So… The Camino

With all that we have been through since the beginning of 2020, I have been suppressing my excitement as September approaches; in 19 days time I plan to depart for France to begin my Camino. The trek has been rescheduled twice now due to the ‘Rona’ and being able to have a block of 6 weeks off work is a rarity. The collateral issues for my colleagues in booking leave over these periods, isn’t doing me any favours. It is likely this will be my only chance to undertake the journey for the foreseeable future.

I’ve been keeping a keen eye on the lockdown situation across northern Spain. At the moment the Camino is open, with over a thousand people registering completion at Santiago each day. 90% of hospitality services are open; everything is looking good at the moment for traveling this ancient route.

The first hurdle is getting into France; currently they are accepting travelers from the UK to enter the country on the proviso that they are double jabbed and completed a declaration form, to say they have not been in recent contact with anyone with Covid; no PCR test is required at the moment. The next hurdle is getting into Spain from France and according to the foreign office it is a similar arrangement.

It is looking promising and I can only keep my fingers crossed that it will stay like this or improve. Potentially the only issue I may encounter is on my return to the UK, if the government decides to put Spain on to the red list; but that is a headache for mid October.

The 18 month delay has afforded more time for me to obsess over long distance hiking videos and equipment. As a result, I have had a change of heart regarding my footwear. I originally opted for walking boots and bought a pair of Scarpa Mistral GTX. These boots carried me through my Scotland through-hike back in September and performed very well.

A comment that I often saw from people who had walked the Camino, was most of the time they walked in their sandals due to the heat. If I were to follow suit this would mean I’ll be carrying extra weight; this has caused me to re-evaluate my choice.

Autumn last year I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole, watching videos of hikers undertaking the Appalachian Trail over in America. This is a mammoth through-hike exceeding 2000 miles, covering some difficult terrain. One thing I noticed, is that trainers were the choice of footwear!

It seems an odd choice, considering they get a battering and end up falling apart, needing to be replaced; it isn’t uncommon to go through multiple pairs. If you think about it, the amount of miles being undertook, it makes sense to have a very comfy pair of trainers and having the inconvenience of getting them replaced seems to be an acceptable trade off. This was something I had addressed with my walking boots, as I’ve since replaced the insoles with gel cushioned inserts.

Having spent most of this year tackling this quandary, the solution came to me while walking some of the ‘Wainwrights’ back in June. While ascending ‘Bleaberry Fell’ in the full heat of the midday sun, a fell runner sped past me. The answer was there, trail running shoes!! After hitting the interweb, I’ve now swapped my Scarpas for Salomons.

This Gore-tex trainer (although brighter than I expected) is what I have chosen. To accompany these, I have bought some wicking trainer socks that have a thicker sole to allow for more cushioning. To stop stones and grit getting in, I’ve also acquired some trail gaiters.

I’ve taken these out for a test drive and the waterproofing works, the only slight niggle is when I’m stood still, it feels like it digs slightly into the underside of my ankles; I think this will go as I wear them in.

My next task now is to take them out on more walks and to book flights and accommodation for the 28th! I think I can get excited now?!