Change of plans

Yesterday, Phil and I headed out walking the Camino from Pamplona. It was a good day for walking and the sun was out. Phil was chatting with some other pilgrims and I was walking a little ahead preferring the quiet of the morning.

We'd walked a few miles and were in the city outskirts when I noticed Phil's pace had slowed. I stopped and waited for him and took a few things from his pack to carry in mine. He started limping noticeably and as we progressed up a steep stretch with no car road access, he was really hardly moving. I took his pack thinking he would be able to walk without it, but he began to stumble a little and was unsteady even with his walking poles.

His back was just giving out so we stopped to rest and for him to stretch. It was apparent that he was not going to be able to walk with or without his pack. We agreed that I would go on to the next town to either get a cab to come retrieve him or leave my pack at an albergue and come back and carry his.

The town was much further (2.5 miles) and the road much steeper than I remembered. I got a cab number and started back down. Phil also began to slowly make his way down to the last suburb. The cab driver was unavailable as was another that she referred me to. I met Phil hobbling along and we waited at an urban park in the shade while I unsuccessfully tried to find a cab.

Finally we noticed the bus going by with some frequency so we boarded the bus and rode 37 minutes back into the heart of Pamplona. I got us a good deal on an AirBNB apartment for 2 nights until we made a plan of how to move forward.

Tomorrow we'll take a bus over to another Camino (the Camino Aragones) where Phil and I have volunteered twice in the past. I've rented us a mountain condo for the next week so he can heal up and we can consider next steps. Since this is shoulder season (between ski and hiking season), the apartment is a good value.

If he's able, we'll pivot to a few days on another flatter terrain Camino for a few days before we head back for our volunteer time. He's sore, but moving around ok today.Read more