![camino de santiago camino de santiago](https://i2.wp.com/www.mappingmegan.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/germans-intro1.jpg)
If he failed on his mission, the United States might collapse. The future of the United States depended on him. Fisterra was the first piece of ground available to him, so he landed there. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, this man was desperate: his ship was leaking and would soon sink. You'll never believe who did El Camino de Santiago in reverseĪs I stood at Fisterra, I thought about a man who also stood there, and would later become the President of the United States. It really feels like you're standing on the edge of the planet. Once you get there, however, you can see why the Romans thought this was the ultimate land's end. Second, by avoiding albergues, I missed out on the social aspect of El Camino, which, for many pilgrims, is the best part of the journey. First, the alternate through Los Picos de Europa and Asturias, while scenic, made me miss out on nearly half of El Camino Frances, so my journey wasn't typical. Some Camino fans will argue that my way to Santiago had two major flaws.
![camino de santiago camino de santiago](https://nexttribe.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/camino-santiago-1000x1000.jpg)
Hence, this explains why I think El Camino de Santiago sucks.
![camino de santiago camino de santiago](https://img.theculturetrip.com/1440x/smart/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/1024px-camino_de_santiago_2671922360.jpg)
They're so different that if you like one, you'll probably dislike the other. The point of these comparisons is not to argue that the Triple Crown trails are "better" than El Camino de Santiago, but rather to illustrate that they are nearly incomparable! They are totally different experiences. By that measure, anyone who thru-hikes the PCT or CDT has god-like hiking abilities by El Camino de Santiago standards. Therefore, one can argue that walking 6,000 km from Jerusalem is comparable to thru-hiking the PCT or CDT because it's flatter and has far more resupply points than the PCT and CDT. On El Camino de Santiago, you'll never go more than 10 km between resupply points and it's mostly flat terrain everywhere. Thru-hikers may have to cover up to 300 km between convenient resupply points. Anyone who does the AT walks 50% more than even the "elite" pilgrims that come from Austria.įurthermore, consider that the Triple Crown trails go over relatively isolated, steep mountain ranges. Now compare these distances with the Appalachian Trail (3,000 km), the Pacific Crest Trail (4,250 km), or the Continental Divide Trail (4,500 km). One guy that many talked about had walked from Jerusalem, about 6,000 km. And those who start farther become legends. Pilgrims are impressed when someone comes from Switzerland, Germany, or Austria, doing just over 2,000 km. The majority of pilgrims start somewhere near the Pyrenees, doing 800-900 km. The Triple Crown is made up of the three most popular long-distance trails in America (AT, PCT, CDT). Some have asked me to compare El Camino de Santiago with the Triple Crown. Comparing El Camino de Santiago with America's Triple Crown trails Their stories were always the greatest and most inspiring. My heart would soar whenever I saw anyone over 65 years old walking El Camino de Santiago. On a summer day on El Camino, it's common that 100 pilgrims finish per hour!Īlthough I'm criticizing El Camino de Santiago, that doesn't mean I don't respect or salute those who hike it. (I saw just one day hiker, two snowmobilers, and two skiers.) Although I saw a few more backpackers during the last 6,000 km, each year fewer than 100 backpackers finish the CDT. When I yo-yoed the CDT, I didn't find one backpacker during the first 3,000 km of trail. It's hard to grasp these numbers, but here's one last attempt. "Unless we get more volunteers," he said, "There's no way we can process more than 1,500 per day. You'll surely break the record then, right?" I told the man, "But 2010 is a Holy Compostellan Year (because July 25 falls on a Sunday). Pilgrims waited for hours to get their piece of paper. The line was down the stairs and wound around the streets outside. The answer blew me away: "On one day in August 2009, we processed 1,500 pilgrims." When I received my Compostela (the certificate of completion) in Santiago, I asked one of the four volunteers what's the maximum number of pilgrims the office processed in one day.