As light as it is going to get

I started to organize my pack so that I could find what I wanted without digging through multiple stuff sacks to get the job done. I like to be able to sort things so that I know just what sack to reach for to get what I need. The photo to the right shows all that I will be bringing with me (see pack list). Everything goes into the 4 uberlight Granite Gear dry sacks, shown at the bottom of the photo, plus one stuff sack (non waterproof) for all my rain gear. I made one compromise to my original pack list and that was to replace the silk sleep sack with a Montbell down Thermal Sheet. It weighs 15 ounces (425 grams), and unzips so it lays flat. Later in the trip, when it is warmer, it will probably just get used as a sheet rather than a blanket or sleeping bag. The clear zip lock bags contain toiletries, first aid kit, daily foot care items (wool, tape, Nok cream), and a partial roll of toilet paper. I have kept clothing items to the minimum. I am carrying 2 Icebreaker short sleeve t shirts, 1 Icebreaker long sleeve (150 weight) 1/4 zip shirt for daily walking, and 1 long sleeve t shirt for the end of the day. I will wear merino wool runners tights under my rain pants for cold wet days, Patagonia Rock Craft hiking pants or Columbia Silver Ridge hiking shorts depending on the weather. Whatever I wear during the day I will wear the other at night. I can always wear the runners tights under my hiking shorts, at day's end, if need be. My Montbell Versalite rain jacket will suffice for a windbreaker when necessary, same goes for the Versalite rain pants. I have included a Montbell Thermawrap synthetic insulated vest for chilly mornings or evenings, and a Montbell Plasma 1000 down jacket as a cold weather layering piece. I also have switched my outer socks to Icebreaker mid weight hiking socks as opposed to Smartwool that I think will be just a bit too warm for the expected hot weather. I will still use the Injinji toe socks as liners. Due to the expected mud on the Le Puy route Robin and I will both be using a very light weight gaiter made by Mountain Laurel Designs.

This is what it all looks like when stowed away.

Zpack Arc Blast 45 L backpack

The only thing I haven't shown is the Golite Chrome Dome trekking umbrella. It will stow underneath the compression straps and sit in the side pouch shown in the pack photo above. All our documents, cash, iPad, camera, and guidebook will be carried in a waterproof chest pouch (shown propping up the pack, bottom left). Robin and I have opted not to use ponchos as rain gear and a pack cover for this trip as the back pack material is waterproof (and seam taped), and everything inside will be in in dry sacks. The Cuben fiber back pack material does not absorb water so the straps and rigging will not pick up any additional water weight. In warmer wet weather we will break out the umbrellas and not put on the rain gear. Also I have the Zpack rain kilt that I can through on if I need something more than just the umbrella. I am actually looking forward to trying out some of these wet weather combinations to see what works best, under exertion, during periods of varying temperatures and wind strength. More on that later from the "chemin."

Finding our joy

Smile for the camera (best he could do)!

The days are passing quickly by as our departure for Le Puy draws ever closer (less than a month now). We have done all the usual preparation, but at a somewhat less frantic pace this time around. There just isn't the same sense of urgency that we felt on previous camino departures. The desire to return to the pilgrim community, and walk, remains very strong, but we seem willing to accept that we cannot control many things, and if some of those things don't work out the way we had hoped, so what. That should not cause us any distress. We have adopted the attitude that all will be well, regardless of any surprises, or inconveniences encountered. It's all good. That's our goal. Now we shall just have to wait and see how we do (please feel free to remind us at some point down the track if we start grumbling). Perhaps this change in attitude stems from a growing familiarity with pilgrimage, and its attendant challenges. In the past we certainly have had moments on the camino when missed expectations unfortunately crowded out our joy. But, we learned from those experiences, and hope not to repeat them again. Our joy is found simply in being present, and accepting the gift of this camino with open hearts and minds. So, regardless of miserable weather, wet and sore feet, bed bug bites, or whatever other host of potential ailments might beset us we are determined to remain thankful for the opportunity to shoulder our packs once again and set out (à pied) for Santiago. This is going to be a remarkable journey. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Just a quick sidebar to explain the picture. A few days ago, I was out walking along the Columbia River, and saw this bald eagle sitting rather low in a tree on the riverbank. These birds are not uncommon in this area, but they are not usually seen this close to urban areas. This one remained calm as a cucumber seemingly indifferent to the restive crowd that had gathered to admire him. I (fortunately) was part of the crowd.

