Trekking, 'Shamrock Pilgrim', Northern Spain, Apr 2011, ID 1115

2 R Irish

Legend has it that the ashes of St James the apostle lie in the magnificent cathedral in the heart of Santiago de Compostela in North West Spain. After Jesus’ crucifixion the eleven (Judas hanged himself) left Jerusalem to spread the gospel. James sailed to modern day Spain and preached to pagan Galicians in the North West. His mission work was largely unsuccessful, as was his return to Jerusalem – he was beheaded by Herod! James’ disciples returned James’ ashes to Finistere in Galicia – the believed ‘end of the world’ and a shepherd discovered the tomb nearly 800 years later. At the time a Christian re-conquest was taking place and the discovery added momentum to ridding Spain of Muslim dominance - it was rumoured that James (the Moor slayer) would appear upon a white horse during battles and turn the tide of the battles crusading through the Moors beheading all around. Ultimately James would become patron Saint of Spain.

Pilgrimage is the act of visiting a site of religious or cultural significance – Mecca, Disney and Windsor Park all fit the definition, dependant on whose view of significance is taken. In the Christian faith Santiago de Compostela, the resting place of St James, is outdone only by Jerusalem and Rome in terms of numbers of pilgrims visiting each year.

Along our particular 420km route (the Camino Frances from Carrion de los Condes to Santiago de Compostela) many interesting pilgrims were encountered all carrying out the journey for different reasons. Penance was found to not being uncommon: 2 Korean Nuns carrying a 7 foot wooden cross and on a vow of silence; a young German walking 15 weeks alone on his third back to back journey to Santiago. Twice we bumped into a 60 year old (below) in dark forests prior to first light racing 1600km from Le Puy (central France) to prove his fitness to himself.

The first third of the journey was the most challenging – getting used to walking 30-35km a day with weight and the resulting damage to feet. It was a great infantry lesson – managing feet, turning around admin and tabbing at the right pace for the team. The flats to Leon initiated the team to the concept of many hours walking with little distraction – nearly a full day was spent walking along a relentlessly straight 2000 year old Roman road through sweeping flat farmland. Bierzo province was a welcome end to the flats. Two mountain ranges hem in this fertile, rich land with its warm and wet microclimate – the home of exquisite Spanish wine. The stunning scenery was compounded with the ability to stand on high ground and pick out at the end of 10 hours trekking the point in the previous range which had been crossed.

As members of the London based Confraternity of St James we were able to stay in the pilgrim albergues which picket the route. Some albergues were quite the experience – one had 30 men and women of many different nationalities sitting around a table being fed endless amounts of Spanish ‘hill food’ by ‘Hercules.’ The name was no lie – the man cooked huge quantities, provided immense hospitality and even remembered the majority of our group by name on meeting accidently the following day.

We were fortunate with the weather. May is notoriously wet in northern Spain however there were only two days of heavy rain and only one in the mountains. A number of crosses and memorials lay on the route where pilgrims, unprepared and alone, had not made it through the conditions. It was difficult to understand, with a military background and perspective, how individuals could be naive enough to take on the route so ill prepared. Penance, adventure, stupidity?

A number of the team took on a second penance of a 24 fast on the penultimate day (the first was a 24hr silence). Surprisingly all coped well including the usually ravenous OCdts! As we closed on Santiago the pace and numbers of scallop shells increased (the scallop was the proof the early pilgrims returned with from Finistere on the Atlantic and are today carried by many pilgrims as a symbol of pilgrimage).

The first glimpse of the fabled city came on Mount Gozo where sits a monument to Pope John Paul II. The definitive end to the journey is marked by visiting the ashes of St James and attendance at the midday mass at the cathedral – an opportunity to drop the Bergen and consider the 420km and 100+ hours of walking. A giant incense burner hangs above the alter. It was originally used to fumigate the sweaty, dirty and disease ridden pilgrims. Used less so now, a chance was taken not using it on 2 R IRISH’s arrival!

Capt Ed Andrews

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