Beast Of Burden

CAMINO FRANCÉS – Day 19: Sunday 27 April 2025 – RELIEGOS to LEÓN (24 [+4] kilometres)

I am certainly not one to complain, especially on a trek of a lifetime, as my Camino pilgrimage is turning out to be, but some days are certainly harder than others. After two long days of walking, another six-plus hours in the sun today proved quite tiring, especially around my shoulders – as my pack seems (for no apparent reason) to have doubled in weight. I have had this sensation before on other long treks – the heart, lungs, legs and feet all seem to toughen up after the first week or so of daily long-distance walking, but the shoulders seem increasingly to resist the burden of the backpack placed upon them. I can normally keep walking through this phase until it eases after another few days, but I am most grateful indeed for the fact that I have a rest day tomorrow, having walked myself a day ahead of my schedule and secured an attractive two-night deal on a good hotel room in the historic centre of León. I arrived mid-afternoon today and have now had a chance to rest up and settle in.

On the subject of my backpack, I stick with a modest 30-litre sized bag and I always try to keep the weight down to 7.5 kilos; this means that once I add two litres of water plus some snacks the total weight is around ten kilos. This figure is just under 10% of my weight, which is the recommended guideline for treks such as this (unless one happens to be military trained, super-fit, or bonkers). And having two nights settled now in León I have had a quick audit of what I am carrying, with the potential to dispose of any redundant items, or to post things home. Sad to say though, I find that I have used almost every garment that I have, so there are no redundancies there. As a matter of (perhaps unnecessary) detail, I am carrying three changes of shirts, boxers and socks, two pairs of walking trousers, a lightweight top, my windproof jacket, and a light fleece for the evenings, plus a sun hat, a neck buff and some lightweight gloves (that are still seeing service in the early mornings). Then I have my waterproof jacket and trousers, and it is the latter, plus my rucksack rain cover, that have (fortunately) yet to be deployed. So there is not much slack there. I have a medical kit that is largely unused (again fortunately), and some toiletries that are all in ‘mini’ form, some of which I need to replace tomorrow as they are running low. So the only other unused items that I have in my pack are a compass (route finding is easy with my phone and with the Camino signage on the ground), and a small torch that has not been required so far. I am reluctant to finally part with these ahead of some long days in the hills, so there is nothing really to discard, nor to post home. I guess I will just have to ‘man up’ with those shoulders!

Having had my whinge, my walking day did have its highlights. The chill of the early morning air and the breaking light in Reliegos was exhilarating, and I had the path to myself for a good while first thing. The historic town of Mansilla, that I walked through before the coffee shops had opened was certainly impressive, and well worth a proper visit as and when I am back this way. I had a pleasant conversation with Marco, a fellow hill-walker who has lived in England and trekked extensively in many of the upland areas of our country that I know well. But possibly the greatest thrill of the day was cresting the modest climb of Alto del Portillo (910 metres of elevation) just after the town of Valdelafuente, and seeing León laid out below me, with the fields and mountains beyond. Having a full day tomorrow to explore this city adds somewhat to my sense of mild euphoria this evening at having reached another milestone on my Camino journey, and I will report back shortly on the experiences of my Rest Day in León.

The title ‘Beast Of Burden’ that I have adopted as my Blog heading today, is taken from a song by The Rolling Stones, released as a single from the band’s 14th studio album ‘Some Girls’ in 1978. The music and part of the lyrics were written by the group’s guitarist Keith Richards, and delivered to Mick Jagger who completed the verses. Richards later explained that the number was a thank-you to Jagger for bearing with him whilst Richards sorted out his drug issues. In his own words: ‘Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden’ – that’s why I wrote ‘Beast of Burden’ for him’.