Route of travel

John and Robin's 2014 Camino Route Map (click map to enlarge)

I put together a rough map of how Robin and I will be walking to Santiago. Starting in Le Puy we will walk to St. Jean Pied de Port, and then on to Roncesvalles via the Route Napoleon. We had to walk the Valcarlos route to Roncesvalles (due to winter weather concerns) on our two previous caminos, so this year we will try for the (more?) scenic route. Although, I must admit we have always enjoyed walking up the valley. Once we get to Roncesvalles then it will most likely be a return to St. Jean (bus or taxi), and then surface transportation to Irun, where we will start the Camino Norte. Our plan is to follow the Camino Norte until Sebrayu, and then veer off onto the Camino Primitivo. The Primitivo will take us to Melide on the Camino Frances, and then its just a couple of days on into Santiago. This camino is approximately 1600 kms, or 1,000 miles. We have time on our side (90 days Schengen visa requirements) and will not be setting any land speed records for this route. Our intention is to savor every step of the way (and there will plenty of them). We will be looking for good spots to lay over as our bodies or spirits require, and plan on taking occasional diversions as well. At this point side trips (in France) to Rocamadour and down through the Célé Valley are already scheduled. I am sure others will emerge once we get underway. This will be a fantastic camino. God willing we will see it through. Regardless of how it works out we plan on having a lot of fun simply trying.

Who knows where they come from

For the past couple of years I have been involved with American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC). I am now the Chapter Coordinator for the Portlandia (Portland, OR and SW Washington) Chapter. APOC is a wonderful organization that supports the dreams of pilgrims to be while providing financial support for camino infrastructure improvements in Spain. Please see the link above to read all about the extent to which this organization is committed to the health of the camino, and to those who wish to walk it. Member dues pay for it all. So, if you are so inclined, please visit their website (americanpilgrims.com) and see how you can become a member. I personally have witnessed a stunning growth in the number of people responding to their individual calls to the camino. Our chapter has grown from just a bit over a dozen members to about 225 in just two years. They come from all walks of life and backgrounds, but find common ground both in their desire (some say burning desire) to walk the camino, and to share their passion with others bound for the camino. This is a great group of interesting folks. Somehow our lives have intersected for this purpose (perhaps others??) and we have have all benefited from it. So, if you feel the call to the camino, get involved with like minded people, nurture a bold vision of what you can do, and keep your camino dream alive until your time arrives (and it will). On behalf of the APOC Portlandia Chapter good luck, and buen camino to all. It is a journey you will surely remember.

Trying to gather the group during a chapter Sunday walk

Up through the Fort Vancouver Historical Reserve, Vancouver, WA

Debriefing at day's end

Some of the lucky one's who got a table

Getting our act together

Robin and I at Tidewater Cove, Columbia River

We have been casually watching our camino departure date move up on the calendar for many months now with a kind of detached indifference. It has just been too far away to get lathered up. But now it has dawned on us that will be leaving next month and so a flurry of camino related activity has  now descended on our household. Travel plans, researching and booking accommodations along the Le Puy route, watching the weather on the Aubrac plateau, fine tuning our gear selections, figuring out what we need to do to walk away from our home for 3 months are all competing for our time. While the Lenten season calls us to a quieter time our building excitement to set out on our longest camino yet, is palpable.

