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Saturday the 13th of September...


Rose
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Well, I can only speak from my experience on the Camino.

It seems to be a Camino thing and it could be due to a lot of loose stones that roll about under your feet and push them against your boots (however good your boots are).

The numbers I have met who suffered feet problems (certainly the majority) were from all different countries, races, etc. and some were kitted up with every imaginable technologically advanced piece of equipment, boots, rugsacks, etc etc.  There were dainty Korean ladies with really hi-tech boots, socks etc, blisters, there was a large Austrian chap who slept next to me in one of the refuges and was allowed to say 3 nights because his feet were so bad and he had beautifully made German boots, blisters, me with very good and very old stout mountain boots, blisters.

Gemonimo, bought new boots on the advice of her daughter who was in the army, blisters.

Incidentally, I don't stint on my boots, my last pair of Lowa cost 260 euros....I might be mean with all sorts of things but have never bought other than really good boots.

 

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Well walking shoes and boots are a minefield. Over a year ago I bought some Merrell walking shoes / trainers (not cheap) I have had Merrells before and liked them. Have I been able to wear in this pair? NO! [:(]

Today going out for a shortish Nordic walk this new pair were suddenly looking up at me so I put on my Lidl trekking socks (very good by the way and padded in all the right places) and the new Merrells and off I went. Suddenly today they were great, really comfortable [:)]and I could have walked miles in them so how did that happen? [8-)]

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You're right about them being a nightmare. I once bought some Gore Tex boots from Blacks on the advice of a friend for summer walking. They seemed fine in the shop and were a nice snug fit (I always use the same make and type of sock as I walk in when I test boots). I did a weeks backpacking on Dartmoor and within a day was having problems. I also discovered they were not as waterproof as they said they would be. Having spent the last day in agony I threw them away when I got home and I don't by Gore Tex walking boots anymore.

The thing I learn't from this experience is that everybody's feet are different and they can't make boots for every individual. I discovered a boot company called Alt-Berg in the UK who make boots in quite a few different width fittings. Clarks used to make boots in different width fittings years ago but now their boots are made in Asia or wherever they only make a standard size. Anyway I have heard they are not particularly good boots. People tell you to get the right boot size but they seem to forget about width and for those of us with narrow feet it is a problem. On some boots you need to really lace them up to make the width fit which can create other problems like the seams rubbing or cutting in the wrong place etc.

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In my "extensive" (ha ha) researches on boots, I learnt that all Gore-tex boots tend to gather dust and the dust tends to cling and make the boots very hot to wear.

Having said that, most boots, even expensive leather ones, nowadays seem to have Gore-tex inner linings; I suppose to reduce water penetration.

I have 2 pairs of Merrell, a "low" boot and a "mid" boot.  As you say, Cinders, not exactly cheap.  I have worn them quite a lot and, now that they are just getting to be comfortable, they are also falling apart!

By falling apart, I don't mean they are no longer serviceable but the soles are coming away from the uppers and both soles and uppers themselves are in excellent condition.  Very annoying, now no longer waterproof but still fine for walking the dog on DRY days[+o(]

The Lowas are not yet properly worn in and I have put sno-seal on them even though I knew the wax would change the colour and I would lose that pristine soft nubuck leather look.

I don't buy walking boots for their looks, however; for simply showing off, I buy "proper" fashion boots with leather inside and outside and which look very nice but I don't think I could have walked the Camino in them [:P]

Maybe it's not just horses but also boots for courses? 

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Very good. One thing he pointed out was easy lacing and eyelets sticking out but you also check inside the boot where the seams etc are.

Somebody said about the inner sole failing. Some I know have replaced them when worn with a piece of carpet. Never done it myself so I don't know how good a solution that would be.

Gore Tex can be made by anyone but to say it is Gore Tex it needs to match the specification of the original manufacturer which possibly cheap foreign made boots don't. They need to be kept clean and washing them then letting them dry naturally or on a delicate setting in a tumble drier revitalises their waterproofing ability. As Sweet said the seem to let in more water the dirtier they are. It is, I am told, something to do with the Teflon coating that each PTFE strand gets when the thread is made although in truth I don't exactly understand the science.

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I think the material to avoid is actually Cordura rather than Gore-tex.

If at all possible, opt for leather outers at the very least.

I must say that, when I was looking to buy my latest pair of boots, I seriously considered leather innards as well but, in the end, decided against, in case I was days and days away from home or even B & B and the leather stayed damp.

It's generally a cinch to look after your boots when you have some sort of a base, it's when you are away from any form of civilisation for days or even weeks on end, that things get very tricky indeed.

