El Camino de Santiago


Headstone, Villafranca del Bierzo (Spain)


After three months of walking, reaching the city of Santiago de Compostella banishes the last of the demons that whispered I couldn't make this 1,000 mile walk. I meander through the outskirts, watching for a sign on a lamp post or a familiar red and white blaze on a wall catching the corner of my eye.

Modern buildings blend into old: it's almost as though I am walking back in time. Tarmac surrenders to cobbles, concrete to wood, and I peer down little side alleys dimly illuminated by the faint glow of a wine bar's sign. I am tempted to stop but the cathedral pulls me on: this is the final destination of my pilgrimage.

It doesn't disappoint. The central square opens up around me like emerging from a tight forest to a peaceful meadow. The uneven surface pushes on the blisters that I will not miss and I push in my trekking poles for the last time. I bend down on one knee and let my hand caress the cold steel plaque set into the stones that signifies the finale of a magical walk.
     

The Pont de Valentre, Cahors (France)

El Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St James, is one of the most inspiring, spiritual, and attainable walking routes in the world. The coveted Compostella, or certificate of completion, from the cathedral authorities can be obtained by walking a minimum of 70 miles to Santiago, a little more by cycle or horse. The majority of pilgrims trek 500 miles from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, a charming town nestled at the foot of the Pyrenees to this city on the north west tip of Galicia in Spain. The beauty of El Camino, though, is that you can make it your own. Decide how much time you have, convert that to the mileage you are capable of, and work back from Santiago to your start point. I started 1,000 miles back at Le Puy en Velay in France.

My journey wasn't based on religion, nor need yours be, although the route exists because Santiago cathedral marks the resting place of St James, one of Jesus' disciples.

For me, walking 1,000 miles was a tough prospect as you can imagine, but one I had dreamed of. I felt frustrated at too little time in the hills, at just snatching the odd weekend. An escape of even 100 miles seemed out of reach.

So, I left my job to walk El Camino. I appreciate not everyone would, or could, but for me it was an easy decision. This meant more than any career.

And from day one all doubts about my decision were banished. El Camino welcomed me with open arms. It nurtured me and wrapped me up in a beauty that amazed me. It touched me like nothing I have ever experienced before, from stepping on bridges over 1000 years, running my hands across trees by the trail side, feeling a gentle breeze ruffle my hair to gazing up at the clearest Milky Way I have ever seen. Each day opened new emotions and I realised why many people sense a deep spiritual resonance out here. I felt at peace.

The first day walking from Le Puy en Velay

It soon be became clear that this hike is very achievable. The way maybe long but the terrain is mostly kind, elevation loss and gain is minimal, and there are plenty of little extras to ease your passage. I found an abundance of places to stay overnight, excellent campsites and B&B's in France, refugios in Spain. I passed two or three refugios a day and they made welcome little targets. Some were little more than tired Youth Hostels, others would have shamed decent hotels and they all asked just for a small donation to continue upkeep, pay them what you can afford. A local bar or restaurant waited for me locally most nights and I took advantage of the 'Pilgrims Menu', usually a three course delight at very reasonable rates.

But El Camino is a serious undertaking. Like all long distance walks, it will test you. Blisters plagued me from day one and within a week I had to stop for three days to initiate some sort of healing process. They promptly returned a few days after and stayed with me for the first 4 weeks, at times testing my resolve, sanity and perseverance. My knees have ached, my back grumbled, calves screamed and shoulders rubbed. Don't expect to finish the day in the same condition as your usual Sunday walk back home. Constant repetition, day after day, takes it's toll although to be fair after a month you should be well worn in, for some maybe a little sooner depending on your fitness.

Beautiful mornings

The dry, waterless and soul destroying section in Spain known as the Meseta took it's toll. Feared by many simply because of the repetitive and dead straight sections, it seemed to last a eternity. At times I pleaded for it to end, prayed that over the next hill I may be rewarded with a bend or swerve in the way, or a bar to quench my thirst. Most pilgrims remember this as the most difficult section of the trail.

And there is the psychological battle as too. Walking for three months, or even one week, provides an unexpected insight into one's psyche, time to delve into the inner self. Bad days came only rarely but hit like a rock. I threw my pack down several times, convinced I would leave the trail. An hour later, however, and I wondered what all the fuss was about as the Camino's beauty banished any worries.




The soul destroying Meseta

I'd often spot pilgrims dotted on the trail in front of me. Thousands attempt the Camino every year and although I never regarded it as crowded, I was sure to see someone every day, often who I had already met. A red poncho or yellow backpack would peek at me from a break in the trees ahead or a couple of miles ahead on the Meseta. Camino camaraderie was only ever a short distance away and I became friends with many, most even to this day.

From the rolling green hills of France that reminded me of home, to the parched and barren sections of Spain, El Camino never failed to surprise me. I ambled past buildings hundreds of years old and marvelled at the architecture of the towns and cities like Pamplona and Leon. The Pyrenees greeted me with views that stretched back over where I had come from and forward in a tantalising glimpse of what was to come. 

If you're aching to try your first long distance walk, this route should be right up there. You could even give up your day job . . .

Reaching Santiago de Compostella with my friend Trish

The above article by Keith Foskett appeared in 'Overseas Adventures', a Trail & Country Walking magazine supplement. Reproduced with kind permission.

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