This trip has its unique challenges. We will have to carry clothes and gear to accommodate winter like weather early on and mid summer heat towards the middle and end. There will also be a lot of other people walking the Le Puy to St. Jean Pied de Port section competing for lodging. But it is all good. We have spent a lot of time trying to lighten our backpacks and have had some reasonable success.  The biggest game changer has been switching from our Aarn Peak Aspiration packs to the ZPacks Arc Blast 45, an almost 4 pound savings. Leaving my sleeping bag at home will also save me close to another 2 pounds. A more versatile and much lighter rain gear solution was found in the Montbell Versalite jacket and pants, rather than the Altus poncho. Robin and I will both be carrying Golite trekking umbrellas for rain and sun protection. I have also switched from my Salomon Quest 4D boots to Teva Kimtah's. They also have a wide toe box, fit well, and shave off another pound. My second shoes are New Balance Minimus trail shoes. These weigh 1 pound for size 13, and should be great once the weather heats up.

Maybe a bit too much black??

Robin and I have both been out in the local weather (lots of rain) and have been quite pleased with our selections. Our ZPacks Cuben fiber packs have not leaked (they are seam sealed) but we do have Granite Gear Uberlight EVent dry sacks for everything we are carrying, just in case. I am also going to carry and try out a rain kilt from ZPack. This seems like a great rain solution for warmer weather. The kilt keeps your shorts dry and the umbrella takes care of the upper part. It is quick to put on and take off, plus you are not roasting in a poncho or rain suit. My whole pack list is here. Robin's pack list is here. There will always be things we choose to carry that are beyond our basic needs. For me these are my camera and iPad. But, I must admit it is tantalizing to consider the weight savings if they stayed home. Maybe next time (but I doubt it).

The Return of the Prodigal Son

Return of the Prodigal Son-Rembrandt

Both Robin and I have been reading some interesting spiritual books as we prepare for our upcoming pilgrimage from Le Puy en Velay to Santiago de Compostela next month. I still feel very connected to Thomas Merton, but of late I have become interested in the writings of  Henri Nouwen. Currently I am reading a book of his entitled, The Return of the Prodigal Son. While this is a very well known biblical parable Nouwen offers his readers a new and quite personal reflection on this story, and how it links to his own struggle to return to the Father "from a distant country." As I read this book I find myself examining my own struggles with the fragility of my faith, love of God, fleeing to a "distant country" and the subsequent long journey Home. What I have come to realize is that many of us are facing these same issues. We have lost track of God within us and have set out (left Home) to seek answers, and fulfillment in far away places. Perhaps His voice is just too faint to be heard over the noise of our daily lives. I know I frequently allow the commotion that attends my temporal pursuits to do that. It just seems I am conditioned to behave this way, despite the presence of a loving God in my life. But, the grace of the matter lies in the fact that God, like the father embracing his son in the painting, understands our flight, and patiently awaits our return as well.

So, Robin and I are off to the pilgrim road once again to embrace another part of our journey together. We will be leaving for France just after Easter, and plan to depart Le Puy on April 25th. We are ever thankful for the gift of each camino experience. They have always provided remarkable spiritual renewal and have positively shifted or displaced us from whatever misguided preconceptions we carried as excess baggage at the outset. We are eager to be underway again, and are hopeful that, as has happened in the past, sufficient moments of stillness and quietude will be found for us to hear the soft voice of the Father within us. Whenever we listen and respond to His voice, regardless of where we find ourselves, we find comfort that we are not lost; we are simply where we need to be.

Finally, less we should be lulled into thinking that the journey home to the Father is ever an easy quest, Henri Nouwen, an ordained priest, offers us, this reflection.

"It is the place within me where God has chosen to dwell. It is the place where I am held safe in the embrace of an all-loving Father who calls me by name and says, "You are my beloved son, on you my favor rests." It is the place where I can taste the joy and peace that are not of this world.

