The difference between a thru-hike on the Camino Frances and a thru-hike on the Via Francigena could be 1100 miles and a mini-espresso maker.

When I decided to walk 1600 miles from Shrewsbury to Rome, I admit I assumed an adventure more The Way and less Wild. Author Bill Walker contrasted a thru-hike on a wilderness trail and the cultural camaraderie of a walk on the Camino Frances in Trail Culture on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, and the Camino de Santiago. All three trail experiences are thru-hikes according to Kathleen Neves in Part 1: How to Plan a Thru Hike in 10 Steps, who writes that a thru-hike is a continuous backpacking trip on an established end-to-end route or trails with footsteps in one direction in under 12 months.

The Camino de Santiago might be a thru-hike, but it’s no Appalachian or Pacific Crest Trail. I used many a Spanish bar bathroom without a toilet seat or toilet paper, but it was rare to have to defecate off the trail on my hikes across Spain. Backpacks, hiking shoes, and weeks or even months on the trail unite the wilderness adventure and the Spanish pilgrimage, but the similarities end there.

The weight and size of my backpack on my first trek across Spain could have fooled anyone into believing I was prepared for a full wilderness trail experience even though I knew we’d be sleeping in dormitory rooms in albergues along the route. I carried a sleeping bag for half of my first Camino, and it mostly took up space in my backpack. Halfway across Spain, I sent it home in a box along with most of the rest of my backpack contents, although I continued to carry plenty with me all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, something I wrote about in What Do Pilgrims Carry?

Depending on the Camino route a pilgrim chooses, villages with stores and cafes are within an hour or two walk. Most routes on the Camino de Santiago even provide luggage transfer services so you can avoid blisters and pain. You can choose from dozens of guidebooks for complete details about Camino pilgrimage routes. I mention only a few in last week’s blog post, 5 Guides to the Camino de Santiago.

Finding the iconic yellow arrows on the Camino Frances was like following the yellow brick road. Even when I got lost, other pilgrims pointed me in the right direction. Unless, of course, my eyes were drawn to an unused condom package on the trail, but that’s a story for another blog post. I’ll have to use a lot more than a vigilant eye and word of mouth to guide me on a 1600-mile route through four countries.

The Via Francigena hybrid thru-hike

The Via Francigena is such a long pilgrimage route, 1180 miles, that the few available guidebooks come in two thick paperback volumes. Since no published guidebook exists as far as I know for the Shrewsbury to Canterbury leg of my journey, I’ll need GPS, or at least some decent maps to find my way on English foot paths and roads. Will I need to carry a sleeping bag this time? A tent? How heavy is a bivy sack?

I’ve imagined the Via Francigena to be a sort of hybrid thru-hike, a Camino version of the PCT—but the truth is, I don’t know what to expect. After my first Camino when I learned that I could no longer bend life to my will without suffering serious personal consequences to my own well-being and that of the people I love, I’ve followed a Twyla Tharp approach to planning. Tharp writes in The Creative Habit, one of my favorite books on learning and using creativity: “Too much planning implies you’ve got it all under control. That’s boring, unrealistic, and dangerous.”

For now, I want to stay curious, asking questions and knowing that questions don’t always have or need answers. So many variables will determine when I can start my walk. With vaccine delays and the current spread of the COVID-19 virus, it could be some time before Americans can travel safely to Europe again. I have a contract position that might end this spring, late into the fall, or somewhere in between. I’m not sure what season I’ll be hiking or what weather gear I’ll need. What would it be like to walk into Rome on Christmas? Can I hike over the Alps in November? Would I have to use skis? What about avalanche risk? How much weight can I carry?

I don’t want to sacrifice the joy and wonder that comes with the unknown road ahead. I’ll consider a compromise between safety and surprise by joining a Via Francigena Facebook group to get the general information I need and save the guidebook(s) for my backpack. All I really know is that I want to walk from England’s West Midlands to Rome to honor a friend’s memory and because, besides my kids, there is really nothing in this world I love more than a slow walk on a long road.

One constant that defined my two Camino thru-hikes, and what I looked forward to every single day was a café con leche shared with fellow pilgrims who walked with the same goal to reach Santiago de Compostela. How far is it to the next café and a fine cup of espresso on the Via Francigena?

A charming mini-espresso maker for camping recently found its way into my possession. I could stuff that in my backpack along with my phone, multiple guidebooks, maps, and all of that winter gear, and I’d never be without a fine cup of brew, but then I’ll need to carry coffee, the cup, a camp stove, and water, too. This could get wild.