How Difficult Is the Via Podiensis? Camino Le Puy Route & GR65

If you're thinking about walking the Via Podiensis — the Le Puy Route or GR65 — you may be wondering just how difficult it really is.

The short answer?

The Via Podiensis is a challenging walk, but it is very achievable for most reasonably fit people who prepare for it.

You don't need to be an experienced long-distance hiker. You don't need to be exceptionally athletic. But you do need to be prepared to walk uphill, walk downhill, and spend several hours on your feet day after day.

And here's something I've learned from walking the route several times:

The Camino doesn't necessarily get harder as you go. In many ways, you get better at walking it.

Your body adapts. Your legs get stronger. You learn how to pace yourself. You discover how much you can comfortably walk in a day. And somewhere along the way, walking simply becomes what you do.

So let's look at what actually makes the Via Podiensis challenging — and why you may find it easier than you expect.

Finding your own rhythm on the Via Podiensis.

Is the Via Podiensis a difficult Camino?

The Via Podiensis is often described as one of the more physically demanding Camino routes.

That's partly because of the terrain.

The Le Puy Route isn't flat. From the very beginning, you'll encounter hills, valleys, forest paths, rocky tracks and plenty of ups and downs.

But "hilly" doesn't mean "mountainous."

You aren't climbing the Pyrenees.

The challenge is more about repeated elevation changes than sustained high-altitude mountain walking.

And because you're walking day after day, your body has to adapt to a very different kind of exercise from anything you may be used to at home.

But that adaptation is one of the wonderful things about a long-distance Camino.

You become a walker.

What makes the Via Podiensis challenging?

There are four things that are worth thinking about:

• hills

• distance

• terrain

• walking day after day

1. The hills

Yes, there are hills.

Some of the first stages are surprisingly demanding, particularly if you're arriving in Le Puy with a heavy backpack and haven't done much hill walking beforehand.

The early stages through the Velay involve plenty of climbing and descending, and the descent towards the Allier valley is followed, inevitably, by another climb.

Later, the landscape changes.

The Aubrac brings long stretches of open countryside and a different kind of walking. You're at altitude, exposed to the weather, and there can be long stretches where you feel very aware of the landscape around you.

Then come the valleys around Conques and the Lot, where steep descents and climbs can make your legs work hard again.

But none of this is technical mountain walking.

You are walking a long-distance trail through rural France.

And the more you walk, the better you become at it.

2. The distance

You don't have to walk enormous distances every day.

But you do need to walk every day.

A typical day might be somewhere around 15–25 kilometres, depending on how you divide your stages.

That doesn't sound particularly extreme until you realise that you're doing it again tomorrow.

And the day after that.

And the day after that.

This is why I think the biggest mistake people make when preparing for the Via Podiensis is focusing too much on how far they can walk in a single day.

Walking 25 kilometres once isn't the same as walking 20 kilometres for several consecutive days.

Your body needs to learn the rhythm of long-distance walking.

And it will.

3. The terrain

The Via Podiensis isn't a pavement walk.

You'll encounter country lanes, forest paths, dirt tracks, rocky sections, grassy paths and surfaces that can become considerably more difficult after rain.

Your feet have to adapt.

This is why I wouldn't recommend buying brand-new hiking boots or shoes just before you leave.

Whatever you decide to wear, walk in them beforehand.

Your feet are going to be doing a lot of work.

4. Walking day after day

This is where I would actually turn the usual advice on its head.

People sometimes worry that the route will become progressively harder because they'll be tired after several weeks of walking.

But in my experience, something else happens.

You get stronger.

Your legs become accustomed to hills.

Your feet become accustomed to walking.

You stop wasting energy.

You learn when to take a break and when to keep going.

You find your rhythm.

And you stop thinking about every kilometre.

Of course, you can become tired. You can develop blisters or sore muscles, and you absolutely need to listen to your body.

But the assumption that the Camino simply gets harder and harder isn't necessarily true.

In many ways, you become better equipped to walk it.

Which part of the Via Podiensis is the hardest?

This is difficult to answer because it depends on the individual.

Someone who hates hills may find the first stages challenging.

Someone who struggles with steep descents may find walking down off the Aubrac through St Chély and into St Côme more demanding.

Someone who doesn't like exposed landscapes may find the Aubrac difficult in bad weather.

And someone who simply isn't accustomed to walking long distances may find almost any part of the route challenging at first.

But there are certainly sections that deserve a little respect.

Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Privat-d'Allier

The beginning can be a bit of a shock.

You're excited. You've arrived in Le Puy. Your backpack is full. You're finally walking.

And then you discover that the Via Podiensis has no intention of easing you gently into the experience.

There are substantial climbs and descents in these early stages.

The landscape is beautiful, but it isn't flat.

This is one reason I recommend taking the beginning slowly.

