Dispatches - 17 August 2025 - A Week Into Walking (Again)
- Jack Rogers
- Aug 17
- 5 min read
In This Dispatch:
Weekly Dispatch
I made it to Sarria! This is the start point for the last 100km of the Camino de Santiago, the most popular part of the trek. It has been a long week getting here, with 185km covered in the last week. My bad ankle is doing much better, my bad knee is holding up, and my good ankle is...hit or miss. I had to take the bus on one stage, because it just couldn't hold up, and halfway on another for the same reason. If I wasn't on a timeline (more on that later), I could have rested/healed up for a few days, but c'est a vie. Fortunately, my resolve to use the baggage transfer service is working out great, and all I have on my back now is my day pack with water, my computer bag, and a towel, which is much easier on the joints.
Usually, the trek from Sarria takes just five days, but I will be doing it in six for two reasons. First, the stage to Palas de Rei is a 28km after a 22km day, and I have learned that that is too much on my joints for back-to-back days. Second, and the practical reason that I extended it a day, is that the train from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid costs over 100 Euros to leave on my planned day, but just 19 Euros for the next day, so I have an extra day I hadn't counted on. This lets me split up the 28km day into two 14km days, so I am far more confident in my ability to finish the last 100km on foot than I was just a few hours ago.
As far as the walk has gone, it has been quiet and solitary for the most part. On my first day, I took the advice of Sir Oliver from Camino Lovers and took the local bus to the outskirts of Leon to start the stage (I had already walked the city for two days, and didn't need to see it twice while pounding my knees with concrete for over an hour and a half just to get out of Leon). From there, I walked with an Australian woman who was doing half of the Camino solo before linking up with her dad in Sarria. She stopped at the usual stopping point, but I continued on to Hospital de Órbigo. It was a long, hot, shadeless walk through corn and wheat fields. It looked exactly like Greencastle, Indiana. The temperature got up to 42C/108F, and I was ready for a shower by the time I got to my albergue.
The benefit of the 30km walk that day was I only had about a 15km walk to Foncebadón, which was great on the body. The next day to Astorga wasn't too bad at all, but the walk from Astorga to Ponferrada was rough. There was a lot of downhill (not difficult downhill, just a lot of it), and the final hour plus was on hard concrete. My joints were wrecked, and I could barely walk when I awoke from my siesta. Luckily, I had already met Sir Oliver of Camino Lovers several times along the way, and he was super encouraging about taking it easy when I needed to so as not to hurt myself. Honestly, without Sir Oliver, I probably wouldn't be as upbeat as I have been the past few days.
Now, as I stare down my final week on the Camino, I've already started looking ahead to what comes next. I've got a flight to Izmir, Turkey, in mid-September, and I will spend the almost three weeks in the interim between Madrid and Sevilla. In Madrid, I will commute to San Sebastian de los Reyes to run with the bulls for five or six days, go see my favourite matador, Borja Jiménez, in Colmenar Viejo, and finally get to see Olga Casado in person. She's a young novillera who is a very good torera his point in her career, and I really enjoy watching her be a role model for young women across Spain. In Sevilla, I will relax, read, and write, and I will do the same when I return to Madrid before flying out. I wish I could have gone to more bullfights while in Spain, but c'est la vie.
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Join the Adventure! I need travel partners!
I have two guided treks coming up later this year, each less than two weeks. I am seeking one, ONE, additional person to join me on each of these unique excursions. I promise you; they will be experiences like no other! (Ok, I put the emphasis on one additional person, but to be honest, I’m open to more if we can make it work!)
Zagros Mountain Trail – 15-29 November 2025 - $2500
This trail is a historic trade route through the Kurdish mountainside. The original route travelled from Iran, through Iraq, and into Turkey, but has long since fallen away since modern technology and roads have taken over moving goods, services, and people across countries. In Iraq, however, a private organisation is restoring the trade route to be a hiking trail. This trek will cross the majority of the trail, starting and ending in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan. The price is all-inclusive (including airport transfer and English-speaking guide), except for flights, visas, and tips. Contact me if you are interested, and I can send you more details.
If you want to go, but are (understandably) concerned about going to Iraq as a tourist, shoot me a message and we can talk. I went to Iraqi Kurdistan as a tourist in December 2023, and it was beyond safe. While Iraq as a whole has a dangerous reputation, the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan is wholly different from Federal Iraq. It has its own security forces, visa regime, and political situation. Is the risk there? Sure, but I’d much rather walk around Erbil than Chicago.
Sahara/Atlas Trek – 12-24 December 2025 - €2340 + €69 Booking Fee
This trek is a bespoke adventure put together especially for me. We will start and end in Marrakech, a beautiful city that is stereotypical of the Middle East and North Africa. From there, we will take transportation out to the desert and the mountains for wonderful hikes and beautiful views. We will occasionally take transportation to new areas, as the Atlas Mountains are the barrier between the desert and the rest of the country. The point of this trek is to explore Morocco’s pre-modern history and culture, including nights in Berber camps, former military outposts, and a few climbs up mountains. The price is mostly-inclusive (welcome to Morocco), with a few meals at the beginning and end on our own and tips excluded.
I COULD REALLY USE A PARTNER ON THIS ONE. To do this trek as a solo traveller is going to be expensive. While I am going either way, even just one person going will SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the strain on the relationship between me and my bank account! If it entices you more, I will be flying to Madrid, Spain, on 24 December to enjoy Christmas and New Year’s in one of my favourite cities, so I can play tour guide if you want! Contact me if you are interested, and I can send you more details.
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Check out this week's video on YouTube!
Wayfarer Extra: Exploring Pamplona | Walk Its Streets, Learn Its History, and Enjoy Its Churches
And check out these from The Great Gallivanting!
Travel Vlog: Marrakech | Exploring Morocco's Souks, Historical Sites, and Crazy Nightlife
Travel Vlog: Petra | An Ancient Wonder After October 7th
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