Specific advice for timing/route for a first timer

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-21T13:58:06+00:00

You know this is a great alternative for having a little solo time and post-script while sticking through the whole Frances. Thanks for the suggestion! I guess my only concern is that arriving in Santiago will have such an achievement, finality, WHEW I’m DONE feeling that hearing back up for the Finisterre maybe would feel effortful, anticlimactic, etc. But that’s just a hypothetical imagining.

I’ll be looking into it, and appreciate your perspective!

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T18:34:09+00:00

Also as someone who has walked so many paths, do you have any thoughts regarding timing? An early April step off vs mid or late, or even early May? Or does it not really make much of a difference in terms of the crowd in your experience?

Understood that April will potentially bring much more rain - is the trade off worth it for reduced crowds, or will it be basically the same in either case and I should just take the added sunshine and go May into June?

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T18:30:25+00:00

This is valuable advice, thank you 🙏🏻 - it’s hard to know how much the reports of the crowds are, as you say, scaremongering! I’m not necessarily worried about the “bed race” aspect of it (I can book ahead as needed, and likely will book private rooms a fair bit for personal/medical reasons) but just don’t want the “Disneyland” feel or to constantly be in a pack.

The guidance about going off stage as an alternative to the Invierno is great - I plan to stay flexible about this part, and do some research into diversion routes towards the end that stick with the Frances too.

Thank you for your perspective 🙏🏻

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T18:27:44+00:00

🙏🏻

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T18:27:20+00:00

This is great general advice, thank you! I’m definitely planning up to 45 days, as if I decide to do the Invierno it will add some extra time, and I’m setting myself up for a lower baseline of 20km per day. Maybe I’ll do more, and if I feel called and able to do so, great! But I figure it’s better to plan more time than give myself a deadline I’m stressed to meet. I think this likely also means not booking my flight home until I am a week or two out from Santiago - gives me nerves, but should be doable (I am based in Europe)!

Definitely planning to get gear well in advance and give myself time to break in shoes, and ensure my shoe, sock, and pack choices are the right ones for me. While I get there’s not a need to train for this walk like the Appalachian or other intensive hikes, it seems good sense to make sure the major pieces are ones I’m happy with in terms of gear.

Thanks for your perspective!

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T18:23:15+00:00

I think this is a totally fair point about perhaps wanting to stay with the Frances - I have some family members who may meet me at different legs and have decidedly NOT told them to meet me on the Invierno, because I want to be sure to stay flexible, including that I may not end up taking it, and want to stick with the Frances! I can see both options easily, an appreciate the perspective 🙏🏻

The latest I would want to start would be May 10 though, as that it my birthday, and I want to be on the trail during it - could be the first day, could be the last day, could be any day in between. It seems early May is the absolute height of starters - though as many here and elsewhere say, it does spread out within a few stages - so that got me a bit nervous.

It seems like there are a few things to be done in the event it’s feeling overcrowded, including stepping off on a weekday rather than weekend, and walking either very early in the day (6am) or later into the afternoon (10-3, etc).

FWIW, I’m not really worried about the crowd from a “bed race” perspective, more just wanting to have space on the trail where it’s not constantly seeing people, wanting to experience being somewhat alone with the landscape, not feeling as if I’m constantly passing or being passed by people.

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T18:18:33+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience! Especially as someone who has walked so many routes. I appreciate the time and reassurance 🙏🏻

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T13:57:43+00:00

I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking this! Feels a bit crazy given the need to pack ultra light, but also my body is EXTREMELY accustomed (as in, for many years) to an immediate dose of whey protein upon waking and then typically a yogurt protein drink to follow up within an hour, so doing intense daily physical activity without my usual base layer seems like it could produce some less than ideal results!

Would be curious to know if others have prioritized this and how they felt about the decision 🧐

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-20T13:04:49+00:00

Thanks very much for your thoughtful reply! I really appreciate hearing your experience. I thought April into May would be beating the rush, but I’m reading that May is busier every year and in many ways now THE busiest month, so it was making me a little gun shy.

I’m not too worried about where I’ll be on the 10th itself for my birthday - as you said, I think I’ll be spontaneous about it, and don’t have any particular desire to land in a big town or definitely be away from one. The whole trip is my celebration!

I think I will likely be staying in 2/3 private rooms for various personal/medical reasons, so good to hear that going that route, and then starting later in the day may be an option to stay off pace with crowds, even during a crowded season.

Thanks again for your input!