There's no need to prove anything on your first few days.

The Aubrac

The Aubrac isn't necessarily difficult because of steep climbs.

It's challenging in a different way.

You're walking across a vast, exposed plateau, often at altitude, and the weather can change quickly.

Aubrac can be glorious.

It can also be cold, windy, wet and enveloped in mist.

Weather can make a huge difference to how difficult a stage feels.

But it can also be one of the most memorable sections of the entire Camino.

The Aubrac can be glorious — and, in bad weather, surprisingly demanding.

Into and out of Conques

The landscape around Conques is spectacular — but it isn't flat.

There are steep sections as you descend towards the valley and climb away from it again.

By this point, however, you've already been walking for some time.

And that's important.

You're not the same walker who left Le Puy.

You've become stronger and more experienced.

Do you need to be fit to walk the Via Podiensis?

You need to be reasonably fit, but you don't need to be a serious athlete.

There's a big difference.

If you can currently walk for an hour or two without difficulty, that's a starting point.

If you regularly walk several kilometres, even better.

But if you're planning to walk the entire Via Podiensis, I strongly recommend building up your walking before you leave.

You don't need an elaborate training programme.

You need to get your body used to:

walking → hills → longer distances → consecutive days.

That's the progression that matters.

And don't forget the backpack.

Walking 15 kilometres without a pack is one thing.

Walking 20 kilometres with everything you need for the next few weeks on your back is another.

Every unnecessary kilogram makes the walking harder.

If you can keep your backpack light, do it.

How should you train for the Via Podiensis?

If you're starting from a relatively inactive lifestyle, give yourself several weeks — ideally a few months — to prepare.

Start with comfortable walks and gradually increase the distance.

Then introduce hills.

Then longer walks.

And eventually, try walking on consecutive days.

You don't need to prove that you can walk 30 kilometres in one day.

In fact, I would argue that this isn't particularly useful preparation.

It's much more useful to teach your body what it feels like to walk:

15 km one day → 15 km the next → 18 km the next.

You're teaching your body:

"This is what we're going to be doing for a while."

And your body is remarkably good at adapting.

The secret: find your own pace

If I could give you just one piece of advice about walking the Via Podiensis — or any other Camino route — it would be this:

Find your pace. And stick to it.

It sounds simple, but it's surprisingly easy to get it wrong.

When you set off in the morning, you may feel fantastic. Everyone is fresh. The sun is shining. You've had your coffee. And suddenly you're walking much faster than you normally would.

Or perhaps you're walking with someone else who naturally walks faster than you, and without even thinking about it, you start matching their pace.

This is where problems can begin.

Your natural walking pace may not be your partner's pace.

It may not be your friend's pace.

And that's perfectly okay.

You don't have to walk at the same speed to walk the Camino together.

One person may naturally stride along while the other prefers a slower, more measured rhythm. If the slower walker spends the entire day trying to keep up, they can arrive exhausted, while the faster walker may not even realise they've been setting the pace.

The opposite can happen too. If someone who naturally walks faster is constantly slowing down to accommodate their companion, they may become frustrated.

So talk about it before you start.

Agree that it's perfectly fine to walk separately for stretches of the day.

You might meet at the café in the next village.

You might stop for lunch together.

You might agree on a particular gîte at the end of the day.

You are still walking the Camino together — even if you're not physically side by side every kilometre.

And there is another reason finding your own pace matters.

The goal isn't to get there quickly. The goal is to still feel good when you get there.

A pace that feels almost ridiculously slow during the first hour may turn out to be exactly right after five or six hours of walking.

You'll discover your own rhythm.

You'll learn how your body feels on a climb.

You'll learn how quickly you recover after a hill.

And eventually, you'll stop thinking about your pace altogether.

You'll simply walk.

That is when the Camino becomes much easier.

Don't walk someone else's Camino at someone else's pace. Walk yours.

What makes the Via Podiensis easier?

There are several simple things you can do to make the physical side of the Camino considerably more manageable.

Keep your backpack light

This one is huge.

Every unnecessary kilogram becomes part of your walking companion.

And unlike your travelling companion, it never gets tired.

If you don't need it, don't carry it.

There's another way of thinking about this that I love, from British walker and writer Charles Foster:

“When you have collected the things you plan to take, ask of each of them:Is that there to insulate me from what the journey has in store?If it is, leave it behind.”

I think that's wonderful advice for the Camino.

We often pack things because they make us feel safe. Just in case. Just in case it rains. Just in case we're cold. Just in case we need it.

But part of walking the Camino is discovering that you don't need to carry everything with you.

A lighter backpack makes a noticeable difference, particularly on climbs and steep descents.

Carry what you need. Leave behind what you don't. And allow the journey to give you some of what you thought you needed to bring with you.

