Saint-James way, where to start?
I discovered long distance hiking late at the age of 39, when I first embarked on theWay of Saint James in 2013. Previously, despite a regular sporting activity, I had never tried to walk beyond the symbolic bar of 20 km. As soon as I left the cathedral of the city of Le Puy en Velay, I quickly understood that if I did not want to find myself alone on the way, I would have to advance at the pace of the other pilgrims, who had planned to travel daily between 25 and 30 km.
Not having booked any accommodation in advance, everything was possible. I told myself that if other people, men and women, children or even elderly people managed to achieve this feat every day, then why not me?
However, the adventure almost came to an end only on the third day of walking, as quickly as it had started, with the onset of severe pain in my left ankle, no doubt because of my hiking shoes. hiking "too new". I passed this difficult course thanks to the unexpected support of Damien, a pilgrim friend I met the day before that you will find inmy travelogue. I was really on the verge of giving up, sitting on the ground completely desperate on the side of the road. Miraculously new energy pushed me forward, even though I had to limp the rest of the way...
Fortunately, I surpassed myself that day, both physically and morally, because afterwards nothing and no one could stop me. This is the observation of the many people I have met along the way who have tasted, like me, the joys and the magic of the roads to Santiago de Compostela. It has become for many of usan addiction, see for some a real therapy.
Over the years, the experience coming by walking, I gradually lengthened the distances covered until I reached my maximum physical tolerance threshold. For me, it will be the bar of 42 km on foot to never exceed. Everyone has their limits, it is important to know yours before embarking on too long journeys alone, especially with a heavy load of 12 to 15 kg on your back.
Some will prefer to be assisted by a system of shuttles depositing their luggage from lodging to lodging, when this service exists locally. Other hikers, like me, will choose to sleep under the stars in the middle of nature to walk freely over the encounters.
The bivouac is above all a process, a way to feel even more free and independent at any time of the day. To bivouac is to learn to live with uncertainty, because generally not everything goes as planned. It's also a way to listen to your body and adjust your efforts if necessary.
It is in this wandering state of mind that I find myself today: if I am tired, I decide to stop. If I'm hungry, I eat. I'm sleepy, I'm sleeping. There are no longer hours to be scrupulously respected. I walk therefore I am... happiness has become as simple as that.
The fact of alternating nights in camping, in a stopover lodge or in a bivouac allows me to embark at a lower cost on hikes of at least ten days, in the most remote places that I had thought until then. inaccessible.
In the following pages, I share with you my adventures on foot to make you want to leave.
You can discover my routes seen from the sky, with the description of the stages, photos and GPS tracks: from mon way of Saint-Guilhem, from my Stevenson path on the GR 70 trail , of my crossing of the Eastern Pyrenees by the GR 10, of my tour of Belle île en mer on the GR 340, of my many stages on the ways to Compostela, otherwise by the detours and the mountain and much more...
My videos will help you, I hope, to take the first step.
buen camino :-)
Lionel de Compostelle
In the following pages you will be able to see the description of all my stages and routes to Santiago with photos and bird's-eye views and much more ...
To land the moon, you have to at least aim for the stars.
ULTREIA !!!
Lionel de Compostelle
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