We have returned from our 500 mile inn-to-inn hike on Camino de Santiago, the ancient pilgrimage route through Northern Spain. It was a profound and powerful experience - walking in the footsteps of the Celts, Romans, Visigoths, and thousands of pilgrims through the centuries. It combined the solitude of days on the trail, a close and joyful community of pilgrims, the kindness and humor of the Spanish people, exciting vibrant cities, and beautiful countryside. Ron Friedman asked these questions on our Camino blog: “Does this walk necessarily have a religious element?  Do many people who are not Catholic do this?  What are some planning tools (books, maps, websites?) that you would recommend?”
Also planning your trip? Have you hiked the Camino? Please join in the conversation.

Santiago!

The guidebooks warn of the fierce weather in Galicia.  Storms blow in from the Atlantic bringing wind, cold, rain, and snow.  But, the weather for us, in late October, is ideal for hiking - crisp, cool mornings; warm, sunny afternoons.  In fact, I had only taken my rain jacket out twice during the six week pilgrimage because of slight drizzle.  Now, with the short autumn days, the leaves of oaks, maples, and chestnuts are turning yellow and orange.

We hike on narrow trails cut deep through the dense woods, sometimes fifteen feet below the forest floor.  Walls along the paths may be constructed of ancient stones or they may be solid earth held in place by deep roots.  It seems the route has been worn down by the foootsteps of millions of pilgrims over 13 centuries, the boots of Roman legions before that, and the tracks of Celts going back to the iron age and the 8th century B.C.

Two days out from Santiago, it started to rain.  We welcomed it, enjoying a chance to wear our rain gear and hike in the wet woodlands, stopping in village cafes to warm up with hot chocolate.  Approaching Santiago on the final day, a rainbow appeared, ärco iris.¨

We entered Santiago, passed by dozens of aged churches, entered the old city, checked into a hotel, and visited the pilgrim office.  The officials inspected our ¨credential del peregrino,¨ the document that every pilgrim carries.  Hostals, albergues, cafes, bars, and churches along the route stamp the pilgrim´s passport.  This verifies that the pilgirm has made the journey.  We were issued a scroll, a compostela, written in Latin.  Our names - Adelaidem (Heidi) and Thomam.

There are several pilgrimage routes that all end in Santiago.  A pilgrim must hike the final 100km or bike the last 200 in order to receive the compostela.  The officials told us that it is now the slow season and only 150 pilgirms a day finish the journey.  During the summer, the number swells to 1,500.  Over the first ten months of 2011, 170,000 peregrinos completed their pilgrimage!

The next day we entered the grand catherdral for the pilgrims mass.  It was the most fun I have ever had in church.  The knave of the massive structure is formed by 14 five storey Romanesque arches, but the decor is very Baroque.  Brightly painted wooden carvings of angels, cherubs blowing trumpets, and warriors on charging steeds with lances raised, support organ pipes stretching 30 feet to the ceiling.  Behind the altar, 20 foot high angels, guilded in gold, hold up a platform with giant maidens and Roman soldiers.  St. James, Santiago, is shown in his many forms: a simple pilgrim, the Moor Slayer on horseback with sword raised, and in the center - seated on a throne bedecked with gold and jewels.

The bishop, wearing a miter, led the mass with a supporting cast of eight priest wearing white vestments and the red cross of Santiago.  A nun with the voice of an angel led us in song.

A giant incense burner, the botofumeiro, hung from a pulley at the ceiling by thick rope.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, a cluster of robed churchmen pulled on the rope in unison while one of their members gave it great shoves.  It swung back and forth across the long transept in a grand arc.  These guys have one the best jobs in Christendom.  The sweet smell of incense filled the catherdral.  Then, the pilgrims milled around greeting friends they made along the trail.

