# Walking the Camino de Santiago with a less-athletic spouse **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 20, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012 "2014-09-20T13:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/1 "2014-09-20T13:13:34Z")
Don’t know whether this is the right area, but I’ve got to start somewhere… My wife and I have been pondering walking some or all of the Camino de Santiago in the foreseeable future. Both of us around sixty. I’m willing and consider myself able (walked 10-mile mail routes daily for years). My wife, bless her, thinks the same. She currently has her right foot up in an ice/ bandage (hurts from plantar fascitis). And bunions, which are of apparently no consequence. She’s had Jones fractures (since repaired) and a broken right ankle-- since repaired-- the screws still remain (they look like drywall screws in the X-rays). Complaining about foot pain while planning any part of a 500km walk strikes me as a recipe for disappointment, to say the least, but must temporarily hold my judgement for the sake of marital bliss. How to proceed? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/2 "2014-09-20T14:20:01Z")
Go on a trial walk and see how she fares? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/3 "2014-09-20T14:39:27Z")
Prep work. Both of you should start prepping now, and see how she handles it. Mrs Piper and I did the coast-to-coast walk across northern England a few years ago. Both of us in our forties. We went to the Y half a year in advance and got a physical assessment from a trainer. She also gave us a work-out plan, which we did faithfully for six months in advance. We also started going on walks in our neighbourhood, gradually increasing the length of the walks until we were comfortably doing 5 km walks every other day. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/4 "2014-09-20T18:30:51Z")
Since you’re looking for opinions/advice, moved to IMHO (from MPSIMS). ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/5 "2014-09-20T19:57:58Z")
This recent article from Outside magazine has some advice for beginners: > **[Walking the Camino de Santiago](https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/destinations/europe/walking-camino-de-santiago-beginners-guide/?scope=anon)** > > Hikers around the world are rediscovering Spain's Camino de Santiago, Medieval Europe's version of the thru-hike. A veteran of the pilgrimage shares his tips for getting your boots on the path. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2014, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/6 "2014-09-20T22:53:18Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > Go on a trial walk and see how she fares? This. Try 8-10 miles a day around the neighborhood. If after a week or so she’s still good with it, give it a go. The 8-10 miles is enough to be a legitimate test and enough, if she passes, to get her in shape for the big one. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/7 "2014-09-21T02:53:24Z")
_“Where in the world is the Camino de Santiago?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/8 "2014-09-21T03:11:47Z")
“Less athletic” is not a problem necessarily; the notion that the Camino requires its pilgrims to be “athletic” is quite flawed, simply because most people’s notions of “athletic” are completely unrelated to the ability to walk for 6-8 hours every day. But plantar fascitis and bunions are bad news. How long can she walk? How far? Before you embark on a route that will take you through some of the worst upslopes of your life\* and through stretches which are flat but where villages are 40km apart, she needs to be able to walk those 40km without a trip to the ER. I’m sure EMTs along the Camino will speak decent English, but you really don’t want to verify it. - Costa Rican roads were worse than the path between St Jean Pied de Port and Roncesvalles only in that they were unpaved. Those 27km are as close to vertical as the engineers could make the road; I live 30km from Roncesvalles and refuse to follow that path to France because it scares the bejesus out of me, the path via Irun and Hendaye is longer but doesn’t involve leaving my stomach behind. The Jaca branch isn’t much gentler. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/9 "2014-09-21T03:43:56Z")
Thanks to all for your thoughtful and helpful replies. We’re just beginning to collect information, so our questions are going to be the most obvious ones. First, regularly hike around locally. If that hurdle is cleared, then look at vacation time slots and budget. After, who can tell? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/10 "2014-09-21T04:38:35Z")
I hope it works out for you! I keep telling my father to pursue his desire to go but he worries that he won’t be able to do it all (and probably that he will cause trouble if he needs help). ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/11 "2014-09-21T05:26:07Z")