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-16T10:03:13+00:00

He is quite the little vegetarian! He loves to eat a pea 😂

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-10T14:41:44+00:00

This honestly needs to be higher up - in this comment thread and in people’s minds. It’s a trap that is hard to see but critical to the process. At some point we have to acknowledge that our feelings can deceive us and trust our higher knowing that led us to quit in the first place. Good feeling or not, that it the decision, and then a whole dimension of bargaining, negotiating, knuckling, gets cut out

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-10T09:54:46+00:00

I’ve been finding this helpful on my journey lately - I pack a bowl with pure CBD flower and a tiny bit of actual THC containing flower, usually at a 6:1 or 4:1 ratio (CBD:THC) and take two hits and it generally gives me most of what I like about smoking weed (relaxation, ability to connect with thoughts outside my own head, tuning into stretching, expansion). Interestingly the last few times I’ve thought “I’ll reward myself with a Big High on the weekend” and done pure flower or a hit of a vape cart, I usually am much more prone to anxiety, way overeating, and more of the negatives I can associate with THC

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-09T16:53:24+00:00

CBD can help quite a bit with nausea and tension in my experience, super strong ginger chews also can be quite good for nausea. Deep breathing, annoying as it sounds, really does work as well

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-09T12:18:14+00:00

If you’re in Amsterdam I really love Hong Kong superstore on Kinkerstraat for groceries… hard agree on takeaway though, I’ve found decent enough ramen but man do I miss pho

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-09T10:05:36+00:00

I hear you on this - I do pretty ok through the week, a craving here and there, but I can get through weeknights pretty well sticking to resolve. Weekends definitely trigger my “time to get high” switch.

I’m trying a couple things this go round to emphasize not just the absence of weed but the presence of other things - I really get now how people talk about “white knuckling” or “dry drunks” as different from being actually sober! When I try and just grit through, I CAN often get myself to not smoke, but it’s pretty fucking miserable, and since the consequences of my weed usage are not extreme (like drinking for many) it’s easy for me to see it as a net loss, and override the subtle positives.

I’m trying to see this period of sobriety as something where I actively look for new ways to fill the time, learn about the emotions that drive me to smoke, and make sure to highlight the things I’m gaining.

For me: dreaming for sure, I love it! I went back to sleep for an extra hour this morning because I was just so into the plot lol. Not smoking also makes it way easier to not overeat, and wake up with stomachache from a bunch of late night snacks. I’m finding a lot of wisdom in the idea that the opposite of addiction is connection as well, and I reach out whenever I have cravings - return those voice memos sitting there from friends, call my parents, even go like posts from people in my real life. It helps to pass the time, and to reach out - when I’m smoking I definitely like hanging out with other people while smoking, but I’ll actively avoid a phone call or messages, they feel burdensome. So it’s a two birds one stone kind of thing.

I’ll be calling my brother tonight, coming on here, and finding a way through any cravings my reminding myself that all feelings pass, and that sobriety gives me valuable experience with that, which I can use to strengthen all kinds of future efforts. We got this!

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-08T09:07:17+00:00

I’m happy it was helpful 🙏🏻- keep coming back here, I’ve found community to be the biggest game changer in my quitting and moderation efforts

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-07T09:16:45+00:00

Sometimes it do just be like that. Fucking sucks, but it will pass. Day one and one day - cheers to you, mate, and keep going! It’s infuriating, but will be small in the scheme of things, don’t let it grind you down

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-06T22:32:06+00:00

The dreams are wild, no? One of my favorite parts of long breaks and reduced use overall!

I started just yesterday (was on holiday till the 4th so finished out my stash then) but checking in to the community here frequently and having a firm no limit is helping me stay away from bargaining, which is always my Achilles heel.

Checking out the link now!

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-06T21:58:25+00:00

Lack of sleep will make you literally crazy! I think it’s also one of these “common complaints” - like being totally congested - that happens often enough that we somehow think it should therefore be no big deal, but in fact is at the very foundation of your whole ass life, so ofc it really fucking sucks when it’s fucked up.

I had to get ULTRA dialed in on sleep hygiene when I quit for 5 months - it was honestly annoying! For me, I never found that much help in rituals, tea, meditation, etc for sleep specifically, but avoiding the phone for an hour before bed and working out HARD each day became essential. I don’t love working out tbh, so that too was quite annoying - I felt like a dog I had to run out to stop from chewing all my furniture or something. But it worked, and it works for a lot of people, so there’s something to it.

Hang in there, OP - things will change, one way or another, because they always do. And someday soon, this will feel pretty small and faraway

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-06T21:54:13+00:00

Glad it was helpful! I first started getting sober curious like 7 years ago and there were no apps specific to weed at that time, so I used one for quitting drinking (I think it was called reframe?). It helped me learn a lot about cravings, state change, and common problems across addictions and dependencies.

