Every Day Adventures

 

Every day on the camino will bring a new adventure with new sights, new sounds, new ground to be walked.  The paths that make up the Camino de Santiago span over 800km (500 miles) and vary greatly in trail surface, grade, landscapes, and climate.  While the time it takes to complete the camino varies, I’ve been told you can reach Santiago gracefully in 5 weeks, allowing for an average of 22.2 kilometers a day with 2 rest days.  To be away from work for that long seemed daunting at first – “I don’t have the time” –  until I realized I have all the time in the world if I choose to take it.

The Camino will offer me a variety of terrain, from mountains and the foothills of the Pyrenees, the beautiful vineyards of Rioja to farmland, rolling pastures and forests, though cities, towns, ancient villages and hamlets.

Here is a list of the different sections of the Camino de Santiago St. James Way along with my proposed stops on ‘the way’.

Basque Country & Navarra

While the Camino Frances traditionally begins in St. Jean-Pied-de-Port, France and crosses the Pyrenees within 20km the path enters the region of Spain called Navarra and borders Basque Country.  This section of the Camino will be some of the most difficult  with the Pyrenees unpredictable weather and challenging terrain before entering Navarra’s central plains characterized by fields of grain, vineyards and beech forests.

Arrive in St Jean Pied de Port and overnight
Walk to Orisson – 7.6km
Walk to Roncesvalles, 16.6 km
Walk to Akerreta, 27 km
Walk to Pamplona, 15 km
Walk to Puente la Reina, 22 km
Walk to Estella, 20 km
Walk to Los Arcos, 20 km
Walk to Logrono, 27 km

La Rioja & Castilla Y Leon

This climate will become more Mediterranean and the earth will be deep red, ideal for the cultivation of wine grapes.

Walk to Najera, 27 km
Walk to Santo Domingo, 21 km
Walk to Belorado, 22 km
Walk to Atapuerca, 29 km
Walk to Burgos, 20 km
Extra Night in Burgos
Walk to Hornillos, 20 km
Walk to Castrojeriz, 18 km
Walk to Fromista, 27 km
Walk to Carron de los Condes, 19 km
Walk to Calzadilla de la Cueza, 16 km
Walk to Sahagun, 22 km

Meseta

This is an area that many people who have walked describe it as boring, repetitive and bleak.  This central high plateau makes up 40% of Spain with elevations ranging from 400 – 1000m.  This landscape inspired such notable characters as Don Quixote and St. Teresa of Avila.  In spite of the monotony, perhaps the Meseta can serve as a memorable experience.  I’ve also read that the landscape of the Meseta is not found in the land, but in the sky with its diverse colors and expansive clouds, so I’ll be sure to look up as well as out to the horizon.

Walk to El Burgo Ranero, 18 km
Walk to Mansilla de las Mulas, 19 km
Walk to Leon, 17 km
Extra Night in Leon
Walk to Villadangos del Paramo: 21 km
Walk to Astorga, 26 km

Cantabrian Mountains

Characterized by the wild and rocky Cantabrian Mountains and the vally of El Bierzo, the trail passes through a region of the Maragato culture centralized in about 40 villages around Astorga.

Walk to Rabanal del Camino: 19 km
Walk to El Acebo : 16.8 km
Walk to Ponferrada : 15.6km
Walk to Villafranca del Bierzo, 24.2 km
Walk to Herrerias de Valcarce, 22 km

Galicia

Surprising Celtic in culture and in the green Galacian forests, this will be my final section before arriving to the grand cathedral in Santiago.

Walk to O’Cebriero, 9 km
Walk to Triacastela, 22 km
Walk to Sarria, 18 km
Walk to Portomarin, 24 km
Walk to Palas de Rei, 24 km
Walk to Arzua, 28 km
Walk to Rua, 19 km
Walk to Santiago de Compostela, 18 km

With so many different regions and changes to experience in both weather and topography, how could each day not be a new adventure?!

Every Day Adventures Right Here at Home

I have recently found though, that every day adventures can happen right here at home.

Several years ago, I noticed a sign, Grand Ridge Park,  appear at the side of the road.  No other information, just the sign.  I asked some neighbors about it and they didn’t have an explanation either.  There was a small trail leading down the hill by the sign (not uncommon here where there are trails everywhere) and I started noticing bicyclists pop up from the trail to cross the road.  A bit disconcerting.  While I’m used to watching for deer along the side of the road, having a bike suddenly appear out of the woods was different.  Last year, in addition to adding a car park for the bicyclists, a path was created from the parking lot to the beginning of the trail to keep the bicyclists off the narrow road.  As I drove past day after day, seeing the bikes go by, I thought – too bad they didn’t make it for walkers and did not consider hiking it until I went investigating on one of my country road walks.  What I found, right in plain sight was an unexplored adventure.

It turns out that Grand Ridge Park is 1,200 acres of pristine forest rising 1,100 feet in elevation above Issaquah and Lake Sammamish.  Along with groves of western red cedar trees and sword ferns the steep slope above the North Fork of Issaquah Creek is covered by stands of large second growth Douglas fir trees.  Some of the cedars are over five feet in diameter.  The seven mile shared use trail traverses the long linear park through a variety of forest settings inhabited by bears, cougars, owls and other wildlife.

During the 7 mile out and back for a challenging 14 mile walk, I saw two bikers and multiple walkers along with hawks and plenty of squirrels like this little fellow on the right.   It is amazingly quiet and yet undiscovered for many.

Which makes me wonder what every day adventure, not yet discovered,  awaits me.