[Gocamino] Crowds on the Camino

[Tim]

Hi All.
    While I can sympathise with Wilna's comments I feel that a note of 
caution has to be injected here.  Pilgrims in days gone by were not 
subject to the same time constraints as those of today.  I completely 
understand and agree with the decision of a person who has taken four 
weeks holiday to make his/her pilgrimage, struggled through a week of 
torrential rain and or snow and, when faced with a forecast that the 
next week is going to be the same, decides to not waste the rest of the 
holiday but return to work.  In medieval times I suspect the pilgrims 
merely stopped, they had no jobs to worry about and no time constraints 
as such.  The other point worth bearing in mind is that extreme weather, 
and the weather was certainly extreme in much of March April and May, 
kills or can kill.  Hypothermia and exposure are not mild symptoms that 
the strong willed can brush aside as the 'wimps' succumb, they can kill 
the strong willed just as easily as the less determined.  In fact the 
strong willed who think they are being brave and resolute can endanger 
the lives of others.  This year there have been several occasions where 
the rescue teams have had to brave zero visibility, and driving snow to 
rescue those who should have waited or taken another road, at one point 
23 people had to be helped down the mountain.
    I'm not attacking the determined pilgrim just pointing out the risks 
of exposing oneself needlessly and the risks to others if you do.
Bon Chemin.
Tim


Wilna Wilkinson wrote:
> I must say I find this whole discussion strange. The last thing that should
> worry a pilgrim is the weather, surely? Perhaps this is the time -- *were it
> possible* --  to look at the motivation for people to walk the pilgrimage.
> Bit unfortunately it is not.
> I would suggest that the people who are on the camino right now are the true
> pilgrims. The people who turn away and go home are the ones who do it for
> all the many other reasons people are on the Way. The people who do not come
> are probably simply diverted by the many other things going on in the world
> right now. We know that most people who walk the Way plan long in advance to
> do so -- there are many things to organise and plan and if the weather turn
> foul, most of these people are not going to be in a position to postpone the
> walk to another time. So -- unless they are true pilgrims, they will still
> go and then, finding it too hard, may go back home.
> So no, I doubt very much that the falling numbers are due to bad weather. If
> anything, the talk of the crowds expected would far rather be a deterrent.
>
> On 24 June 2010 19:04, Johnnie Walker <johnniewalker-santiago at hotmail.com>wrote:
>
>   
>> It is interesting that numbers from distant departure points are down on
>> last year. I agree it must be the weather. However farther along the Camino
>> Frances nearer Santiago numbers are up considerably with double the usual
>> number of pilgrims arriving at the Pilgrims' Office. Totals there will soon
>> be 2000 per day at weekends.
>> Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ralph Alcorn <rbalcorn at gmail.com>
>> Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:50:38
>> To: <rebrites at yahoo.com>
>> Cc: <gocamino at oakapple.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] Crowds on the Camino
>>
>> I think weather may have something to do with it. The most people we saw in
>> one refugio was at Somport, where I think there were ten. The next day had
>> a
>> number of hours of heavy rain, and we never saw anyone from that group
>> after
>> that day. Later we met several separate sets of people that had started in
>> Jaca, and they all cancelled their trip after two or three days because of
>> weather. We were fairly well prepared for rain, and the plus was that most
>> days had several hours where the skies were absolutely glorious with the
>> big
>> black billowing clouds and bright patches of sunlight.
>>
>> --
>> Ralph Alcorn
>> http://www.backpack45.com/camino2.html
>> http://timecheck00.blogspot.com
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>>     
>
>
>
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