And Here We Go…

The Camino De Santiago is walked in stages with each representing the mileage from your starting point to an end point for the day. The stages average 13 to 17 miles per day and vary on level of difficulty based on how much you climb and descend during that stage. To help pilgrims anticipate how difficult a stage might be, there is a rating system where 5 shells is the most difficult and 1 shell is the easiest.

For the past 3 stages we’ve walked, the first (crossing from France to Spain over the Pyrenees) is rated 5 shells. The second from Roncesvalles to Zubiri (yesterday) earns a rating of 3 shells. Today’s stage from Zubiri to Pamplona is rated a 1. We were looking forward to having an “easy” day of walking.

I didn’t get a picture of the 3/4 mile climb on steps and rocky ground about mile 9 with the sun beating down on us. However, after that point, I decided this stage was NOT a 1 shell stage. It was definitely a 1 1/2 moving towards a 2. Our next stage is rated a 2 shell. We shall see how that compares.😃