Camino de Santiago Frances
INTROThe Camino de Santiago is a network of long distance pilgrimages throughout Europe, primarily Spain, leading to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Sunset in Foncebaron
I am currently on the Frances route which began in Saint Jean Pied de Port, France. This route is roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers). This is different from an other backpacking I’ve done; less wilderness, more showers/town food.
Day 20 - 22took me from Astorga, Spain - Trabadelo, Spain.
OVERVIEWDAYS3
MILES/kilometers53.8/86.1
TOTAL ELEVATION GAINED2126 ft
TOTAL ELEVATION LOSS2101 ft
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Continues hiking with good friends.
Hotel room to myself to recharge and recuperate from so much snoring.
May Day celebrations.
Hiking with Bluebird, a former AT thru-hiker!
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Elements: rain and heat.
Running into rude former AT hikers again.
Not sleeping well in albergues.
Villafranca del Bierzo
In Depth
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Accommodation: La Posada del Druida
Distance: 16.1 miles / 25.8 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 2020 ft
Elevation Loss: 167 ft
The day was slated to be completely rainy for the entirety of the hike. So I set out of my albergue early with Alex and Kim. We got coffees and then I left with the goal of hiking nonstop and getting to the next albergue. Luckily it was a shorter than average day for us, which made this goal more attainable.
Leaving Astorga was beautiful as the architecture was plain special. But because I left so early in the morning, all the buildings were closed to visitors so I just looked on as I exited town.
This was a day that felt like a highway of Peregrinos walking. Everyone was in a line just marching along in the rain.
I ended up completing the day in just over four hours… which meant my hiking pace was quick. It rained nearly the entire day. And I do not mean misting, but it was pouring buckets at various points. This is when I really discovered that my thin plastic poncho was perhaps not the best piece of equipment for such deluges. Of course, the day also included one large climb as I neared the end as we were entering more mountainous train after the Meseta.
Jac also hiked quickly so after my gloriously hot shower, we enjoyed a drink at the bar. Unfortunately, because of the rain, I had terrible blisters on the backs of my heels – see below. This would impact the next week of hiking, but I continued to push on. I did not feel these blisters happening in real time because I was so focused on getting out of the rain.
Everyone eventually arrived and we’re also thankful for hot showers. We all did the menu of the day which was one of the most disappointing menus of the day as I left still feeling very hungry.
There was another albergue and restaurant across the street where the majority of hikers wound up. We joined a few others for a drink, but primarily watched a beautiful sunset on top of a mountain.
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Accommodation: Alda Centro Ponferrada
Distance: 18 miles / 28.8 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 1038 ft
Elevation Loss: 4027 ft
It was also a misty morning as the same weather system was still plaguing the area. Jac tried to tape my open wounds on the back of my heels the best he could which I was grateful for. The day prior included the majority of the climb, but there was a bit more to go up in the beginning part of the day. Because it was so misty, Alex, Kim, and I decided to hike together and it was just a giggle fest.
We stopped at a perfectly placed remote coffee shop on top of the mountain just as you crested. There were several people there and it felt like such a good business move. Inside this somewhat open hut was a fireplace and the morning was cold so we all huddled around it as we enjoyed our coffee.
The trail went along the road for the majority of the morning, so the girls and I ran down at some point because it was easier than trying to fight gravity. We stopped for a quick break with some French boys from the night prior, and continued to giggle and sing our way down the mountain range.
There were some more technical downhill at some point with a mini rolling rocks, but I was thankful to be on trail rather than road. Lunchtime was spent along a river in Molinaseca where several people were lounging next to it.
I ended up continuing on alone and in front of the group as I had treated myself to a hotel room that night. I had not been sleeping well in albergues because of snoring or room temperature was too hot so after three weeks on trail, I needed a break.
I went out and got groceries settled into the hotel and had a quiet evening to myself.
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Accommodation: Albergue Crispeta
Distance: 19.7 miles / 31.5 kilometers
Elevation Gain: 1396 ft
Elevation Loss: 1231 ft
I woke up in my hotel room and it was very nice to sleep until my alarm rather than being woken up by others packing their bags. I had a slow morning to start and took my time packing and grabbed a little breakfast from the café downstairs. My group had already left and they were significantly in front of me, but I was sure I would catch up at some point.
As I was leaving town, I saw from a distance the group of former AT thru-hikers who vehemently did not like me. This was because I requested that they be respectful of the albergue‘s rules regarding quiet hours back in week one. After the request to be quieter, they complained for over an hour loudly, about their distain for me. So I quickly ran ahead as I did not want to have a solo interaction with them.
In my haste, I ran back into Bluebird, the other AT thru-hiker that I had met up with a few days prior in Astorga. I hiked with her and her friends for a few miles and it was nice to catch up and hear about her AT experience as it differed from mine. This is true of any thru-hike. Everyone’s experience is so different, but you can still bond over some commonalities woven throughout.
I had many miles to do for the day so I said goodbye and continued on. This was a holiday in Spain, May 1, so several things were closed along the way, but luckily I had packed extra snacks from the grocery store.
I eventually got into Villafranca del Bierzo where I bumped back into Kim and Alex. We had a drink and enjoyed the afternoon and the Mayday parade. This parade included people dressed up as trees/bushes with flower crowns everywhere. It was a delightful way to celebrate spring.
Alex stayed back and hung out with the group of French boys that we kept running into while Kim and I continued on. The last 10 km of the day were just along a highway so we were partially dreading it. But Kim and I got chatting in the hours flew by.
Jac and Dmytrii were already at the albergue and we ended up again getting a private room with the group of us. This is always great because none of us snored so it’s easier to get a bit better sleep.
I had extra snacks from the day so I chose to eat that for dinner while relaxing with the group. Alex eventually got there and we pretty much just continued to giggle through the evening.
GALLERY