Motivation! My wife embarked on a 5-or-so mile hike in Lassen, and encountered a bear, which made her take an extended detour. Wound up around 12 miles. She wasn’t even up for the original 5! Moral: Sic a bear on your wife! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/12 "2014-09-21T05:46:14Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > _“Where in the world is the Camino de Santiago?”_ And I really thought I was gonna be clever. Dammit! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/13 "2014-09-21T06:41:57Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I hope it works out for you! I keep telling my father to pursue his desire to go but he worries that he won’t be able to do it all (and probably that he will cause trouble if he needs help). The one people usually think of is not the only Camino, merely its French branches: the English Road from Ferrol to Santiago is just a few days. The Silver Road comes up from Seville (I do not recommend doing it between May and September unless you’re half demon or somesuch); it’s about as long as the Jaca branch of the French Road, a lot flatter, not as signposted but goes through many interesting locations ([Astorga](http://www.ayuntamientodeastorga.com/quevisitar/) and [Mérida](http://www.merida.es/) for example, sorry but we seem to be out of budget for translators lately). Most of the people who would help him if he needs it are either paid for it or culturally used to it. So long as he’s not doing anything suicidally stupid (and I hope he’s too grown up for most of the things which would qualify), he’ll be welcome. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/14 "2014-09-21T16:57:52Z")
ATM I’m thinking we might be best suited to try the last 100KM stretch of the Camino Frances. Unless time/budget/physical well-being all improve dramatically. Baby steps. Nava, we’re California natives and are accustomed to blistering hot afternoons preceded by cold drizzly mornings. We were looking (well I was) at the Portuges and the Plata as well. ---
**Author:** ![4d3fect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/4d3fect/32/9728_2.png) [@4d3fect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4d3fect)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/15 "2014-09-21T17:04:12Z")
Forgot to mention I’m historically an extremely light sleeper and have my doubts about adapting to overnighting in the albergues. Although exhaustion may cure that little problem. ---
**Author:** ![AnnaLucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e95f7d/32.png) [@AnnaLucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnaLucretia)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/16 "2014-09-22T14:11:02Z")
One other things to mention - my husband and I did the first two stages of the Le Puy route in France last summer, and it was AMAZING. However, the thing we didn’t think to train for was walking all day, going to bed, and _getting up and doing it again the next day_. Your body needs time to figure out how to effectively recover, and no matter the shape you’re in, you will be sore in places and ways that surprise you. We were both shocked that my 73-year-old mother led the pack every single day of that trip; her secret was that she walks 5 miles a day, every day, no excuses, so her body was accustomed to that routine. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/17 "2014-09-22T15:54:43Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > The one people usually think of is not the only Camino, merely its French branches: the English Road from Ferrol to Santiago is just a few days. The Silver Road comes up from Seville (I do not recommend doing it between May and September unless you’re half demon or somesuch); it’s about as long as the Jaca branch of the French Road, a lot flatter, not as signposted but goes through many interesting locations ([Astorga](http://www.ayuntamientodeastorga.com/quevisitar/) and [Mérida](http://www.merida.es/) for example, sorry but we seem to be out of budget for translators lately). > > Most of the people who would help him if he needs it are either paid for it or culturally used to it. So long as he’s not doing anything suicidally stupid (and I hope he’s too grown up for most of the things which would qualify), he’ll be welcome. I’m assuming he’d go The French Way since it’s the most common, and he’d be with a tour group of some kind and have a safety net. He just has that old-man-ness of being afraid to put anyone out – he would feel guilty and hate himself for being a bother! I am going to keep encouraging him. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/walking-the-camino-de-santiago-with-a-less-athletic-spouse/699012/18 "2014-09-22T15:57:10Z")
… I hope that would be a group of pilgrims and not a “tour group”. “Tours” involve hotels, not hostels; buses, not walking; staying in a herd, not mixing with the locals. Very different animal.