My first really good pair of boots lasted years, leather Zamberlan, and now Zamberlans are seriously pricey.  I don't think however that price alone determines whether a boot is good or not.

Now I hesitated to say this when Jonzjob was getting his boots because I didn't want to upset him.  I met a lovely German woman on the Camino who had bought Meindl (like Jonzjob) boots at great expense and, less than a quarter of the way to Compostela her soles had completely come off her boots and she had to take a bus to the nearest big town to replace her boots.

Then there were people who walk in sandals and sneakers and were actully more or less OK.

But blisters did seem obligatory for the vast majority and you, Cinders, would know how Rufin went on about les ampoules, not only on his own feet but on that of others and how his feet were trempés in blood.

I did think that he was a bit of a drama queen and I couldn't believe how much he complained, especially in the beginning of the book.  I think the thing to do is just to get on with it, expect that you will have some amazing experiences and some quite upsetting ones but that, if you mean to do the Compostelle, then you put one foot in front of the other and carry on doing that until you have completed the route.

I think Rufin said as much; once he stopped worrying about not sleeping, where to pitch his tent, whether he would be able to shower, wash his clothes, what food he was going to eat and so on and so forth, he started enjoying himself.

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I seem to remember that Ruffin (one f or two?) started walking in his mountain boots only to discover they were not at all suitable and after a very short time he threw them away and bought others.

On  the advice of a Spanish podiatrist I walked on the Camino for a day and a half in good walking sandals so that my shedding toenails with blisters beneath could get the air to them (although I did wear clean socks to protect my feet from the dust.) that was fine on the section I did at the time, doubt they would have been so suitable for crossing the Pyrenees or very uneven ground.

Ah the joys of the long distance walker [;-)]

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I gave up long ago on gore tex and other waterproof boots, most of them end up leaking at some stage and they often are really hot to wear especially if some kind person hoping for a tip has polished them for you [:'(]

I now choose comfortable but not necessarily waterproof boots and carry with me military gore tex boot liners, I only put them on if I am fording rivers or walking in long wet grass or if it is really chucking it down with rain, or like I am doing right now I wear them around the house to keep my feet warm when the uninsulated carrelage approaches freezing point.

At one stage all I had was some cheap suede and open mesh boots, they were a great combination with the boot liners as they were very cool and dried off in no time, I could ford a river and within half an hour take off the boot liners as the boots were dry.

I have a New Zealand army gore tex  bivvi bag and that is superb also.

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Actually, I was disappointed with the Camino section of the programme.

I didn't think that refuge he stayed at was at all representative of refuges on the Camino.  Would that they were all so clean, have clothes on the table and sheets on the beds[:P]

Would have been better to show Camino life as it is and not as atmospheric camera shots.  Where were all the washing drying outside, the queuing for loos and showers, the dormitories with 100s of beds or bunks packed so tightly together that you have to pick your way through the rucksacks just to get to the door?

But then, I suppose only a sanitised programme is likely to attract viewers.

PS, I have no means of going back to correct stuff I have written, don't know why but I meant CLOTHS on the table and not clothes.......gr

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Well there was one refuge where he was in the top bunk in his sleeping bag but I agree that some of the refuges shown in episode 2 were almost  in the deluxe class. I have a lovely photo of a makeshift washing line complete with washing hanging in our six bedded, bunk room in Orisson.

I've not stayed in nearly as many refuges as you Sweets but I do recall friendly meal times where the long tables looked good. Admittedly not with tablecloths but neatly laid and we were presented with appetising dishes of food. I also found showers and loo facilities to be cleaner and a lot better than anticipated even when the refuges were packed to full capacity.

The view of St. Jean Pied de Port with the pilgrims wearing their capes in the rain was just as it was on the day when we arrived from Ostabat, on foot  in the rain and soaked to the bone. What I did like about this episode were the views on the walk. O.K . I know Simon R. did not walk mile after mile day after day and they did tend to show the wider easier paths and not the ones that were narrow and steep.

Heigh ho, memories and happy days! [8-|]

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, did you see the final episode on Tuesday?

It was my favourite.  We visited Israel in, I think, 1989, but the programme brought back such wonderful memories, it felt like I visited yesterday.

The walled city, Bethlehem (where he had the same shock as we did; it was so tatty and so dangerous and had such an air of unease), the Jordan, the Sea of Galilee (eating St Peter's fish), the Dead Sea, the Dome of the Rock, etc. etc.

He didn't go to the Mount of Olives and I regretted that a lot as it was a place with magnificent views of the walled city and we heard some wonderful impromptu singing from a visiting German choir.  Raised the hairs on the back of my neck, I can tell you.