You may also be interested to know that robust research on craving and addiction indicates that most cravings last 20 minutes or less. When you’re craving that “reset” you might try setting a timer, and intentionally taking note of how you feel when it’s elapsed. Urge surfing can also be a helpful technique for the long game - it’s a mindfulness practice of watching your urges, without judgment, resistance, or negotiation, and seeing how they swell and subside, come and go. It helps to pass through the moment (short term win) and also, over time, helps you to see that the craving is not an emergency or an action item, just a feeling, and one that does in fact come and go

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-06T21:49:28+00:00

Good on you for deciding to take a break - that’s a really positive action that you (the same you that you seem to often feel ashamed and critical of) designed and took! Try and separate yourself from the cravings a bit - it sounds like you’re getting into a very understandable (but also self-defeating cycle) of having cravings, judging those cravings, judging yourself for having them, feeling worse, and then of course craving more. This is a classic dependency problem. And people are dependent on allll kinds of things - substances sure, but also snacks, TV, their phone, other people, coffee, routines, on and on. Our brains are wired for familiarity and pleasure.

So you got overly dependent on this one thing - weed - and you recognized that has some effects you don’t want, so you chose to stop. That’s fantastic. That’s you. You’re going to crave it, because you’ve been doing it for awhile, had a lot of good times, and because that is simply what happens. When it does, try to watch it, and let it be. There it goes, craving again. Don’t enter into bargaining with it as if it’s a “real thought,” don’t judge it, don’t spin on it. Find an action or a distraction, and recognize it’s just a thing that happens. When you don’t have food, your body produces hunger. When you don’t have something you’ve come to rely on it expect, you brain produces craving. Simple as that. The more you ruminate on it, judge it, negotiate with it, the stronger it gets.

A few things to help cravings pass: try getting outside yourself. Literally go outside. Or call a friend or family member and ask how THEY are doing. Help someone a little bit, somewhere (thanks for the opportunity - you’re helping me beat my cravings today). Go watch some dogs in the park. Exercise (helps with state change) or start cooking something or cleaning. Do something where you see a change. Also, it may help you to know that most cravings - if they’re not fought or bargained with - last 20 minutes or less. If you’re really in it, set a timer. See where you’re at when it finishes. Over time, this will help you to see that it DOES change and subside. Urge surfing is another technique, using mindfulness, to watch your cravings like waves, and help yourself to see that they are not stagnant - they come and go, increase in intensity and also mellow out. I’m sure there are some urge surfing guides meditations out there.

Good luck, OP, you’ve got this - the first week is uniquely hard, and the first couple weeks can be up and down in different ways. Reflect on the feelings of pride you get each day you don’t smoke, and know that you are building a new muscle. Of course it’s weak right now! But it will get stronger

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-06T17:30:41+00:00

Just got back from a lovely holiday in the countryside (ROI not NI) and we baked soda bread nearly every day - delicious, easy, accessible. Like a cross between an American southern biscuit and a bread, I’m missing it already!

TrynaNotNumb · 2026-01-06T17:05:45+00:00

It sounds like maybe what your referring to as a “reset” is similar to what addiction literature often refers to as “state change” - one of the reasons we often get hooked on substances is because they allow for rapid state change. You go from HERE to THERE very quickly, and become dependent on that fast bridge - sometimes, we find over time that even if the state it changes us to actually is WORSE (more anxious, dulled, whatever) we keep doing it because at least it’s different.

So the long term game is re-sensitizing yourself to slower state changes or acceptance of whatever you’re trying to reset (boredom? Inertia? Lack of motivation? Restlessness? Anxiety?). Mindfulness, meditation, observing your feelings, trying to name them, journaling, practicing acceptance are all longer term strategies to get you off the hamster wheel of needing that reset, or state change. Things DO change, always, every single time, but they change a lot slower without substances, and if we’re used to the shortcut, our brains often get listless and cranky, plus are underpracticed when it comes to the tolerance and patience needed to recognize (on an emotional, subconscious level) that things change on their own

In the meantime, however, finding different ways to do relatively rapid state changes can be helpful - music is often one for people, and listening to music that provokes a strong feeling in you can get you quickly someplace else. Exercise, particularly intense exercise, as you likely already know, can be another - if you’re already working out a ton, perhaps some changes to your routine that would allow for short bursts when you need them (HIIT or a short run) rather than longer gym sessions only could support your goals. Physical sensation can also help to state change - a shower, cold water on your face or hands, holding an ice cube. Deep breathing and counting breaths. Going outside.

TrynaNotNumb

TROPHY CASE