Up In Smoke

I have been training fairly consistently these past weeks and I'm now starting to feel trail hardened with sessions up to 32 kms under the weight of a full pack. The weather has been outstanding with hot, sunny days into the low 30's which is helping with the climatization that I'll need in southern France this August. I have designed a route around rural Victoria that combines good trail and road walking with lots of elevation changes. It won't match what I'll find on the French GR65 and in Spain, but it's the best I can do walking out my front door. Saves on petrol and air pollution! We have also had some great walks up Island and in other areas.

As some will be aware, we have been experiencing extremely dry conditions in BC the past three months with the result that there are massive forest fires all over the province, both on the mainland and on our island. Saskatchewan is also in dire straights and our military and fire fighters from our friends in Oz have arrived to help...something we have done for those down under in past years. Thankfully we have opposite fire seasons! The massive water bombers (biggest in the world) housed near to Port Alberni on our Island have even been brought into service...its that bad.

With this in mind, we have been covered in heavy smoke for some time now, though today is much better. On Monday I headed off early into the morning dawn to walk, but it was different than past walks. The air was choked with smoke and the sun cast an eiry light. Arriving at my mountain climb about an hour into my walk I was quite surprised to find that I couldn't see most of the mountain. I began the climb and while I made it to the top, I found the steep slopes seemed steeper than usual and I had to stop a couple of times, something I don't usually do. Smoke, and lots of it! I made it to the top and the following two photos tell the tale. The first photo is from a week earlier, the second was taken on the day.

This photo is looking towards Vancouver...a white out.

And even up high the sun was struggling and only showed itself for a couple of minutes.

So it's been interesting, but other days the walking has been brilliant! A pleasure...

As stated in the previous post I have been dealing with an injury that I was concerned would make the coming walk impossible. For this reason I haven't posted recently because I've been waiting for clearance from various doctors about my right Achilles tendon. I've met with all sorts of professionals these past weeks in an effort to address the issue. I was told that it was ok to continue with my training, so of course I have...its a favourite activity:-)  In the mean time I've waited on the edge for a final word and today I met with the final specialist who was great! He injected my tendon with glucose and water in an effort to breakup the lump. It was a 'special' treatment and now I'm sitting here biding my time waiting for the swelling from the treatment to subside. It sounds like I'll be good to go, but I won't know the outcome of these injections until August 11th when I meet him again, but at this point everything looks good to go!! I'll take the next 4 days off and we have family from the Netherlands arriving tomorrow, so no time to walk anyway.

The past weeks have also allowed me time to sort out my walking plans. Things are coming nicely together. In order to mentally prepare for a long journey I've learned that one needs a destination in order to keep motivated. Otherwise it's really easy to simply stop at the first nice place and progress no further. After all, sleeping in bunk beds and sharing everything day after day can become a bit tiring after a while. Walking really is a mind game. So at this point my mental destination is Santiago de Compostela. However, I don't think I'll arrive there by one of the conventional routes. My plan, subject of course to change, is to start in Le Puy on Aug 18th and walk approx 390kms over the Massif Central (15 stages) to Cahors where Annemarie will join me on Sept 1st for the 400km walk to Pamplona. We hope to arrive there around Sept 23rd and from there we will train down to Madrid and have a couple of days of rest. Annemarie will then return home and I will walk out on the Camino de Madrid, a 320km northward walk over the high Sierra de Guadarrama mountains to Segovia and then onwards across the southern Messida via Valladolid to Sahagun, arriving around October 10th. I've read that while I'll be alone during the daily walk, there should be some company for a meal at the end of the day...something like the Plata. Those who have walked the Camino Frances will recognize Sahagun as the half way point from Roncevalles. The plan is to then walk westward 170kms along the Frances through Leon, over the mountains past the Cruz de Ferro and into Ponferrada in about a week. 

My friend Neville who knows all things Camino recently informed me about a lesser known route into Santiago. At 250kms it's longer than the direct route along the Frances, but it's very quiet, hence the appeal. How quiet? This past June 2015, only 22 peregrinos walked the route while 27,017 walked just north along the Frances the same month. This route is called the Camino de Invierno, aka The Winter Route. It starts in Ponferrada and ends at Laxe where it joins the Camino Sanbrese I walked while transiting from the Via de la Plate last year, just two days out of Santiago. It looks very appealing and there appears to be adequate accommodation and services along the route to manage, though I will be pretty much alone. I am looking at the limited information available, and frankly if I make it as far as Ponferrada, I can make a decision there which route I wish to walk into Santiago. It will come down to fitness, the connections with other peregrinos I might have made the prior week, the weather and the presence of bed bugs. The other factor will be if I can get myself mentally prepared to cross the high bridge at Portomarin that scared the crap out of me in 2013!!! It wasn't supposed to be so high...where did all the water go?! If I complete the route I would expect to arrive in Santiago late October.

So that's it. I sit here waiting for the swelling to reduce in my heal after being used by the doctor as a pin cushion. I'm using the time to take care of a few trip plans that require desk time...something I try to avoid these days! Annemarie is training beautifully having walked a 28 km route this week, and others, without pain or blisters. I'm so hopefull that she will not have a repeat of her 2013 experience, and finally feel the pleasure of the walk. I think there is a good chance this will happen. As our friend Peter from Oz said to me in an email the other day, "the Princess is firing!".

I leave in just under 5 weeks and while there is much to do, things are well in hand. Thanks also to our forward scouts Sarah and Sally who report from their visit last month, that the area around Le Puy is very beautiful. I can't wait to see it for myself...so close!!

RIP Omar Sharif...another special actor gone from "Lawrence of Arabia".