This place has always been there. I had always been aware of it as the source of grace. But I had not been able to enter it and truly live there. Jesus says, "Anyone who loves me will keep my word and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home in him."...

But it has aways been very hard to experience the truth of these words. Yes, God dwells in my innermost being, but how could I accept Jesus' call: "Make your home in me as I make mine in you"? The invitation is clear and unambiguous. To make my home where God had made his, this is the great spiritual challenge. It seemed an impossible task." 

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen.

Peace be with you....

Shedding weight

On our previous two caminos Robin and I both have used Aarn, Peak Aspiration packs, (45L plus 12L in the pair of pouches). These are wonderful packs that fit and carry beautifully. The only downside is that with an all up weight of close to 5 pounds they are a bit overkill when your ideal base weight (everything carried minus consumables such as food, water, and fuel, if carried) hovers around 8-10 pounds. I never had a problem carrying the pack as our total pack weight was only around 18 pounds (maybe 20 if we carried more food than usual). The Aarn pack comes with waterproof liners in the main pack and in the balance pockets as well. The balance pockets replace the secondary bag that most people carry for sundry items. When one adds all that up, and factors in the comfort and convenience of the Aarn design, it is easy enough to accept the extra weight. However, I do admit that the extra pack weight would be easier to justify if the load carried was more in the 35-40 pound range, just as one could justify (and perhaps need) a heavier boot for a heavier load.

Walking the camino does not require a lot of stuff, even in the winter. Our next pilgrimage will be during the late spring and summer months, and will require even fewer things, or at least lighter versions of the same things (shirts, jackets, pants, sleeping bags etc.). As the overall carry weight weight deceases it becomes harder to justify a pack weight that represents 50 percent of your base weight. So, armed with this understanding, I started searching out other options. As I looked into ultralight equipment I happened upon a company called Zpacks (based in Florida). I did some research, and placed an order for a 45L version of their Arc Blast pack.

Arc Blast. 

This pack is constructed with ultra light Cuben fiber (waterproof and breathable) overlaid with polyester (for additional durability). The pack only weighs one pound. I also purchased 2 belt pouches, 2 side pouches and a chest pouch. The total weight comes to a very lean 21.3 ounces (1.33 pounds). This pack also comes with a carbon fiber external frame with a mesh back panel, that will be most welcomed in hot weather. There is a 3 week delivery wait. All packs are custom built, and zpacks seems willing to modify your specific pack anyway you want it. If this works the way I expect it to, I will place an order for Robin as well. This company sells a variety of other ultralight equipment as well (see link above). Robin and I have both used Altus ponchos for our winter walks. They were great in that environment. Now, as we face walking in much warmer weather the Altus, I fear, will be too hot. Zpacks to the rescue. The poncho shown below weighs 5.1 onces (the Altus weighs 16 ounces).

As I look at this poncho (which covers the pack as well), I am thinking that in the colder, earlier part of our camino, I could wear a lightweight jacket underneath to deal with the short sleeves. I will also wear lightweight gaiters, but there will still be a gap between the gaiters and the bottom of the poncho. So (now don't laugh) I think I am going with this option as well. Remember form follows function, so while from a fashion statement point of view this might be a stretch, but for ease of donning rain gear, and for comfort in hot weather this kilt seems perfect, and it only weighs 1.9 ounces.

So with this proposed rig I get the same rain protection for much less weight, more air flow, meaning more comfort, in hot weather, and more flexibility, but at a steep increase in price. Cuben fiber is quite expensive. Still, all in all, I am tempted to go for it. So, if you see someone walking around the gite/albergue, waiting for laundry to dry, wearing something akin to a short shower curtain, please say hello, it could very well be me.

I am still making adjustments to my packing list, but with the equipment above I feel I can get my base weight down to 10 pounds (a much lighter wallet will help drive that weight down as well).  I'll post more later once I am able to get out, and walk with this gear in the Pacific Northwest weather. Looks promising!