Chemin d'Arles

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#1 2006-11-17 14:33:09

Arles path in July 2oo7

I am worried that it might be too hot to walk in July,even though i am australian and a little used to heat.I am also concerned about walking in peak tourist time.Will there be gites to stay in?Unfortunately july is the only time i have available.I walked from le puy last year .Now i am walking with another friend would it be better to walk this path again? Help anyone.
Glenysrae

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#2 2006-11-17 18:21:10

André
Administrateur

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

I'm afraid that you are right! July can be quite hot in the SW of France with an average of 28°C to 35°C. But this is only average. This year, July was very hot, when August happened to be unusually cool. Last year, when I walked along the Arles route, certain days I noticed temperatures up to 37°C at 7pm in May! So basically, you never know. Better take your chance.

As far as gites are concerned, there are a few places in France (maybe 6 or 7) where you may experience difficulties, such as Lodève, Joncels, St Gervais sur Mare, Montesquiou, Marciac because in these places gites are not reserved to pilgrims. In Spain, except at the Somport pass, refugios are for pilgrims only.
Don't worry. Once you start your hike, you'll get information from the gites' holders. The first week between Arles and St Jean de la Blaquière shouldn't be a problem. Good enough to gather information on possible difficulties, make a few phone calls and fix the whole thing. Then you'll just have to enjoy.


'Le but n'est pas le but, c'est la voie'  Lao-Tseu

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#3 2006-11-18 01:39:19

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

Thanks for your reply.It is more or less as i thought.We will have to take a chance.
There is a path in the pyrennes off the Arles path that we could walk.I found it on the internet and now i cant find it again.Do have a web site you could give me? It was a pilgrimage path that went through Lourdes.
Glenysrae

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#4 2006-11-20 17:13:52

André
Administrateur

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

There's a route called 'chemin du Piémont' (foothills route) which goes East-West in 23 stages from the mediterranean sea (Narbonne) to St Jean Pied de Port, along the Pyrenees. This route crosses Lourdes, then Oloron Ste marie (on the Arles route). There's a website dedicated to this route: Voie du Piémont, in French only. Maybe that's the one you're looking for ...


'Le but n'est pas le but, c'est la voie'  Lao-Tseu

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#5 2006-12-04 05:01:48

meenanke
Member

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

I've recently decided to walk the Arles route in late May-early June of this year. I'm planning on walking from Arles on the Camino Aragonese to Puente La Reina, then the Camino Frances to Compostela. (I was also thinking about walking from Compostela to Porto on Portugal on the Camino Portugues.) From what I've seen, several sites break the route from Arles to Compostela into as many as 60 stages. I'm 22 and might go with another young friend. Will the pilgrimage really take me 60 days? I've seen reports of people walking from Roncevalles all the way to Compostela in around 30-35 days. If anyone's walked from Arles to Compostela, please let me know. Thanks!   -Kevin

Dernière modification par meenanke (2006-12-04 05:02:19)

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#6 2006-12-07 18:32:42

André
Administrateur

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

meenanke a écrit:

I'm planning on walking from Arles to Puente La Reina then to Compostela. From what I've seen, several sites break the route from Arles to Compostela into as many as 60 stages. Will the pilgrimage really take me 60 days? I've seen reports of people walking from Roncevalles all the way to Compostela in around 30-35 days. If anyone's walked from Arles to Compostela, please let me know.

