Camino Pilgrim

Week 3 was completed by hiking 218km. I am very close to Santiago now. The number of days left can be counted on one hand. The big goal of hiking 1000km is also a bit more than 60% done. Things are going really well for me.

I made it up a crazy mountain with an average climb of 13%. Even pushed all the way to the back of the mountain range. A total of 1328 meters of altitude climb. In total height I am lower than Cruz de Ferro two days ago, but this mountain is a lot more challenging.

I left the downhill adventure for tomorrow. It will be almost the same amount to descend and to make sure I can enjoy the views, I will go out with sunlight tomorrow. Have not done that in so long.

I really loved the challenge of a good uphill climb and sceneries that opened thereafter. I do not see myself risking taking enough to be fast on downhill days. Tomorrow will be a long and slow day.

With the weather now being constantly under +30 degrees, I do not need to stop walking when midday hits. It has been a strangely hot summer in Spain so far. Around +5 degrees every day more than it normally would be. Galiacia has a lot of old trees and carries a good amount of moisture in the air. I feel very much at home here. Breathing has become easy even under direct sunlight.

At the end of tomorrow I should be passing Sarria, where massive touristic pilgrim hordes are starting. Ever since Leon, there have been noticeably more pilgrims on the trail. Around 3x more now than before Leon. Sarria pilgrims will bring the number up another 100x times…

My strategy will be to hit the road hard until I am rid of the tourist hordes. Sarria pilgrims all finish in Santiago and do not walk further. They are just after the pilgrim certificate for which you need to walk a minimum of 100km (so they walk just 107km). I am considering not stopping in Santiago the first time I go there. I will have time for Santiago when I am coming back from Finisterre.