The Plan changes again 😳… I’m Ever Closer ☺️!!!

...to actually walking a Camino route again. It’s been quite the journey over these past 2 years. Paulo has boarded his flight scheduled to arrive in Porto Portugal tomorrow at 9:15am. I am patiently waiting for my Air Transat flight (arrived at the airport a wee bit early...no need for details...it is what it is ☺️) which is on time and scheduled to arrive in Porto tomorrow at 11:45am.

The Journey (Coles notes)

- Plan 1 Fall 2024 early Jan 2024 was the KAdventures Choquequirao to Machu Picchu Peru walk. We were within a couple of days of paying our deposits then... medical tests revealed I required surgery. Scheduled for mid June 2024. No Go

- Plan 2 Fall 2024 changed to the Via Francigena from Lucca to Rome in Italy as Machu Picchu trek bookings did not meet KAdventures minimum requirements. Detailed planning completed...I then realized/accepted that post surgery recovery would clearly preclude walking. No Go

- Plan 3 Spring 2025 Via Francigena again...phew reusing a Plan!☺️. Paulo suffered a leg injury requiring physiotherapy rehabilitation. No Go

- Plan 4 Fall 2025 planning has had numerous twists and turns finally landing on a Combined Camino Ingles (A Coruna start) to Santiago de Compostela (SdC) followed by the Camino Invierno (Ponferrada start) to SdC.

However severe wildfires in the Camino Invierno area resulted in switching to Plan 5 below. The following reinforced this was a wise choice.

A very experienced pilgrim walked the Camino Invierno mid September 2025 and published daily Camino Forum posts. Given his extensive knowledge of the area and many contacts his walk progressed quite well despite the following comments…

“Today we saw lots of fire damage on both sides of the road. After a well-needed stop in the small village of Alvaredos (with some refreshments left out by the kindly villagers, and a stamp) the long steep walk down to Montefurado was horrible. The whole area was burnt to a cinder, even the path, and we had to climb over electricity cables and somehow make our way down. Not pleasant at all.”

“The municipal albergue, by the way, had been taken over by the Spanish army! Dozens of trucks parked outside, and literally hundreds of soldiers in the square!”

- Plan 5 Fall 2025 - Combined Camino Ingles (A Coruna start) to SdC followed by the Camino Norte (Luarca start) to SdC.

- 318 kms; 14 days or 26.6 Adj kms* per day

Adj kms* adjust for Elevation Gains/Losses

However...something was bugging me…

When Plan 4 was created I knew there was a risk...however the plan was so neat ☺️ that I just pushed it to the “no worries...will not happen” camp.

Plan 5 Fall 2025 while intriguing…didn’t have quite the same pizzaz and the very same risk now bubbled to the...”a tad worried...if this/that happens...how do we handle?" camp 🥲

Risk: If we can’t complete the Oct 4th 10km walk for whatever reason...late plane arrivals, Antonio cannot drive etc. then some very quick alternative decisions in the Porto airport will be required.

Approach: 6 “just in case" alternative high level plans were developed and off they went to Paulo.

After sleeping on this...and almost certainly even before Paulo read my plans... I fired off a “streamlined approach” to Paulo narrowing the 6 potential “just in case” alternative plans to 2

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Adjusted Camino Inglis & Camino Norte - Luarca start

Cancel & Revise all Accommodations on Camino Inglis; no changes for Camino Norte

- 318 kms; 13 days or 28.7 Adj kms per day

Oct 4th revised transportation 16:55 Vueling flight transferring in Barcelona arrive A Coruna ~ 24:00

Comment: A viable alternative. Doable if last minute Vueling flights are available; smooths out daily Camino Inglis walking however long final 30 km day into Santiago de Compostela on the Camino Inglis route

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Camino Norte - Aviles start

Cancel all Accommodations on Camino Inglis; New Camino Norte starting point Aviles

- 318 kms; 13 days or 29.4 Adj kms per day

Oct 4th revised transportation 16:55 Vueling flight transferring in Barcelona arriving in Aviles 00:19 Oct 5th

Comment: A viable alternative. Same comment for Vueling flights. One entry to SdC however eliminates current Plan 5 Fall 2025 4 hr Oct 7th bus transportation to Luarca

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Final Decision

Camino Norte - Aviles start with a significant cost effective Oct 4th transportation revision from Vueling flights noted above. Antonio will provide the shuttle ride from Porto Airport to Aviles...Google estimates ~ 6 hours

Why another change? 😳 Well...

Last week in a WhatsApp call Paulo and I agreed the Adjusted Camino Inglis & Camino Norte Luarca start would be our go to Alternative plan.

