and paid my albergue fee in a teeny town just beyond Fromista. I was too tired to walk on to Carrion and an ATM. Later that camino I was volunteering in Ponferrada he reappeared. His pace was slow and steady. He had an audience at albergue, showed us his holocaust tattoo, by then his story had been printed, so we read article. He was a true pilgrim of life and camino.

 

[C clearly]

Nice sentiment in the post above, @Kieran Kenneally. However for most of us as we really get "older," it is hard to identify with her photo.

 

[Kieran Kenneally]

Nice sentiment in the post above, @Kieran Kenneally. However for most of us as we really get "older," it is hard to identify with her photo.

Amazing what a bit of soft focus and yoga can do for you bet she had problems getting up

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno
View attachment 35331

My favorite older pilgrim is Wanda, with whom I have done training walks. Two years ago while I tackled the Camino Frances, she walked the 1000 miles from Le Puy. Of course she was only 78 at the time! This year she set her sights on the European Peace Walk for her 80th birthday!
By the way, at the other end of the age spectrum, the youngest pilgrim I met was 13 months old. She too had "walked" from Le Puy helped along by mom and dad!

 

[williamlittig]

In 2013 on the French Camino I met a gentleman 92 from Florida and he was no slacker doing 20Km or more each day...... Ultreya..... Willy/Utah/USA

 

[Cheryl Smith]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno
View attachment 35331

Well done gentlemen you are truly an inspiration

 

[Esther66]

Nice sentiment in the post above, @Kieran Kenneally. However for most of us as we really get "older," it is hard to identify with her photo.

True, but I met a 71-year-old woman from Japan after Sarria who walked from SJJP who did Pilates and Yoga daily, but not on a mat. She did then as she walked or after her walk, with her leg pointing her foot over her head, with her hand extended to touch her foot over her head! It was REMARKABLE.
However, she wasn't a yoga teacher nor a yoga fanatic. She did her yoga bc at age 40 she was told by her doctor that she had some type of debilitating arthritis that would impede her mobility and to prepare for her demise. So she prepared! She took up walking as a hobby with Pilates and Yoga, practicing it everyday to ward off the effects of her "debilitating" arthritis. She did have arthritis and was in continuous pain from it but she didn't let it impede her mobility. Her mental training was also REMARKABLE.

She has walked 5 Caminos in Spain and plans to continue them as well as otherlong ancient walks in Japan and in other countries. She intends to walk the Camino Frances when she is 100 years of age!
She was so inspiring to me that she has become my mentor and I am continuing to be in contact with her through writing. How I would love to walk with her when she is 100. I will be only a mere 97 at that time.

 

[AlanSykes]

This ki g

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date?

I think I may be the oldest person I've "met" on the camino, at an unimpressive 56. The Plata and the Levante, although they have a reputation for attracting older pilgrims, mostly seemed to have younger ones on them when I was walking, and I was certainly the oldest person I came across on the Norte. Antonío, a 30-something chef from Seville, was the first person I walked into Santiago with (on my third arrival), and Tanel, a 42 year old forester from Estonia, my first "camino family" (on my fourth). I think young people can be just as inspiring as older ones, and I really enjoyed my day with a beautiful polyglot 20 year old Swiss Italian who had walked from Zurich to Fisterra, and had a week or two left over so went from Seville to Salamanca, and who I met a mile or two from Cáparra last November, the first pilgrim I'd seen in 6 weeks from Almería.

 

[wonzi]

taiji pilgrim, Heaven forbid there be two Wandas! LOL! But what you have written certainly describes this "Wanda"! Please will the real TaijiPilgrim stand up and be seen?

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

taiji pilgrim, Heaven forbid there be two Wandas! LOL! But what you have written certainly describes this "Wanda"! Please will the real TaijiPilgrim stand up and be seen?

I don't think I need to stand up because you know who I am. We have shared training walks, tapas, chicken wings and rioja! And you always amaze me.

 

[J Willhaus]

We met 90 year old Ira and his 65 year old girlfriend Raquel. They were quite the pair--carried their own packs, etc. They were from Brooklyn by way of their winter retirement locations in Florida.

 

[Davo]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno
View attachment 35331

We met the most delightful australien lady on the Camino last October. "Only" 75 but recovering from a stroke which I thought was most impressive. Walked with a large stick, at her own pace, and even made time to have her hair done. Standards need to be maintained!

