View Full Version : The Way of St James
Interesting article on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain (http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/more-popular-than-ever-way-of-st-james-still-offers-enlightenment-a-983670.html). It's an interesting comparison to the AT.
Furthermore, many believe there is a "correct" way to make the pilgrimage and an "incorrect" one. Those who do things correctly begin north of the Pyrenees, travel exclusively by foot and make the entire journey at once, rather than breaking it up into stages that are then completed successively over several years. Real pilgrims walk through northern Spain for four weeks and spend less than €1,000.
The Internet has changed the character of the pilgrimages more than any souvenir shop. Leaving the real world behind takes considerable courage, turning one's back on the virtual world is more than many can handle. Some don't even notice how much of their time on Way of St. James is spent writing emails to people back home.
It's just after 11 p.m. and Müller is exhausted. It's the longest he's been awake on any day for the past three weeks. He wears a blue fleece jacket, but he's still feeling chilly because he doesn't have a single gram of body fat left. He says the trip has changed him and, if he could, he'd keep walking. People who have undergone a similar experience call it the pilgrim's death. It comes at the end of the trip and the recognition that the journey was far more important than the person initially thought it would be.
Ive thought about this a bit and I really don't think the At and the Way of St. James should be compared or confused with each other. My experience is that while it is possible to arrive at the same place mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually - the contexts of the two journeys are vastly different. Many people become misled by the fact they both involve the use of feet for a longish focused purpose.
BTW I think the real Way of SJ Pilgrims start walking at their front doors, walk to Santiago and then walk BACK to their homes.
Real pilgrims walk through northern Spain for four weeks and spend less than €1,000.
As soon as people say "This is the REAL way to hike the XYZ trail", I start tuning out... :)
I think a lot of Thru Hikers are looking for the pilgrimage experience. They want the social interaction, staying in hostels and trail towns coupled with a certain asceticism. The section hikers are looking for the get away from it all, nature experience. While others are looking for the athletic challenge and are the ones who complain about sections of the trail being boring and not being hard enough. There are no hard and fast rules but I see all these forces fighting with each other on the AT. I thought this article was an interesting take on the mindset of the pilgrimage.
kidchill
08-08-2014, 09:46
It's really difficult to compare the two. I thru-hiked the AT in 2012 and did "most" of the Camino del Norte this past spring. For whatever reason, I really wasn't into the hiking, so I ended up doing a lot of trains and buses...It was more of a relax and get drunk in Europe kind of thing. The del Norte is much less populated than the Frances, and I don't think I met any other pilgrims that spoke English while I was on the trail. I didn't read all of the article, but yah, in terms of HYOH, everyone is an expert at "how this trail should be hiked." That's probably the closest resemblance to the AT, lol.
After reading the article, I did find some similarities. Namely a less used path in the past vs now, a more pilgrimage (wilderness) experience vs a growing social experience, and now active commerce seeking with the pilgrims (hikers) vs "grass roots" good deeds is found along the path.
One is not better than the other, but it is change.
Hill Ape
08-08-2014, 15:57
the 88 temples is a similar pilgrimage
I would say that the AT is more like the Camino than other long trails in the U.S.. It's possible to do the AT with a whole lot more "town" experience along the way. The AT provides more in the way of history and just "people" diversity along the way. They're certainly not the same, but "more similar".
Quite a large difference still. Both are good. Of the two, I'd be more inclined to walk the Camino a second time (and that, having just re-walked about a month on the AT earlier this year). On the Camino you could easily stay in different towns along the way, and these stop-for-the-night experiences are a significant part. But the people, the conversations along the way are an even bigger part of the experience, so that a second trip would be "more different" than a second time through on the AT, though of course a second time on any trail would still be pretty unique. And the Camino doesn't kick your butt as much; compared to thru-hiking in the U.S. it's pretty easy living.
Traveler
08-25-2014, 13:02
I think a lot of Thru Hikers are looking for the pilgrimage experience. They want the social interaction, staying in hostels and trail towns coupled with a certain asceticism. The section hikers are looking for the get away from it all, nature experience. While others are looking for the athletic challenge and are the ones who complain about sections of the trail being boring and not being hard enough. There are no hard and fast rules but I see all these forces fighting with each other on the AT. I thought this article was an interesting take on the mindset of the pilgrimage.
Essentially, we are all looking for the same thing, ourselves. How we find us differs, but the end result is pretty much the same.