Ladies: Camino de Santiago or other walking tours?

springlering62 · January 2020

Ladies, have any of you done the Camino de Santiago, the Coast to Coast, Offa’s *kitten*, the Cornwall route, the temple pilgrimage in Japan or any other solo waking tour?

I’m interested in doing a walking tour, husband isn’t a walker, and I’d like to convince him it’s safe if I decide to go by myself for a week or two. He isn’t “getting” this,

springlering62 · January 2020

OMFG. Offa’s D Y K E. It’s a place!!!!!!

ReenieHJ · January 2020

My friend went to Camino de Santiago back in the fall. She's a very fit 71 yo. She and her dh were gone for about 5 weeks, walked around 450 miles. She said she met some wonderful people and there were quite a few on the walk that she'd run into. It was an amazing experience for her and was so glad she went. This was her 1st time but her dh's 2nd walk.
Whichever you choose, I hope you enjoy yourself!!

spiriteagle99 · January 2020

I know several people who have done various routes of the Camino, but they did it for several weeks or months, not just a short hike. Fantastic experience if you enjoy meeting a lot of people.

cheriej2042 · January 2020

I’ve done coast to coast with a group tour then hadrians wall self guided. Am researching Camino for next year and west highland way. You can do a lot of these self guided and you meet a lot of people along the way. There are services that will even forward your baggage from place to place so you only need a day pack and they book your accommodations . Or you can go with an organized group and meet people that way. Macs Adventures is just one of many self guided walking companies.

fourtotwentychars · January 2020

Offa, 8th century king of Mercia, was well known as an animal lover. Couldn't stand the Welsh, built a big wall to keep them out.

springlering62 · January 2020

I knew that. But Offa’s “Unmentionable” is the name of the wall, and there’s supposed to be a really lovely multi day walk along the path it used to follow.

Thanks for the info, y’all. I’m seriously thinking about this. The Portuguese Camino (coastal option) sounds the most appealing. I mentioned it to my walking buddy this
morning and she told me her sister just did it last year. Small world.

Lolinloggen · January 2020

I walked the Hadrian's Wall in the UK and Great Glen Walk in Scotland. In both cases we met solowalkers We went through a company that took our luggage and stayed in pre-booked hotels/B&Bs selected by the company
There are a number of companies that do it We used Macs Adventures

robertw486 · January 2020

I know I'm breaking the rules as I'm not a lady, but actually have some input.

A coworker of mine did one of the pilgrimage type things in Spain a couple years ago, and they enjoyed it. I would say she is a very conservative person who has led a somewhat "local" life and not been exposed to the bad sides of things much. But her and a friend were still quite comfortable doing it.

sgt1372 · January 2020

springlering62 wrote: »

I’m interested in doing a walking tour, husband isn’t a walker, and I’d like to convince him it’s safe if I decide to go by myself for a week or two. He isn’t “getting” this,

I'm a guy and an retired cop, who has considered walking the Camino; not all of it, just parts of it. I think it would be a wonderful adventure for anyone of any gender, regardless how much of it you want to walk

That said, there are things women unfortunately have to be concerned with when going anywhere alone that men don't. This doesn't mean that women can't or shouldn't venture alone when and where they feel like it but certain precautions should be taken when and where ever possible.

From what I've read, the Camino can be quite busy w/lots of people around especially near towns. However, there are also sections of the Camino that are very remote and unpopulated, where anyone (not just women) walking alone could be asssulted.

The best advice in such circumstances is to hike/walk with a buddy. This can be helpful in discouraging an assault as well as essential in case of an injury or other emergency. The buddy can be a guy or a girl, it only matters that there are 2 people walking/hiking together.

In the case of the Camino, you could try to hook up w/another woman that you notice walking alone or a small group of people who you think you'd get along well with. You could take a day or 2 at the starting point 2 try 2 do this or just find a friend to buddy up w/along the way.

If you insist or just need to walk alone, I suggest you buy a SPOT (or similar GPS PLB -- "personal locator beacon") that your husband can use to track your progress and that you can also use to notify him your location in the event of an emergency.

If alone, I also recommend that you carry a satellite phone to be able to communicate directly w/your husband and/or local authorities if necessary. Sat phones are expensive but can be rented to reduce the cost.

I always hike/backpark/offroad alone and always carry a PLB and sat phone in case of an emergency.

¡Buen camino!

lemurcat2 · January 2020

springlering62 wrote: »

OMFG. Offa’s D Y K E. It’s a place!!!!!!

LOL.

And no, but it's something I've been thinking about off and on for a while and I'd really like to.

NorthCascades · January 2020

A former coworker hiked the Oregon and Washington section of the PCT alone for her 50th birthday. She wasn't truly alone, she made friends along the way. She says she would do it again in a heartbeat.

springlering62 · January 2020

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I have bought airline tickets and plan to do two and a half weeks on the Portuguese Way. It’s 170 miles, which is a very easy 12 1/2 miles a day. I do that easily just walking around town, so I have the luxury of pushing it if I want, or stopping to smell the roses. If I hump it even just a little, I can add in the Finisterre leg, too.

@sgt1372 thank you especially for your kind advice and concern. I’m already trying to connect some ladies on a ladies only Camino FB group.

sgt1372 · January 2020

springlering62 wrote: »

@sgt1372 thank you especially for your kind advice and concern. I’m already trying to connect some ladies on a ladies only Camino FB group.

You're welcome!

I don't know why anyone would disagree w/what I said but that's MFP 4u. I have long since learned to ignore such things here

In any event, I hope that you have a wonderful adventure on the Camino.

schaferelsa · February 2020

I am planning on walking the Camino Frances anyone going anytime soon ? I am goinn in 2021 in the spring

springlering62 · February 2020

schaferelsa wrote: »

I am planning on walking the Camino Frances anyone going anytime soon ? I am goinn in 2021 in the spring

I leave April 21, plan to start walking the Portuguese Espiritual route beginning on the 23rd.

Try to connect with some of the Facebook groups. I’m joined the Camigas group and a couple of ladies only groups specific to the Portuguese. It’s been really helpful. Sometimes, too helpful. Merciful heavens if you ran right out and bought all the suggested gear, you’d need a pushcart.

tnh2o · March 2020

I hiked the Cotswolds last October. One of the innkeepers said the people who have difficulty are from places that are flat. I live in the Appalachian mountains so I never see flat. It was hilly, and muddy, and windy, and wonderful. I used a company called Macs Adventures. They book your accommodations, move your luggage, give you a map and off you go. There are other companies that do the same thing.

Ladies: Camino de Santiago or other walking tours?

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