 

[RENSHAW]

10 years ago I met a chap who was walking the camino at 84. He was adamant at that time that HE was the oldest pilgrim to ever walk the camino. His secret - eat less than 2000 calories per day.
My answer to longevity would be - choose your parents very carefully.

 

[Chris Melbourne]

I was walking the Camino Frances between Burgos and Leon as my second stage of my plan to complete the Caamino Frances and met up with 3 wonderful South Africans and 2 Americans and we walked together the whole week.

They were walking all the way from St Jean to Santiago, i was just doing a week.

We were just leaving a cafe after eating our second breakfast of the day in San Nicolas del Real Camino. 3 elderly ladies entered and myy companions spoke to them, as they had bumped into them earlier on the road. When we left the cafe they explained that the older of the 3 was 92 ( or maybe 94) and that she was walking 5 to 10 kilometers a day with her daughter and grand-daughter. I could hardly believe what they said as she looked so sprightly!!!!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Walking the Camino, nobody older than their 80s, but on the Camino I was given shelter and welcome by an ad hoc hospitalero former pilgrim Catholic priest in his 90s who did his own Camino in the 1950s

 

[JabbaPapa]

... though of course the oldest pilgrims on the Camino are in their 100s ...

 

[RobS]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno
View attachment 35331

It was Joaquin, from Bilbao, well over 80 and walking 40+KM per day. In July 2012 we had dinner together at El Meson in Castrojeriz. He convinced me to try the house natilla. His blistered and calloused feet were no inspiration to follow his walking example, but I remember him fondly every time I see natilla on the pilgrim menu.

 

[Jacobus]

We have all met pilgrims of all ages and nationalities on the camino but I was wondering who is the oldest you have met to date? I was blessed to have met two Texans ,Lou who celebrated his 87th birthday while walking the Camino Portuguese in June and his partner in crime Nick. These two men were truly an inspiration to all who met and shared meals and alberques etc with them.Here is a pic of them both taken in Porinno
View attachment 35331

Met Lou and Nick at Casa Fernanda. Very engaging gentlemen. I was walking with my daughter and they were an inspuration to us both. The photo is at the pilgrims mass. We bumped into them almost every day including Santiago. ...and for the record 87 is tops for me after all my camino's.

 

[Jacobus]

Kieran, Thank you for posting this. Yes, my good friend and neighbor Lou, celebrated his 87th birthday while in Rubiaes on the Portuguese route from Porto. I was blessed to be his companion on this pilgrimage. I celebrated my 75th birthday in February and look forward to another Camino. We averaged 20 km per day and met so many wonderful pilgrims along the way. I recalled pilgrims from 17 different countries and 9 states in the US. Kieran and Aidan from Ireland were a blessing to us.
This was one of my lifes highlights. Don't let age scare you away from this wonderful experience.

Hello Nick! Great to see you on the forum. I am Jim and walked with you and Lou with my daughter Mary!

 

[Tim (Ottawa)]

In 2013 on the French Camino I met a gentleman 92 from Florida and he was no slacker doing 20Km or more each day...... Ultreya..... Willy/Utah/USA

Hey Willy, we likely met on the trail as well.

I remember the afternoon we were waiting at a table to get 'checked in' to a convent albergue. There were several nuns in habits working the welcoming table. Our old buddy produced his paperwork, and a hush fell over the sisters, followed by some whispers. Finally, the one with the most English said "Sir, there's a problem with your passport." He shot back "There's nothing wrong with my passport--I was born in 1921, and I'm 92 years old!" Those of us behind him in line grinned and nodded our confirmation. They welcomed him warmly. He had done the Appalachian trail a few years earlier, in his late 80's.

Oldest pilgrim I ever met

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 1

92 years old, from Florida. Going strong! 2013....

Oldest pilgrim I ever met

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 1

92 years old, from Florida. Going strong! 2013....

 

[Tim (Ottawa)]

Hey Willy, we likely met on the trail as well.

I remember the afternoon we were waiting at a table to get 'checked in' to a convent albergue. There were several nuns in habits working the welcoming table. Our old buddy produced his paperwork, and a hush fell over the sisters, followed by some whispers. Finally, the one with the most English said "Sir, there's a problem with your passport." He shot back "There's nothing wrong with my passport--I was born in 1921, and I'm 92 years old!" Those of us behind him in line grinned and nodded our confirmation. They welcomed him warmly. He had done the Appalachian trail a few years earlier, in his late 80's.

