The Levity 45L is a superlight backpacking and hiking backpack made by Osprey. My size medium comes in at a svelte 1lb 12oz (.8kg), and is really comfortable despite its minimal design. I’ve worn the Levity 45L for the 150-miles Camino Portuguese, and on numerous hiking and backpacking outings over the past few months and will share my experience in this review.Â
The Adidas Terrex Two Boa is a nimble 13.3oz (size 12US) trail running shoe with a plush midsole and grippy outsole. The uppers breathe well, and utilize a Boa lacing system that allows for quick and precise adjustments on the fly. The Terrex Two Boa rides like a road shoe, but still has the trail-ready chops for most of my adventures in the mountains.
On our ninth day of the Camino Portuguese we walked 12 miles from Caldas de Reis to Padron. The day started out with a very pleasant stretch of walking on a dirt path before veering off to a few side roads on the way into Padrón. This would be our final night on the Camino Portuguese before The Way would take us to Santiago de Compostela.Â
On the seventh day of our Camino Portuguese pilgrimage, we covered 13 miles between Redondela and Pontevedra. This day started out along the RÃa Vigo with some amazing views of the Rande Bridge off in the foggy distance. We then completed two seperate climbs totaling more than 1400 ft, with a stop in the beautiful city of Arcade in between. Our day finished at an albergue on the outskirts of Pontevedra, where we got to watch Spain take on Portugal in the group stages of the World Cup!
The week before Labor Day is one of the best weeks each year to score deals on camping, hiking, travel, and trail running gear. It seems that the deals get better each year. This year, REI, Backcountry, Moosejaw, and Campsaver are offering big discounts on tents, packs, shoes, apparel, sleep systems, and more! I’ve put together a list of some of the best deals below. Happy shopping!
After crossing the border from Portugal into Spain on our fifth day of the Camino Portuguese, we began our sixth day with a goal of walking from Tui to Redondela. The stretch of trail out of Tui leaves on highway 342 before passing through a major industrial zone. There is a new scenic route that avoids this, but we decided to take a cab and skip ahead by 11 miles to Porriño. The route from Porriño climbs a few steep asphalt roads before descending into the beautiful town of Redondela.
The Salomon Sense Ultra Pro has been my ‘Goldilocks’ trail shoe of the year so far. From upper to outsole, everything feels ‘just right’ for my feet. I’ve worn these on hikes and trail runs, and have yet to find something that I don’t like about them. The Sense Ultra Pro is built on the same platform as the SLAB Sense Ultra, and as much as I liked the SLAB Sense Ultra, I like the Sense Ultra Pro even more.Â
Stage two of the Camino Portuguese Central Route takes pilgrims on an 18 mile stretch from Vilarinho to Barcelos. This section of The Way incorporates natural pathways and mostly avoids the busy roads and highways, unlike the first stage out of Porto. The major highlight of this stage is the arrival in Barcelos, where pilgrims cross a bridge and then approach Paço dos Condes, the old palace of the Dukes of Bragança.Â
The first stage of the Camino Portuguese Central Route takes pilgrims from the Porto Cathedral to the small town of Vilarinho. This 18 mile stretch is mostly sidewalks and cobblestone with no natural pathways.
This summer, I set out to hike the 150-mile Camino Portuguese from Porto to Santiago de Compostela. Unlike my solo hike of the 500-mile Camino Frances in 2012, I would be accompanied this time around by my wife and 2 year old son. In this post, I’ll cover our day of sightseeing in Porto and our visit to the Porto Cathedral to get our pilgrim’s passports.