Why the Camino?

 It was during 2020 the year we all want to forget that I decided that I wanted to walk the Camino de Santiago, a network of ancient pilgrimage routes that leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain. Since before the year 1,000 AD millions of pilgrims have walked to Santiago de Compostela, in Northern Spain, believed to be the burial place of the Apostle James. Since the 1980’s there has been a modern resurgence in the ancient pathway, with over 300,000 completing the pilgrimage annually.

The challenge would start from O Cebriero, a small village located just over the border from Castilla y Leon in the region of Galici. It sits on a high ridge looking out across the mountains filled with ancient stone roundhouses and cobbled streets. It sits at the final stretch of the Camino de Santiago, just 150km from Santiago de Compostela. The journey will take me up and down hills, through woodland and past many tiny hamlets, farmhouses and villages. My finishing point The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. We will walk approximately 100 miles in 5 days.

Hearing myself say that I am going to walk 100 miles in 5 days? To my ears, it sounds insane. But it also makes perfect sense. I will blog and post about my preparations. I do believe that walking the Camino will be a life-changing experience – another one – but it will conclude this strange and tumultuous time of my life and prepare for the ever-changing journey that life is. I hope you will join me on my preparations and the journey itself.

I am leaving behind a life changing year, not only have we had to endure the pandemic sweeping across the world, but I had my own personal journey taking place at the same time. Dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis and the subsequent surgery and treatment took its toll. Work paused which was (when I look back) a welcome one. 2020 has been a year to reset and reorient, I feel rejuvenated, relieved and ready and wanting an adventure.

I have been aware of the charity Walk the Walk for many years, it has been going since 1996 when just 13 women power walked the New York city marathon in their bras to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. What started out as a one-off fundraising event has blossomed into a thriving multi-million-pound charity. I wanted desperately to find the time to complete the moon walk. 2020 was going to be the year I did that but unfortunately the virus put pay to that too (well until next year). It was during my time fundraising for the moon walk that I found Walk the Walk Camino challenges. The seed of an idea was planted!

I have never felt as lost, and unsure of what to do next, unsure of where to go as I have done this past year. I believe that walking part of the Camino. Of those bright yellow arrows that appear hundreds and hundreds of times to guide pilgrims as they walk. Of having a direction to move in. Of walking, day after day, on a path that is called ‘The Way’. Is just what I need right now.

I love the idea of walking a great distance, packing a bag with only a few possessions, strapping it to my back and moving across a vast space. I have a very dear friend who hiked along the Great Wall of China last year. She really inspired me that adventures are there for the taking. I loved the idea of this, too: hiking and wilderness and isolation and great physical strength.

When I was growing up, I never considered myself much of an athlete, or even an outdoors-y person. I wasn’t on a sports team, I hated running. The part that did start a glimmer of loving outdoors was the fact we had a dog and the dog always needed a walk! I must admit I don’t remember ever being that excited about it all then. It took me a long time to realize how much I loved being outdoors, and even longer to accept that I could define myself, in part, by that passion. But I think that was the big lightbulb moment of 2020. I finally did realise that I could define myself by that passion. I have even qualified as a Nordic Walking instructor realising that there is a chance a real opportunity, I could make my living doing something I have realised I am really passionate about.  Putting on my trainers and heading into the woods for a walk- I love it, but I still feel like an amateur. Maybe I am, and that’s okay. But until now, until 2020 I always felt that walking the Camino or the Great wall of china was for other people, not me.

If you would like to donate to this fantastic charity and support those suffering with breast cancer click the link below

https://walkthewalk.enthuse.com/pf/tracey-west-70f19