Afterward: Reflections from the Camino del Norte

Leaving Santiago

Tears streamed down my face as I left Santiago on the bus back to Madrid. They were not tears of sadness, but of joy and of something else, which I still can’t quite define. The Spanish countryside blurred past me as I reflected on my forty-day journey on the Camino del Norte. Although I was leaving Santiago behind, I was not leaving the Camino. The stories, experiences, and spirit of the Camino will live on inside of me for the rest of my life.

There is more to this post, but it’s not fully baked yet.

My Pilgrim Passport

An Honest Review of my Boots

I hiked in Salomon X Ultra Pioneer Mid Womens Shoes. These boots served me well, were mostly waterproof, and were impressively lightweight yet sturdy. I considered Altra trail runners, but I’m very glad I went with actual “boots.” There was a considerable amount of mud and pavement on the Camino del Norte, but these boots handled it all. I met a lot of people who had to ditch their trail runners for something sturdier. The only thing I didn’t like about them was the high ankle support, which ended up giving me a swollen ankle.

I put roughly 700 miles on these boots, including about 100 miles of training with weight before the Camino. I took four months to break them in before my hike, which was incredibly important. I can’t stress this enough: break in your boots!

By the end of the hike, the soles were so thin that I could feel every pepple, rock, and root under my feet. I guess I got used to it on the Camino, because when I tried hiking in them a few weeks ago, my feet were in protest! I also discovered that my stride is uneven, based off how much more worn the right side is than the left. This could have been due to my swollen left ankle, or it could have caused it—I’m not sure.

These boots stayed waterproof! I did wade through a couple streams, which of course soaked through to my socks, but in the rain and minor puddles, they were great. I heard a lot of other hikers talking about Shoe Goo for waterproof and repair, but I never needed it.