Santiago Pilgrimage

[Pat Harrison]

Hello All:

I am new to this email list.  I am writing to help me make a decision about doing the Camino with my husband this year.  Right now, I do not feel that I am in good shape and don't know if the next four months of getting into shape would be sufficient to do the Camino.  My husband has his heart set on doing the Camino and I don't want to disappoint him. Yet, I am 55 years old and aware of my limitations. If we went, we would leave on May 23rd and fly into Paris.  We would start the pilgrimage in St. Jean.  I have reservations about hiking through the Pyrenees.
Could someone give me an idea of how rigorous the hike through the mountains would be to get to Roncevalles?

Also, in reading various email threads, I learned that 600,000 to 900,000 people are estimated to do the Camino this year.  Another concern is about sleeping accomodations.  I don't really want to sleep on the floor of a Refugio if there are no more beds available or sleep on the ground under some tent that the Spanish army would set up.  Did anyone do the Camino in 1999 when St. James feastday fell on a Sunday, too?  If so, what were the crowds like, what does one do if there are no sleeping accomodations?  It is the unknown that is causing me to have anxiety.  Any information would be beneficial to help me make a decision.

Thanks very much!

Mary Frances Harrison