Hiking Through 2025 Starting with the Camino Frances

After a fairly eventful hiking year in 2024 I have been relegated to three months of inactivity from having corrective surgery for a Tailor’s Bunion on my left foot. Two weeks in a cast and eight weeks in a walking boot and riding a knee scooter were necessary though not enjoyable. Every day I thought about how I would have completed the CDT if not for the injury. Things are as they are supposed to be and a new year has dawned with opportunities for further adventure. For 2025 my schedule has been set and the pieces put into motion. The Camino Frances across Spain is first followed by completing the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.

In addition other blogging for The Trek I will be vlogging these adventures on Youtube @farsidehiker.

Camino Frances

The first event of the year will be on the Camino Santiago de Compostela on the Way of Saint James, known as the Camino Frances. The route will take me from Saint Jean Pied de Port. France across Spain to Santiago de Compostela. My pilgrimage will take me further to the coast to Finisterre (The End of the World) and Muxia. Approximately 560 miles total walk with much to experience along the way. The pilgrimage is meant to be a spiritual journey, a walk of faith. Many “experts” say that you should write down your expectations. My approach is to let every day present itself and I will learn what I am supposed to every step of the journey. Staying in the Alburgues (hostels) might provide some social interaction, but the Camino is not very populated during the winter. As with my 2024 Appalachian Trail thru-hike a winter start will provide the solace and introspection I need. Big differences on a Camino are that you will pass through towns daily and stay at an Alburgue or hotel. Carrying a tent is not necessary unless you want to carry extra weight as “wild camping” is mostly illegal. The first order of business is getting there. My international flight will be into Paris, France and two hours later I have train reservations from Charles DeGaulle Airport to Bordeaux, France where I’ll spend two days shaking jet lag before catching a train to Saint Jean Pied de Port, France to begin the pilgrimage. As the route is mostly on good surfaces and roads this will be a gentle way to get my trail legs back before I embark NOBO on the Continental Divide Trail in March followed by the Pacific Crest Trail in late summer. You’re only 63 once so I’m taking advantage of my good health. A quick pass through North Carolina to see family and friends, including the newest grandchild Joaquin, and I’ll be sufficiently rejuvenated to tackle this years adventure.

Gear List

This is not so much a gear list as a clothing list as not much equipment is required.

After watching an overabundance of gear videos for the Camino Frances  and through experience my base pack is ready for a winter start. Traveling from the Pyrenees to the coast most any type of weather can be expected. Once again if the weather is coming in real ugly I will be cocooned up somewhere warm and safe. I’ve woken up in enough snowstorms in the past year to think about it with any nostalgia. No tactical redundancies for the pilgrimage.

Thicker mid-layers in merino wool and alpaca are always in my pack. One difference being that I’ll be carrying a pair of Xero Shoes camp shoes as shower shoes. On a thru-hike I use that weight to carry an extra pair of trail runners. I will be carrying an extra pair of shoes in my pack as going through 11 pair on the AT showed me what I require.

The Big Two

The Pack. After much searching, hiking, and gnashing of teeth I found my forever pack. It is an Aarn Featherlight Freedom from New Zealand. The good folks at Bighorn Outdoor Specialists in Great Falls, Montana are one of their few US distributors and are luckily somewhat nearby. This 50 liter pack with U-suspension system is the first pack to truly fit me comfortably. The freedom of movement and overall comfort are stunning. It came with two 5 liter strap pockets which I replaced with 2.5 liter pockets for the Camino. The extra volume in the pockets allow for a better weight distribution than a water bottle holder and phone case can. The belt is amazing! I am short-waisted with there being approximately one inch between the iliac crest of my hip and my lowest rib. This pack fits perfectly on my body. When I took it up to Triple Divide Pass in Glacier National Park I had other hikers asking to try it on and taking pictures for future purchase. It truly felt like I wasn’t carrying a pack.

An abbreviated sleep system. Though the Alburgues have mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows my preference is to bring a 40F synthetic bag from RAB which I got from eBay for about $60 US and my ZenBivy 3-piece pillow. It’s a positive to control that part of your environment. The bag weighs about 17 ounces and the pillow about 5 ounces. It’s the little things that help with contentment.

Worn Clothing

From inside to outside and bottom to top. The base layers are Merino wool Icebreaker bottoms and an Arms of Andes 1/4 zip Alpaca top. The three pairs of socks with me are FITS, Darn Toughs, and Injinji sock liners. Underwear is Smartwool Merino and Hanes CoolFlex boxer briefs. My mid=layer is a Melanzana waffle-top that survived the past year with no damage. Hiking pants are Outdoor Research Ferrosi. This is my second pair and I’ll continue buying these great pants. My puffy is an Enlightened Equipment Torrid. A synthetic jacket that is my go-to for all seasons. Accessories are a Turtle Fur, Outdoor Research soft gloves, and Dirty Girl Gaiters. My rainwear is an Outdoor Vitals Tushar jacket, Outdoor Research rain pants, a Frogg Toggs poncho, and a Gossamer Gear umbrella. As always my The Trek “Hike” ball cap. Additionally I’ll be using Black Diamond Cork trekking poles again. They have been fitted with rubber tips for the Camino.

Footwear

As mentioned Xero Shoes sandals as my shower and roaming the hostel footwear. Since I’ll be in Europe I am taking shoes that are easily available. Both pair are La Sportiva. The Ultra Raptors are an extremely light mid-height shoe with a comfortable sole and good support. The second pair are the La Sportiva Akyrie trail runners which have great cushioning and support. I switch out all of my shoes to speed laces. It makes it easy on less dexterous hands on cold mornings.

Carried Clothing

This simply consists of my extra underwear and socks, merino wool base layer top and bottom for sleeping, a pair of Silverlight hiking shorts, a pair of Norrona Training Pants (there is a joke in there somewhere), and a synthetic short sleeve shirt. No much extra.

Electronics

I’ll be carrying two iPhones. One is my everyday that I’ll film with. It’s an iPhone 16 Pro Max with an international dialing plan. The other is an iPhone 13 that I use overseas. Buying an electronic sim is easy peasy. I use Orange.fr as they have given me good plans at good prices in the past. As always, a Dark Energy Poseidon Pro battery bank. It is highly water, cold, and drop resistant. It was one of my never-fail pieces of gear. My COROS APEX Pro watch came through the year unscathed and fully functional and will go back out as my fail-safe. This year I’ll be carrying my prescription hearing aids to help me listen better, or as a visual excuse for not listening. Necessary charging cords and wall block for everything. A magnetic charging platform for my iPhone in case the phone or cord gets wet. Cinnabon gave me this great tip when we met in East Glacier, MT and he was finishing his Triple Crown. Finally, a DJI OSMO 6 gimbal. The features and functions are amazing, knowing I can film without noctieable bouncing and tremors, and the asscociated software for editing is very good. I paid $89 on DJI’s website for the OSMO 6, a great deal for a small miracle.

Miscellaneous

Two small zip cases from Hilltop Packs will be going with me to house my electronics and hygiene/medicine items. Lightweight and durable, these are a great way to organize the fussy thing. The bonus round is any given day I do not wish to carry my 7 kilogram load there are numerous transport companies who will ferry your load from town to town at a cheap price. Just saying.

Final Thoughts

In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.

Miguel de Cervantes