Have you been there, Cinders?

Don't know if I'd go now; it was dangerous enough then.  Couldnt go on any coach trip without armed escort and we actually had to duck bullets ricocheting off the pavements by making a quick entry into the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

In case anyone is wondering, no, I am not some religious nut; I do love ancient history, however, and, the Jerusalem visit was definitely a cultural one and not a pilgrimage as I had no interest in slumming it in those heady days.  Don't know why and how I seem to have developed a hair-shirt mentality in recent years [8-)][:-))]

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
Hi Rose, me and Mrs Y plan to do the same route late august or September this year, so we'll follow your progress and share notes. Regarding boots etc, I also have wide feet, and have just been told by a chiropodist that I have high and weak arches. I've never had what I would call problems with my feet or boots despite some hefty walking both in UK and Europe since teenage years. I've bought arch supports as a result, which the Chirop' says should make my feet more fixed in a boot ( my foot lost over 1 size from being measured standing, to being measured with the foot elevated) reduce rubbing and hard skin, especially at the widest part, and stop my toenail " ridging" as it collides with the front of the boot. Just wondered if you had similar issues, and if so could arch supports help?
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Hello one and all... doesn't time fly!  It's only 9 months now until my big walk... and hello Yonner and Mrs Y.

I haven't yet bought my boots but I will investigate the arch issue... anything to help my feet and prevent blisters and nail problems will be good for me.  I will be getting new boots and I'm also going to get some good sandals as I reckon the more time I can spend in sandals will be better.  I've been looking at Keen  and Teva for sandals... but wide fit is going to be the most important element.   I think that getting the right shoes will be half our battle!

I've started a daily routine of walking for an hour everyday - not a stroll but a proper heart racing walk.  We've got a few steep hills around so  I'm getting practice going up and down!  My idea is that if I do this every day I'll build my general fitness levels.  I'm also doing longer walks at weekends to get me used to the 20km a day ahead but I'm working myself up to them... I have 9 months to get ready after all!

happy walking peeps [8-)]

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Hi Steve - I am indeed starting at SJPdeP and preparing for the long climb!  

I am planning to break the first few days into smaller chunks and I'm going to spend the first night out at Orrison.  From all I've read and been advised it's best to take the first few days easy and build up to the 20km a day.  I've allowed plenty of time so that I can set my pace according to how I feel... but yes the first few days aren't going to be the easiest [:$]

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As I have mentioned before, it is good if you can start the walk in France in the Basque Country and give your muscles time to get used to the walking. (there's a bus from Dax railway station to St Palais)

Go from  St. Palais to Ostabat (several refuges)

Ostabat to St Jean P.de P (nightstop)

St Jean P de P to Orrison and from there to Roncevalles.

You'll still be knackered but it does help![Www]

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[quote user="basquesteve"]If you are starting from St Jean Pied de Port be prepared its 200 metres above sea level to just above 1,400 meters then head right back down again into Roncesvalles at 900 metres 22.7km I see the Pilgrims regularly they are knackered[/quote]

Steve, there are 2 routes from St J PP.  One, less picturesque and with cars, is in fact at a lower altitude and an easier walk.

Rose, I sort of agree about the first few days being the hardest; OTOH, you are so bouyed up with enthusiasm and determination that you haven't yet had time to develop the nagging doubts that will truly come![;-)]  The doubts are not just to do with questions about your ability to undertake the task but also your sanity as to why you'd want to prolong your suffering![:-))]

OP, the sooner you start in Setember the better.  This is because, as the weeks go by, the days become shorter, colder in the evenings, and you will have difficulty drying the clothes you have washed and will have to increasingly find places with drying, as opposed to just washing, facilities.

I have recommended the site of the St James Confraternity in London to many people.  I can't get off here now and Google the site for you but, if you can't find it, I will have a look for you later. 

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"OP, the sooner you start in Setember the better.  This is because, as

the weeks go by, the days become shorter, colder in the evenings, and

you will have difficulty drying the clothes you have washed and will

have to increasingly find places with drying,"

Last year the last week in September was the hottest  Sep. week ever and we had temps of 30C plus which made it very hot for the walking but great for drying the washing!

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I also forgot to mention that some of the refuges will be closed when the numbers tail off in the cold weather; especially the higher altitude ones.

Nothing worse than being footsore, having walked 25 km, looking forward to a shower and dinner and then finding that you have to walk another 12 km to the nearest big town with a bigger refuge or hotels.

Of course, Cinders, if people start in the last week in September, they are not going to finish until middle to end of NOVEMBER![:D]

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