Tough sections on the knees

[Dave Buchan]

I am walking the Camino with an old friend, who had the misfortune a couple of months ago to seriously damage his medial knee ligament. He has nursed the injury to the extent where it does not give him much bother, but he has lost a lot of training. He has read descriptions of the various Camino sectors and notes that the walk between Rouncevalles and Zubri contains a downhill section  where the path is described as being of loose rock. Downhills are notoriously bad on knees and unstable surfaces compound the problem. As this is the first day of the walk he is contemplating taking the bus between R and Z. He fears the first day could be his last. The questions for experienced peregrinos are: Is this section really bad? Should he avoid it? and Are there any other sections where discretion is the better part of valor? His plan is to regain his walking fitness on the walk as his overall fitness is good as he has been doing other workouts and rehabilitation.On a side issue a friend has recommended rubbing feet with white spirits for the next three weeks before we leave. She says it is an old method of toughing up the soles. Has anyone heard of/ used this method. Prevention is after all, better than cure. 20 days to go!

Dave
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