Dr. Joe along The Way
Joe Rizza
There are many great, long distance walks in the world but, perhaps the most popular and well known is the pilgrimage walk that has been in use for over 1,000 years. Commonly and affectionately known as, “The Camino,” it is actually a number of different walks that all terminate on the northwest of Spain, Santiago de Compostela. It is in Santiago that the remains of the apostle, St. James, are found. St. James was one of the 12 Apostles and the first to be martyred. He is the Patron Saint of Spain and of pilgrims It is this holy site in Galicia that attracts well over 525,000 walkers each year. There are a few residents of SaddleBrooke who have completed several of the Camino routes, including the Portuguese route and the 64 mile route that begins in Sarria, Spain. To receive the Pilgrim’s certificate in Santiago, all you need is proof you walked the required minimum of 100 kms or 62 miles. That is why Sarria is so immensely popular.
Dr. Joe Rizza, a physician well known to the SaddleBrooke community, a longtime ultrarunner and experienced world adventurer, recently flew to Southern France to begin the 484 mile Camino route known as the Camino Frances. This physically and spiritually demanding route has been completed in its entirety by several highly motivated and highly conditioned residents of the SaddleBrooke community, including “Ironwoman” Margaret Vailair, Maria Spencer, and Roger Vanhoozer.
Margaret is also one of the outstanding hiking guides of the SaddleBrooke hiking club. Maria and Roger are excellent and experienced hikers.
The Camino Frances starting point of St. Jean Pied-de-Port is a small town on the French side of the Pyrenees. Less than six percent of the 240,000 of the walkers of the Camino Francès begin their odyssey here. It is easy to understand why. Walkers beginning their five to six week endeavor will be immediately challenged by a steep climb over the Pyrenees Mountains to the first of the Spanish pilgrim’s stage, Roncesvalles, more than 25 kilometers away. The highest point of the climb is at the 20 km mark (12.5 miles) measuring 1,450 meters. The start is at an elevation of 170 meters! It is a gain of nearly 4,300 feet, some of it on dirt trails of 26% grade or more. Not an easy undertaking being jet lagged, sleep deprived and carrying a back pack containing all your needs. One of the iconic sites along the first one third of the Camino Frances is Alto Del Perdon (the Peak of Forgiveness) at an elevation of 790 meters. Here, the pilgrim is greeted by wrought iron figures representing pilgrims struggling against the wind.
There are many guidebooks and apps about the Camino. The most popular one is by John Brierley, A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Camino Francès. It is a thorough and detailed description of the entire Camino Francès and breaks the route into 33 stages of 13-25 miles each, which should or could be accomplished each day by healthy and reasonably fit walkers. An excellent and free App and one I consulted frequently before and during my daily walks is BUEN CAMINO.
The Way of St. James has become a very popular activity, especially with younger individuals from all countries, since 2010, when the movie, The Way, was produced. It is available for viewing on television and personal devices. It is a weeks long activity of walking beautiful but long and lonely trails. It is a time of reflection, of hope, of inspiration, and of gratitude for a life well lived.