I’ve got quite an amazing ability for losing my way. If it’s possible to get lost or take a long way around, I often do. Some of my longest walks over the years were never meant to be as long. It’s not really a lack of sense of direction as much as not being happy with the way the path is weaving.
For instance if there’s a field of cows, I will look for any way possible to take a detour. If a path takes a steep uphill route, I look for a more gentle way to go. Sometimes my map reading fails because the distance it’s showing doesn’t correspond to the distance I think I’ve already walked. But mostly my map reading fails because I fail to stop often enough to consult the map.
That’s why here in the hilly Peak District, I often choose to go along the car free cycle tracks or the canals, both of which are fairly unambiguous routes – virtually impossible to take a wrong path – and upon which I’m unlikely to meet roving large mammals. ( I don’t mind sheep.) At this time of the year, while we are having such a wet winter, the cycle paths in particular also have the advantage of being firm underfoot with minimal mud which is why I’ve been doing most of my training on these tracks.
I would guess that the odds of my walking the Camino without ever having gone astray at all are precisely zero! So the 280 km distance we’re planning might really be quite approximate.
Fortunately from what I’ve read about the Portuguese Camino the route seems very well marked. There is also a variety of apps available and I have a Brierley guidebook. Plus I will use ViewRanger, which I use here in the UK and is really good both for finding my way and also telling me how far I’ve gone.
But mostly I’m looking forward to seeing yellow camino markers and arrows directing me to Santiago de Compostela! Ultreia as they say. Onwards and upwards! 4 weeks to go!
One Step Camino 