I feel very fortunate. The weather has been perfect for hiking. Temperatures have mostly been in the 60s; some were lower but none were higher. And most important: No rain!
That is unexpected. The warnings for walking the Camino Primitivo in late October and early November is that the weather can be cold and is often rainy.
The weather might be an important consideration when I wake up Tuesday morning. That is when I’ll decide whether to walk the Hospitales route.
The conventional wisdom on the Hosptales:
- It is perhaps the most challenging part of the Primitivo.
- The views are spectacular. Some people who have walked multiple Caminos say it’s their favorite day.
- Don’t do it if the weather is bad.
Current forecasts call for short drizzles bringing a tenth of an inch of rain. We’ll see what the forecast looks like Tuesday morning.
That said, the Hospitales decision may become moot. It turns out that many of the albergues that advertise they are open until Oct. 30 are starting to shut for the season early — including, it seems, one at the best jumping off town for the Hospitales. I’m waiting to hear back from the other one in that town.
There is an alternate route that is just as challenging but without the views. That’s the fallback.
More pilgrims
So far, I’ve still seen only one other pilgrim. However, I was told by a lovely French woman who operates a pilgrim refreshment hut that she was visited by 10 peregrinos this morning. They stayed last night in Salas, which is a stop on one of the popular stages. So far, I have been off of the “standard” stages.
Click on any photo see larger versions of all the photos:
RSS - Posts
Leave a Reply