Choose sensible stages

You don't have to follow the traditional stages exactly.

The stages you find in guidebooks are suggestions, not commandments.

Some people love walking 25 kilometres.

Others are much happier with 15–18.

There's no prize for finishing a stage faster than somebody else.

Choose stages that suit your body.

And this is actually one of the reasons Rob created Walking the Via Podiensis Made Simple.

The idea behind the guide isn't to tell you, “Here are the 31 stages of the Via Podiensis — follow them.”

It's almost the opposite.

The guide gives you the information you need to build the stages that suit you.

With maps, elevation profiles, information about services along the way, and details of the places you can stop, you can look at the route and decide for yourself:

How far do I want to walk today?

Where would I like to stop?

What feels right for my body?

Because there isn't one perfect way to walk the Via Podiensis.

Your stages should be yours.

That's why Rob's guide isn't really about following someone else's Camino. It's about giving you the information and freedom to create your own.

Start slowly

The first few days are not the time to prove how fit you are.

Your body is still adapting.

Walk slowly.

Take breaks.

Eat.

Drink.

And don't be tempted to race ahead because you feel wonderful on day one.

You have a long way to go.

Look after your feet

Don't wait until you have enormous blisters to start paying attention to your feet.

Stop when something doesn't feel right.

Adjust your socks.

Deal with hot spots early.

Give your feet time to recover.

A small problem is much easier to deal with than a serious blister after another 20 kilometres.

Is the Via Podiensis suitable for beginners?

Yes.

But I would make an important distinction.

The Via Podiensis is suitable for someone who is new to long-distance walking.

That doesn't mean it's suitable for someone who has done no preparation whatsoever.

You don't need Camino experience.

You don't need to know how to navigate mountains.

You don't need specialist hiking skills.

But you do need to understand that this is a long-distance walk.

Your body is going to work.

You're going to get tired.

You may have sore muscles.

You may have a bad-weather day.

You may occasionally wonder why on earth you thought this was a good idea.

And then you'll walk around the next bend and see something that makes you completely forget how tired you are.

That's the Camino.

So... how difficult is the Via Podiensis really?

I'd describe it as moderately challenging rather than extremely difficult.

If you are reasonably fit, prepare beforehand, keep your backpack light and pace yourself, there is no reason why you can't walk it.

The terrain is more demanding than many people expect, particularly in the first sections and around some of the valleys.

But you don't need to be an elite hiker.

You need patience.

You need sensible preparation.

And you need to accept that some days will be harder than others.

But here's the thing I really want to emphasise:

The Camino doesn't necessarily get harder as you go. You get better at walking it.

By the time you reach Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, you've already walked hundreds of kilometres.

You know your rhythm.

You know your feet.

You know how much you can comfortably do in a day.

You know how to climb.

You know how to descend.

You know when to stop.

You are, quite simply, a much stronger walker than the person who left Le Puy.

And if, when you arrive in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, you find yourself thinking:

"I wonder if I could walk over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles?"

I'd say yes.

If you've walked the Via Podiensis all the way from Le Puy to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, you're ready.

And perhaps that's the best answer to the question "How difficult is the Via Podiensis?"

Difficult enough to make you feel you've accomplished something.

Manageable enough that, with preparation and a sensible pace, you can do it.

And transformative enough that you may arrive in Saint-Jean and discover that you're capable of much more than you thought.

Steep village street on the Via Podiensis (Le Puy Route/GR65)

Planning your Via Podiensis?

Once you've decided to walk the Le Puy Route, the next questions tend to be very practical:

Where will I sleep?

How far should I walk each day?

Where can I find food and water?

Which gîtes are open?

And how do I know what is coming up?

That's where Rob's Walking the Via Podiensis Made Simple can help.

Rather than telling you exactly how you should walk the route, the guide gives you the information you need to create stages that suit you.

You'll find detailed maps, elevation profiles, information about services along the way, gîte details, town-exit maps and the practical information you need to make your own decisions about where to stop each day.

Because, as we've said above, there is no single right way to walk the Via Podiensis.

Your Camino should suit your legs, your pace, your interests and the amount of time you have.

And that's exactly the idea behind Walking the Via Podiensis Made Simple.

You decide how you want to walk it. The guide gives you the information to make it possible.

[Get the 2026 edition of Walking the Via Podiensis Made Simple →]

About the Author

Kate, walking the Via Podiensis in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Kate Forrester has walked the Via Podiensis several times, first discovering the Le Puy Route in 2015. The Camino became a life-changing experience for her — and ultimately led her to meet her husband, Rob, on thanks to his Facebook group dedicated to the Via Podiensis.

Today, through Camino Way of Life, Kate shares her experience of the Via Podiensis with other pilgrims, combining practical advice with the personal knowledge that comes from walking the route herself.