Stories From the Road: Simon on the Camino de Santiago
After selling his business, Simon Tolson decided it was time for a new challenge.
That challenge became the Camino de Santiago, walking roughly 500 miles along the French Way over 31 days with a friend, staying in dormitories and moving on again each morning.
The rhythm of the journey quickly became part of the experience. Walk all day, arrive tired, get settled, find what you need, then do it all again the next morning.
For Simon, that was where having everything organised made a real difference.
“At the end of every day, I’d hang the bag on the bunk, find my clean clothes and put the dirties straight into the laundry bag. When you’re tired, it’s great to be organised.”
He described the Zenscape Backpack as “absolutely made for the journey”, particularly when moving between dormitory stays night after night.
A day to remember
Simon’s standout moment came on Day 24, walking from Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro.
With a hot day ahead, they set off at 6am after a late night. Not long into the walk, Simon realised he had left his trekking poles behind, turned back to collect them, and then continued on alone for a while.
What he didn’t realise was that there were two possible routes ahead.
One followed the road around the base of the mountain.
The other climbed up and over it.
Simon accidentally took the harder option.
As the heat built and the climb continued, something shifted.
“Something mental and physical combines, your legs move effortlessly and you just float along.”
He powered up the mountain, reached the top feeling stronger than expected, put some music on and flew down the descent, eventually rejoining the stream of pilgrims who had taken the easier route.
For Simon, it became simply:
“The best day of 31.”
The beauty of not overplanning
One of the things Simon took away from the Camino was the value of leaving space for the unexpected.
His advice to anyone thinking about doing something similar is simple:
“Don’t plan too much or book ahead, just turn up and go.”
That sense of freedom became a big part of the journey. Each day had a destination, but how the day unfolded was left open.
And perhaps that is part of what makes trips like the Camino so memorable. You set off with a rough plan, but it is often the unplanned moments that become the stories you remember most.
Simon documented the journey as he went, so if you’d like to read more about the full Camino experience, you can follow his blog here:
And the adventure isn’t stopping there. Simon already has another trekking trip planned for next year, so we’ll hopefully be following the next chapter of his travels too.
A note from the founder
Simon, what a journey. 500 miles, 31 days and one accidental mountain that turned into the best day of the lot.
Thank you for sharing it, and for reminding us that the unplanned moments are often the ones that stick.
Can't wait to see where your next trek takes you, and to hear where the rest of our Zenscape explorers have been too.
Founder, Zenscape
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