However Paulo sensed I was waffling and in a followup call I fessed up…my thinking had shifted…”Paulo Camino Norte - Aviles start is much simpler...start in Aviles and we just follow the path until we reach Santiago de Compostela...no 4+ hour bus ride on Day 3...no what if scenarios…seems more enjoyable “

So after discussing 6 preferred Alternative “just in case” plans we ended up switching our primary plan. 😊

Clearly a winding laboured path to get to our Fall 2025 Camino plan...that’s ok…sometimes that happens…once we start walking no looking back 😊

Perhaps future good fortune will shine allowing me to complete the remaining 500+km Camino Norte route from Irun to Aviles…if not I will have walked a good portion of the historic Camino Norte path.

The final plan🙏☺️

Daily Walking

Paulo and I last walked the Camino Primitivo together in Fall 2022. The comparative key stats are:

- 2022 Camino Primitivo - 317 kms, 12 days or 32.2 Adj kms per day

- 2025 Camino Norte (Aviles start) - 318 kms, 13 days or 29.4 Adj kms per day

By the numbers pretty comparable walks with the 2022 Camino Primitivo being slightly more challenging due to 1 less walking day.

However this is somewhat deceiving as the 2025 Camino Norte (Aviles start) is essentially a 12 day walk with a very short Day 13 walk into Santiago de Compostela.

Hmmm 3 years since 2022 Camino Primitivo which in my opinion was the most enjoyable Camino route to date…a lot has happened since then.

Managed to wind my way around Prince Edward Island in Canada 2023/2024…had no idea one could walk 700+ kms on what appears to be such a small island!

An interesting slip sliding challenge on a PEI red mud road after rain 🌧️

Then the infamous UK Coast to Coast walk in 2023 with Greg. Have to hand it to Greg considering this was his first long walk…I mean he now focuses on 800m and 400m races...he was very strong! An unforgettable experience as we battled our way through the Lake District in constant rain and fording numerous wild streams...often thigh deep 😅. I do not expect to ever repeat a walk like this!

Greg certainly helped in times of need…a couple of times where tiredness/crankiness (mine 😇) emerged he was at the ready with a chocolate bar.

One of many wild river crossings...the trick is WHERE to cross!

Had a superb walk with John in Ireland earlier this year.. stories/hilarious Irish ☘️ cab drivers and laughs always help. John…a very strong walker of similar age…is VERY knowledgeable about most everything while I constantly amazed him with my…well…non existent knowledge about all topics. Great fun in a stunning country! What a way to visit Ireland!

Scenery and walking was superb

I know Paulo will have some crazy funny Brazilian stories. Fourth time walking together…2014 Camino Frances, 2018 Camino Portuguese and 2022 Camino Primitivo. How our friendship survived after my stunningly disastrous 2018 performance…4 days in bed after blister surgery in Porto…is quite incredible. I slipped while trying to negotiate a treacherous 😉 trail…and fell into a canal with maybe a foot or so of water…turtled on my backpack. I have done similar things in a canoe 😂.

After the canal dunking!

Oh and the night before we walked day 1 from Lisbon unbeknownst to me Paulo spent hours in hospital after suffering a kidney stone attack. He was told to drink a lot to pass the stone(s)…if I remember correctly his solution 5 beers 🍻!

No question we will enjoy ourselves…here’s hoping I can still keep walking well!

Transportation

Accommodation

Daily average is 34 Euros each; 5 breakfasts...and the PARADOR is still there 😄

Boarding my flight soon…ok in 3 hours…while I really enjoy planning the last 2 years has been a little over the top …I cannot express how much I look forward to getting out on the Camino path and simply walking. ☺️

Appendix

Historical Comparison

Walking partners over the years...including the 1996 Nepal trek through the Khumbu Valley to within 2 days of Everest Base Camp with my Pa (Dad) then 74, my brother Marc.

Long walks post August 2013 retirement

What’s in the Bag?

I always like to capture for future reference what’s in the bag ☺️...tradition! I now target in the 7.5 to 8.0 kg range for backpack weight. If there is one aspect to long walks which is consistent...it’s simple...keep the weight in the backpack as low as possible.

I am right at 8.0 kg ...no question I could trim this down if only I could be a little less cautious about mitigating electronic gadgets risk and a few other knick knacks. However for now close enough...I am happy with the backpack weight.

Paulo has just informed me he is at 6.5 kg. We will have to look for opportunities to transfer weight to even this out! Maybe all the pharmaceuticals as Paulo carries a Brazilian pharmacy in his bag. When something happens…he offers some pill which I always cringe at taking. His solution today “we will ask ChatGPT!” 😳

The “unofficial Camino Pilgrim weight target” is 10% of body weight so I am totally fine without a transfer...knowing this should I throw in a couple of dozen Snicker Chocolate bars at the last minute? Hmmm...

I am once again testing out new rain gear...Altus Poncho which is favoured by many. Rain gear is a hot topic amongst Camino pilgrims...other than wearing a rain kilt (a real rain gear choice) I think I have tried most everything. Ah this makes life interesting 😉.