Hamburg - Taking time out for a hike lasting several weeks is becoming an increasingly popular pastime with the 900-kilometre St James Way in Spain experiencing a renaissance with thousands of people reviving a tradition dating back to the early Middle Ages.

Such a "pilgrimage" is no easy walk in the park and need plenty of advance preparation.

If you heed a few common hikers' guidelines and are reasonably healthy, you can walk such a long route without having to give-up in frustration with blistered feet, backache or other physical limitations.

Good equipment is half the battle won and you will soon appreciate what it means to have rainproof clothing and good hiking boots, if you find yourself alone in the mountains in the pouring rain.

Once you have made up your mind, you will need a good guidebook of the route you are planning to walk. That should come with a good map showing the distance and the approximate time you would need to get from point A to B on a particular day. Reading such a book prior to your journey will help boost your motivation.

Take a close look at the book cover to find out whether the author has written the book from firsthand information. Check whether the book is still up to date. The guidebook should have information on where you can fill your water bottle, stock up on food supplies, spend the night or pitch your tent. You might also want to search the internet for useful tips from other hikers who have walked the same route. There is a very useful site of the St James Way: www. pilgrimage-to-santiago. com

This is about the time you start your physical preparations, starting with short walks lasting about half an hour and then gradually extending the distance. If you have bought new hiking boots this is the time to wear them in. Buy a size bigger than your normal shoes with padding around the ankles and toes and wear hiking socks.

Buy good brands of equipment at an outdoor specialist where you can get professional advice. A cheap rucksack ends up being more expensive if you have to buy a new one when the straps break. You would also have to replace your shoes if they start hurting your feet after only a few kilometres of walking.

Most of the popular European hiking trails offer cheap accommodation. In the Alps and Scandinavia, these are usually wooden huts with a kitchen and bunkbeds with mattresses. If you stay in a pilgrims hostel on the St James Way, you would need to bring your own sleeping bag. Buy a light one weighing about 560 grammes. Once you start your walk, bear in mind that every kilogramme you carry along with you counts.

Travel light: Most inexperienced hikers make the mistake of packing their rucksack with all kinds of unnecessary items. It can be exhausting lugging it all with you in the summer heat on a mountain. A rough guideline is a maximum of 10 kilogrammes on your back and less than 10 per cent of your body weight. Ideally the rucksack and its contents should not weigh more than 5.5 kilogrammes. But don't forget sun cream and plaster for your feet just in case you should get blisters. A water bottle is also very important.

Once you begin your walk, don't get carried away and start comparing yourself with other hikers. It is advisable to walk no more than 12 to 15 kilometres on the first day so that you can gradually find your own rhythm.

Depending on the terrain and your physical condition, you should manage anything between five and seven kilometres an hour. Let nature teach you to slow down. As soon as you learn to smell the fresh country herbs along the path, hear mountain streams and birdsongs, you will know that you are on the right track. (dpa)