The scenery is definitely different overseas.<br>
Vol.3 Camino de Santiago (Spain)

Hang Out vol.01 “Mountain”

The scenery is definitely different overseas.
Vol.3 Camino de Santiago (Spain)

If the appeal of long trails is the freedom to travel as you please, then walking overseas will give you an even greater sense of freedom. Traveling through dynamic terrain not found in Japan while experiencing different cultures. Listening to the stories of these three experienced trail hikers, I started to think that overseas would be nice too.

Chapter 04

2024.09.02

Text：Takashi Sakurai

Edit：Suzuki Yusuke
Hideki Shibayama

HANG OUT VOL1

Chapter 04 | Long trails overseas

PROFILE

Yuto Kamisawa / Marketing Department, Goldwin Inc.

After completing the Camino de Santiago, he joined Goldwin in 2019. After that, he started trail running, and his next goal is to complete Mt. FUJI 100. He also continues to walk on trails, and next year he plans to walk the long trail, Kungsleden, in Sweden.

03. Camino de Santiago (Spain)

The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage route that has continued since the Middle Ages. In 1993, it was the first route in the world to be registered as a World Heritage Site. There are several routes, such as the French Route, the Northern Route, and the Ancient Route, but the one that Yuto Kamisawa walked was the "French Route," which is an 800-kilometer walk from the town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Beau in southern France to Santiago de Compostela.

The end of one journey and the beginning of a new one.

Buen Camino.

This is the phrase I heard most often on the Camino de Santiago. It's a greeting between pilgrims, and it means something like "Have a good pilgrimage."

It all started with the movie "Star Journeys." It's set on the Camino de Santiago, and it's about a father who loses his son on the pilgrimage and walks with his son's ashes. The story itself was great, but I was interested in the process of how his state of mind changes over the long journey.

I had been traveling since then, but a big reason was that I wanted to experience a more local experience. I also had no money and was looking for a place where I could do that kind of travel as cheaply as possible, so I chose walking as a way to do it.

After I decided to go on the Camino de Santiago, I started walking training. However, the Camino de Santiago is not only about trail walking, but also walking in the city. I was working in Ebisu at the time, and I would walk from Skytree to Ebisu. It was about 20 kilometers. The other one was about 14 kilometers from Jinba to Takao. That was my first mountain climbing in my life.

I didn't have any friends who were doing outdoor activities, so I had no one to consult with about equipment. Of course, no one knew anything about the Camino. So I pieced together fragmented information and put together an itinerary. I couldn't speak English, and I was full of anxiety during the preparation stage.

The first day was the hardest. We had to cross the Pyrenees in one day, so it was a real ordeal. I was suddenly overcome with regret and thought, "Why did I come to such a place?" Apparently, many people die while crossing the Pyrenees in winter, so it was quite a difficult journey. It may have also been influenced by the fact that we went at the end of winter, in the off-season. I had heard that there are a lot of students during the season, and it can feel a bit touristy, so I wanted to avoid the crowds, as I had imagined a pilgrimage where time passes slowly.

Although it is called a trail, there are many forest roads and many parts where you walk through urban areas. There are five large cities along the 800 km route, two of which are World Heritage sites. It was a very cultural trail. There is also a credential (pilgrim passport), which is like a Japanese pilgrimage book, and you can stamp it. That is proof that you have made the pilgrimage.

Not all the people walking the pilgrimage were devout Catholics, but the sense of solidarity between the pilgrims was strong in the sense that we were all undergoing the same trials. Some people walked in sections, but it was especially easy to make friends with the 800km group.

By the way, along the way, there is a famous spot where wine comes out of a tap, but it is very oxidized and doesn't taste good (lol).

This trip actually has a twist. On the day of the finish line, I was walking with two people I met along the way. We were all excited when we arrived in Santiago, our destination, but when it came time to go to the office to get our certificate, I realized that I had left my credentials at the inn where I had stayed the night before. I hurried back to get them, but by then the reception had already closed...

Afterwards, I also went to a party with my fellow pilgrims, but I felt like I couldn't get through it because I was the only one who hadn't finished (laughs).

The next morning, I went to the office, got my certificate, and then participated in the mass at the cathedral. There, they read out the number of people who had completed the pilgrimage that day by country, and on that day there was only one Japanese person. I was moved when they called my name, as if they were saying, "Oh, that's me." I was also able to see the Botafumeiro ceremony, where a huge incense burner is swung around, but this is only held about 12 times a year. So, in the end, forgetting my credentials was a blessing in disguise.

Actually, after arriving in Santiago, I walked to Finisterre on the west coast of Spain. So, to be precise, it's about 1000 km in total. I'm happy when I reach the goal, but there are quite a lot of pilgrims who end up walking to Finisterre because they feel lonely and unsatisfied.

Since I came back, I've been recommending long trails to my friends, but for a long time I couldn't put into words what was so good about them. It's a physically strenuous endeavour. What I think now is that by walking long distances, you can feel the physical reality of the terrain, the climate, the weather, etc., and you can appreciate the process. I think this is an experience that can only be had by walking long distances.

Even if you say you walk 800 kilometers, it means you walk 20 kilometers 40 times. If you increase this number, you can walk anywhere. It may seem obvious, but after coming back, I really felt that the Earth is connected.

Along the way, I often saw the phrase "Alpha and Omega." This is a Christian phrase that expresses God's omnipotence, "the beginning and the end." At the South Gate of Santiago, the phrase had changed to "Omega and Alpha." "This is the end, but it's also the beginning of a new journey." With these words, I strongly feel that this experience did not end at the finish line.