Planning the Journey

Some notes on planning, Karl Fennell

When we decided to walk 1200 miles in 12 journeys over 12 months, we had to do quite a bit of planning. What were our rules or guidelines? Where would we go? How would we book hotels, etc.?

Guidelines: Miles would be the distance actually walked on the journey. We would not use rental cars. Public transportation was ok to get to and from the start and finish or to where sections were unsafe or impractical on foot. Bag service was allowed but avoided as much as possible. 

Finding locations: We researched the internet, talked to fellow travelers, looked for locations accessible within a reasonable distance from major airports, and took weather forecasts into account. We looked for routes that would support town-to-town or hotel-to-hotel walks, section or through hikes, or long distance walkable locations.

On previous hikes we used guide services: in Switzerland we used Eurotrek to hike part of the Via Alpina https://www.eurotrek.ch/, our family and fellow traveler recommended Macs Adventure for many locations https://www.macsadventure.com/, Carol and Julie used Hike the Way for the Camino from Sarria https://hiketheway.com/, Inn Travel has various independent walks recommended by fellow travelers https://www.inntravel.co.uk/. Many more services exist from self-guided to fully guided and basic to luxury.

It is also possible to book your own accommodations on many adventures. For example, when we hiked the Camino de Santiago French Way from Saint Jean Pied de Port, we used travel guides and apps and book our lodging as we walked. This is an option during non peak travel. We used apps for Camino, inluding the Camino Ninja, Buen Camino, and Wise Pilgrim, providing various levels of trail guidance and booking options. When we walked the Cotswold Way, we were traveling during peak season so we booked air travel and lodging well in advance. Some of the previously listed services could have provided our entire lodging and itinerary and would have made the planning much simpler but we enjoyed the flexibility to easily modify our plans as necessary.

Maps: For the Camino, I used maps on the Apps above. For planning I used Alltrails for distances and route options. For complex hikes I had a topographical map and compass. For new long distance walkers and for trails like the Inca Trail in Peru (we used Alpaca Expeditions) and The Via Alpina (Eurotreks) I would recommend using the planning services since the terrain can be challenging and even shorter distances difficult. For the Camino, trails are well marked but maps still essential if a turn is missed (talking from experience!)

What to Carry: As Carol describes in her book Walk, Less is More. For new hikers don't hesitate to use the bag service. In general they are reasonably priced, but can add up if using for the entire Camino. Most guide services will include a bag service for a set number of bags and weight.

Shoes: Shoes will depend on your route, many Camino sections we hiked were ok with trail running shoes. Switzerland required light weight hiking shoes in many areas. The Colorado Trail with a pack meant a heavier hiking boot. When hiking very long distances a lighter shoe is essntial. On the Camino we had several days of heavy rain. A shoe that would dry out over night was critical, a heavy water proof shoe would have still gotten wet and taken a long time to dry. In Switzerland, a water proof hiking boot was helpful crossing streams and wet patches. Wear your shoes on long walks before you travel. Many people we met had top of the line shoes but were not worn in and had horrible blisters making their walk miserable. On some of the more challenging mountain crossings on the Camino I wished I had a better tread, but my feat never blistered. When you do get blisters, care for the right away before they become unwalkabale.