You can plan for the distance but nothing can prepare you for your fellow walkers. Rudy Noriega gave up his job to walk to Santiago de Compostela in search of his Spanish roots, but didn't realise that 500 miles is a long way to go when you keep bumping into people you'd rather prefer to avoid. Helped and hindered by his fellow walkers on his spirituality-dodging way across the country, he discovers that he's sadly lacking the qualities of a true pilgrim. As well as heading west, he also heads back in time to a forgotten childhood and discovers that even the grumpiest of walkers can find redemption when they eventually realise that they can't get anywhere without a little help from some involuntary friends. Witty and moving, it proves that you can be out of your depth, even when you're half a mile above sea-level.
Rudy Noriega is a freelance radio producer, broadcast journalist and blogger. His work has been heard on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 5 Live and Radio Sweden International.
Yellow Arrow Fever will be the subject of the CSJ's March Book Club on Tuesday 23rd. See our events page for details.