Number of days, average number of kms a day .... that will depend on how fit you are and, most of all, on what kind of pilgrimage you want to achieve.
You're young, probably in good physical condition. If you walk an average of 25-30 kms a day, it will take you 60 days to complete the 1650 kms between Arles and Santiago (1650 / 27.5 = 60 !), without a single day off!. You can probably do it.
But what do you want your pilgrimage to be? A simple hike between A and S ? Or do you want to enjoy the places, regions, landscapes that you'll be crossing, get to know the people encountered (pilgrims and inhabitants), habits and cultures, history and monuments, good meals and entertainment? Hence, you'll have to take your time, forget about kms and calendar, let you drive by the very moment you'll be living and opportunities that will arise, take a day or half a day off for visiting/touring or just because your body requires it.
Unless you have a tight deadline that makes you speed up your pilgrimage ... In such case, be careful. A tight deadline can be a trap. I've met too many pilgrims whose pilgrimage was ruined because the most important thing they had in mind was: am I going to make it on time, my return flight cannot wait, I have to catch up with a 2-day delay, etc.
Most of the pilgrims hiking the camino frances from Roncesvalles onwards achieve it in 30 days (average 25kms/day) + days off for visits, rest (3 days less from Puente la Reina). That gives an idea of the pace for most of the people to enjoy their pilgrimage.

I didn't walked from Arles to Santiago. I walked from Le Puy to Santiago in 2002 and from Arles to Puente la Reina in 2005. Based on this experience, it would probably take me around 62 stages from Arles to Santiago, ie 62 days of walk + 3 days for visit and rest. In many cases you can plan your stages so that visits of places of interest can occur after a half day walk. But in a few cases, such as Toulouse or Leon, I would recommend to take a full day off dedicated to touring.


'Le but n'est pas le but, c'est la voie'  Lao-Tseu

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#7 2006-12-08 06:23:15

meenanke
Member

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

Andre- Thank you so much for your reply! That was just the information I needed! Yes, 60 days seems excessive, and although I would like to work on my French by walking from Arles, equally important to me is having some time to properly encounter the myriad aspects of Spanish culture as well as the people I'm going to be meeting along the way.

Have you heard of pilgrims attempting to incorporate the Fiesta de San Fermin into their pilgrimmage? I imagine that Pamplona is usually completely mobbed in early July, when the fiesta is going on. On that note, if I don't begin the pilgrimage until later in the summer, will it be extremely difficult to find space in the refugios along the way? I've given some thought to bringing some camping supplies (e.g. a tent, miniature camping stove) just in case--is it common that villages along the way have campgrounds to spend the night?

Thank you again very much for all of your help. It's exciting to be already experiencing the spirit of the pilgrimage here in coooold eastern Massachusetts, many months ahead of my physical journey!

-Kevin

P.S. Do you know anyone whose walked the Camino Portugues or how long that walk would take? I've been considering walking from Compostela to Porto to finish off my trip in a third European country. Please let me know what you think. Thanks again!!

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#8 2006-12-09 00:57:44

André
Administrateur

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

meenanke a écrit:

will it be extremely difficult to find space in the refugios along the way? I've given some thought to bringing some camping supplies (e.g. a tent, miniature camping stove) just in case--is it common that villages along the way have campgrounds to spend the night?

The camino frances is extremely crowded in July and August: 500 pilgrims a day! On certain portions of the camino the accomodation capacity is below 200. If you choose this period you definitely need some camping equipment. Moreover the temperature reaches 45°C on the meseta (in the shade, but there's no shade!). If you can, why not not going May+June or September+October?

meenanke a écrit:

Do you know anyone whose walked the Camino Portugues or how long that walk would take? I've been considering walking from Compostela to Porto to finish off my trip in a third European country. Please let me know what you think. Thanks again!!

I suggest that you open a new discussion on this topic. You'll have more chance to get a reply and the present discussion will stick to its initial topic (Arles path in July 2oo7).


'Le but n'est pas le but, c'est la voie'  Lao-Tseu

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#9 2007-01-15 12:42:43

Kevin
Member

Re: Arles path in July 2oo7

From Kevin (Norway.  If anyone wants info about preparing for, or walking the Via de la Plata (Camino Mozzarabe, Camino Sanabres) from Sevilla via Salamanca and Ourense to Santiago then I may be able to help.
I walked it in two stages.  Stage 1 in September 2005 and stage 2 in May 2006.  Its 1020 km long - about 35 days and is utterly unbelievable in the Spring.  I have read the comments about preps for the Arles camino.
Thanks!

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