On 11th April this year – the day after Keith Chammings’s 70th Birthday – he will open the door to his home in Abergavenny, walk out, turn right and continue walking for more than 80 days over a distance of 1,400 miles until he reaches The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Spain…
The Camino de Santiago de Compostela – ‘The Way of St James’ is the official pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago in Galicia, northwest Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of Christ’s Apostle, St James, are buried. Keith’s journey is completely self funded and he is doing it as both a celebration of his milestone birthday, but also to raise money for The Longtown Mountain Rescue Team who attended him when he fell and broke his ankle while out walking on The Skirrid a few years ago.
Keith talks to us about his epic walk
It’s certainly quite an undertaking, but Keith has plenty of walking experience and this isn’t the first time he has walked the Pilgrim’s Way. It is, however, the first time he has started his journey from Abergavenny. In fact, it’s likely that he is the very first person to walk this specific route.
Keith will experience an ever-changing landscape throughout his journey, beginning with familiar local surroundings and ending quite differently. Leaving Abergavenny, he will head for Offa’s Dyke Path to Chepstow and bid a farewell to Wales as he crosses the old Severn Bridge. In England, Keith will walk on part of the Severn Way, passing under the new Severn Crossing and over the Avonmouth Bridge. Continuing southeast, Keith will bypass Bristol, pass through Wells, Castle Cary, Sherborne and Blandford Forum to Poole. Once here – and because he can neither swim nor walk on water – Keith will take a cross-channel ferry to St Malo.
Keith is all set!
Once in France, Keith will gradually wend his way south, through the French countryside over a distance of 630 miles and a period of 40 days, until he reaches St Jean Pied de Port in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains, where most pilgrims typically commence their Camino. Passing through France, Keith says that “sampling du pain, du vin et du fromage (maybe Boursin), is a rotten job, but someone has to do it.” One imagines that a bit of wine and cheese is the very least that Keith should enjoy over such a long and arduous journey. In fact, Keith plans to take a rest day in Bordeaux – a well-chosen spot for a well-deserved break!
On reaching the Pyrenees, Keith faces a 5,000ft climb over the top – a climb that shouldn’t be taken lightly and one which Keith will undertake with the advice from the Pilgrims’ Office concerning weather conditions, which can change quickly in the mountain region. After a ten mile ascent, it’s downhill all the way into Spain where Keith will stop in various types of pilgrim accommodation ranging from Augustinian monasteries to rooms with mattresses on the floor and dormitories sleeping upwards of one hundred and twenty people at a time. Keith points out that he will be well stocked with earplugs for nights such as these!
Keith’s days will usually begin at around 6am, simply so he can reach his destination village before 2pm to be sure of securing a bed for the night. Many hostels fill up quickly and some demand to see a ‘Credencial’ – a type of Pilgrims’ Passport, which is stamped each day along the route – before they’ll consent to offer a bed for the night.
A credential, covered in stamps
Every pilgrim carries a Credencial and many also carry a scallop shell with them. These were once traditionally brought home from the shores of Galicia, and are now worn as the modern day badge of the Camino de Santiago.
Finally, Keith will arrive at Santiago de Compostela and hand his ‘Credencial’ to the Pilgrims office where it will be checked and authorised so that a Compostelle can be issued – a certificate, which authenticates the completion of the route. But Keith’s journey doesn’t stop there…he plans a further 65 mile walk to Muxia and Finisterre (translated as the end of the earth) to watch the sun set over the sea…and to have a long sit down!
After the official send off by the Mayor of Abergavenny at 9am on 11th April outside the Town Hall, members of The Longtown Mountain Rescue Team will walk with Keith to Monmouth. To show your support for Keith’s chosen charity; The Longtown Mountain Rescue Team please go to www.justgiving.com, click sponsor a friend, enter Keith John Chammings in the search box and follow the instructions.
Here at the Abergavenny Focus, we will be following Keith’s progress as he takes on this huge and very worthwhile challenge. You can keep up to date with how he is getting on by visiting our special Camino Page, where you can also find a link to Just Giving.
Best of luck, Keith!
bonjour, j’ai croissé keith ce midi au restaurant a langon . beaucoup de courage et une bonne volonté . bonne chance , a bientot