Oldest pilgrim I ever met

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 1

92 years old, from Florida. Going strong! 2013....

Oldest pilgrim I ever met

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 1

92 years old, from Florida. Going strong! 2013....

and here's the youngest and the happiest pilgrim I met...

And the youngest...

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017

youngest and happiest!

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 4

 

[williamlittig]

and here's the youngest and the happiest pilgrim I met...

And the youngest...

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017

youngest and happiest!

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 4

I didn't get to meet the youngest, in the rain coat but the gentleman your with seems very familiar...Thanks

 

[movinmaggie]

One of our long time members walked into Santiago on her 80th birthday!

(I will leave it to her to identify herself if she wants to)

Hi Grayland..I'm on the forum less because I am writing pretty much on a full time basis, which was the reason for walking on my 80th. It offered me the opportunity to walk through the disparate chapters of my life as I revelled in the open, beautiful stages of my Camino before settling to the writing of a Memoir. I returned from Scotland in June (my ancestral home) with some gems - stories of family members that could never have be made up. If anyone is familiar with Dorothy Parker, from the group of writers that met at The Algonquin Club in NY, she wrote "I hate writing, but I'm happy having written". I also just reconnected with my estranged brother- of 50 years!
Everything I envisioned on my walk in Spain is all playing out. Truly amazing. Sorry for the lengthy response, brevity was never one of my virtues. I do miss you all -often.

 

[Stivandrer]

well worth reading however long, which is wasn´t....
thanx

 

[Devereaux]

During my walk from Sarria in May 2017, I met an 82-year-old woman from Australia. One day she walked 20 km. Other days she walked 10 and took a bus part way. She was very active back in Australia, having been involved with the Girl Scouts for over 50 years. She had received the Order of Australia in recognition for this and other selfless acts.

And my Nova Scotian neighbor is 89. He has walked over 200 km on the Camino several times during his 80's and plans to go next year as well to do another 200 km. He didn't go this year because he was doing a long walk in England.
To celebrate his 70th birthday, he walked 54 km in one day around the Aspotogan peninsula in Nova Scotia! A friend who was worried about him committing to such a feat followed him with his car in case he needed emergency support or wanted to rethink this challenge. However, he completed the walk in under 11 hours!
.... 54 km in one day at any age is astonishing but at 70 it is priceless! He is my mentor!

Could this be Wanda of Albert and Wanda from Halifax, Nova Scotia???
I'm hoping to connect with either!
Devereaux

 

[Davo]

We met the most delightful australien lady on the Camino last October. "Only" 75 but recovering from a stroke which I thought was most impressive. Walked with a large stick, at her own pace, and even made time to have her hair done. Standards need to be maintained!

I can now proudly add my own mother to this illustrious list. Aged 85, she walked 130kms of CF over 6 days (Astorga-Sarria) in early June 2018. Highlight stays for her were Rabanal (CSJ) and Trabadelo (Suzi’s place), but it was all good, and a privilege to be able to walk beside her.

 

[Annette london]

We met a 92 year old lady on the Via Francigena a few years ago...pulling a case on some kind of trolley
Her niece was with her and they would walk a certain distance each day, then get a bus to the next stage.
She was a very religious lady and walking and taking with her was an experience in itself.

 

[MaxfromMO]

Hey Willy, we likely met on the trail as well.

I remember the afternoon we were waiting at a table to get 'checked in' to a convent albergue. There were several nuns in habits working the welcoming table. Our old buddy produced his paperwork, and a hush fell over the sisters, followed by some whispers. Finally, the one with the most English said "Sir, there's a problem with your passport." He shot back "There's nothing wrong with my passport--I was born in 1921, and I'm 92 years old!" Those of us behind him in line grinned and nodded our confirmation. They welcomed him warmly. He had done the Appalachian trail a few years earlier, in his late 80's.

Oldest pilgrim I ever met

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 1

92 years old, from Florida. Going strong! 2013....

Oldest pilgrim I ever met

• Tim (Ottawa)
• Aug 8, 2017
• 1

92 years old, from Florida. Going strong! 2013....

We met him in 2013 as well!! Had dinner with him in Villar de Mazarife. Lots of fun that night.