The Camino de Santiago de Compostela teaches many lessons.  This is a topic of intense interest for pilgrims along the trail.  One cannot walk the Camino and be unchanged.  I think I will be processing what I have learned for many months, but here are a few lessons.  Solitude, community, and empathy.  The pilgrim walks alone - long days for hundreds of miles at two miles an hour with endles hours of contemplation, but the shared experience and quest creates a deep community and caring for your fellow pilgrim.  There is great joy in the simplicity of the pilgrim´s life.  You are carrying all your possessions, and you don´t want to add any more.  So, the pilgrim is divorced from the market economy.  She is single-tasking, rising in the morning and walking with only a few decisions to make - where to spend the night and to eat.  There is clarity of the day´s purpose and accomplishment.  What a change from our modern lifestyle.  What a wonderful gift.

Buen Camino!

You'll find previous posts from Tom's Camino pilgrimage below. Click here to check out the full Walkabout El Camino blog.

Hiking El Camino de Santiago de Compostela

I have wanted to hike el Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the Way of St. James, ever since I read Paulo Coelho´s book The Pilgrimage more than a decade ago.  Now, with the publication of Walkabout Northern California: Hiking Inn to Inn this spring, I decided to give myself the gift of a 500 mile trek across northern Spain.

The legend of the Camino began in AD 813 when Pelayo, a religious hermit, heard the song of angels and followed a star to an ancient Roman mausoleum where he found the remains of St. James, one of Jesus´ apostles.  His finding was confirmed by the local bishop and the Asturian King Alfonso the Chaste.  Soon pilgrims flocked to the site as a form of penance and indulgence, a way to earn an entrance to heaven.  The pilgrimage route flourished from the 11th to 13th centuries when towns, churches, monasteries, and services for pilgrims were established.  As the centuries passed, many times there were very few pilgrims, but there was a rebirth in the second half of the 20th century, and the Camino was granted U.N. World Heritage status.  Today, thousands of pilgrims hike the Camino each year.

A web of trails lead to Santiago.  I chose Camino Frances, leaving from St. Jean Pied de Port in the very south of France and in the heart of Basque country.  The hike on the first two days crosses the Pyrenese into Spain.  The hike on the first day climbs 1,900 feet along a one-lane, rural road, passing little farms.  Small herds of cattle, horses, and sheep graze on the grassy mountainsides.  Dense clouds formed a low ceiling, but after a few hours, I walked into the cloud and was enshrouded by it - cool, moist, and quiet.  Cows would suddenly appear on the road, emerging in the mist a few meters ahead.

There are over 300 albergues or refugios - pilgirim hostels along the Camino.  Arriving at Albergue Orisson, I joined pilgrims from all over the world, mostly from Europe, but also from New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Australia, and a few from the U.S.  It was easy to meet and get to know other pilgrims.  We share a common quest.

The skies cleared on the second day, revealing vistas of green rolling mountains reaching to the horizon.  Climbing another 2,600 feet, a gale force wind howled.  There were no farms at this altitude.  What a joy to hike in such wild country.

The Pyrenese have been an almost insurmountable barrier, historically protecting Spain and France from each other, but the Holy Roman Emperor, Charlemagne, lead his army on this same trail and invaded Spain around 800.  Napoleon did the same 1,000 years later.

The trail passed into Spain and descended steeply into the Rio Urrobi valley where I joined 100 pilgims, spending the night at the Roncesvalles monastery.

High Sierra Walkabout:
                         Donner Pass to Lake Tahoe

The snow is melting from the Sierra high country, and it is time to start planning an inn-to-inn hiking adventure.  With the Truckee River Valley to the east, the deep gorge of the American River Canyon plunging to the west, and Lake Tahoe shimmering in the distance, this walkabout follows the spine of the High Sierra along the Pacific Crest Trail. A challenging 30-mile trek spread over three hiking days, it has two steep descents and one ascent of 1,900 feet. You’ll be rewarded with stopovers at mountain resorts in spectacular settings and the solitude and pristine beauty of the Sierra Nevada.

What should I take on an Inn-to-Inn hike?

We like to travel as light as possible.  Check out the informative discussion at WalkaboutCalifornia.com about what to take on a walkabout.  You’ll find great ideas about packs and equipment.  Thanks to Walkabout member Eric Renger for bringing great suggestions and info on light-weight hiking to the discussion.  

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Savor the journey and the destination

Happy Hiking,

Tom Courtney
Author and Hiker
Walkabout California