Preparing for the Camino, Part 1

Other than getting yourself in shape physically, how do you prepare for the Camino?  I’m sure it was more difficult in the pre-internet days, but in today’s world it’s mainly doing a lot of online research, particularly drawing on the experiences of those who have been there/done that.  And in particular, those who have posted their experiences on the many Camino-related fora (I guess that’s the plural of forum) and in blogs.  For me, one forum in particular, the Camino de Santiago Forum, http://www.caminodesantiago.me/board/, has been a great resource.  And there are others, too numerous to mention, that have contributed a wealth of knowledge about routes, gear, what to expect, weather, accommodations, travel to and from the chosen starting points and back home again – the list goes on and on. 

In addition, there are the pilgrim societies or confraternities found in most countries.  These are organizations made up of current and former pilgrims to educate and assist prospective pilgrims as they prepare for their journeys, issue pilgrim credentials (more on this later), and in some cases, operate or assist in the operation of the lodgings along the many paths to Santiago.  In the U.S., the pilgrim society is called American Pilgrims on the Camino, http://americanpilgrims.com/.  The national organization has local or regional chapters in many cities across the country.  We are fortunate to have a chapter here called the Colorado Front Range Chapter.  The chapter organizes social events, information sessions, group training hikes, and a very touching Shell Ceremony in which prospective pilgrims are gifted with a scallop shell, which is the symbol of the Camino de Santiago.  (For information about the symbolism of the scallop shell see http://americanpilgrims.com/camino/history.html#scallop_shell .)  Another tremendous resource offered by our local chapter is a mentoring program, which pairs an experienced peregrino with a newbie to answer questions and provide moral support.  Our mentor is a great guy named Dave Stalls.  Dave walked the Camino with his son, Jonathon, in the fall of 2012, so his memories and experiences are still fresh in his mind.

And last but not least are the plethora of books, both factual and fictional, about the Camino.  We’ve read several of the more popular books currently on the market, and the one we’ve enjoyed the most is titled Walking in a Relaxed Manner, by Joyce Rupp.  Joyce Rupp is a Catholic nun and retreat director, author of a number of spiritual books, and is a frequent contributor to several daily and weekly devotional publications.  While not a book, the recent movie, “The Way,” starring Martin Sheen, probably has done more to popularize the Camino than all the printed literature in current circulation.  From all reports, the movie presents walking the Camino in a very accurate, although somewhat condensed manner – at least as far as one can expect from Hollywood.  We’ve now seen the movie twice, and will let you know how accurate we feel it is after we’ve completed the walk.  Then, of course, there are the guidebooks – handy guides to the individual routes of the Camino de Santiago which contain all the pertinent information, including detailed maps, for that route.  To see examples of the many guidebooks, just go to Amazon.com and type in “Camino de Santiago guidebook.”

That covers the gamut of general information about preparation for the Camino.  Next time I’ll discuss our specific preparations, what we’re taking in the way of clothing and gear, and how we’re getting there.