A tough hike, a spiritual retreat and an experiment in sober living all in one. This is the Loyola Walk in a nutshell. For decades, this trek has provided unforgettable experiences for many of its participants. This hike through northern Spain, from Loyola to Javier, connects the birthplaces of two of the founders of the Jesuit order, Ignatius and Francis Xavier. In the intervening 164 walking kilometres lie both an outward and an inward journey with many peaks and valleys. With daily conferences and periods of silence along the way, the walkers follow the dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises.  

This year, however, saw substantial changes compared to the previous edition, which dated back to 2014. The most fundamental difference was that the organisers had now opted for cooperation with the Interdiocesan Youth Service (IJD), the youth ministry of the joint Flemish dioceses. The main concrete consequence of this was that it could be advertised in a much wider sphere. It was estimated that as many as half of the participants came from IJD circles. Another important consequence of collaborating with the IJD was to relax the asceticism involved in the trek. For instance, walkers no longer had to carry their own luggage. Although the organisers had clearly announced that participants were allowed to carry only 10 kg of luggage, most took noticeably more.  

However, much also remained as before. For instance, the organisation chose to still use as accommodation the gyms which are widespread in the region, called "frontons". In a few places, we were also allowed to sleep in church buildings.  

In addition, this edition included the 'arrow team' again, the trailblazers who left earlier each day to cut down the vegetation with machetes and to indicate the route with orange arrows attached with staples to tree trunks and branches.  

We were very lucky with the weather. There was just one drizzle during the walk; otherwise the weather was dry during the day. Temperatures rose to around 35° C on the last walking days, but thanks in part to the extra supplies, we had plenty of water to drink. The biggest challenge was the wind. Especially in the mountains, sometimes fierce gusts of wind blew in, threatening to blow away equipment and even toilet tents.  

The group of more than 50 people was too big for everybody to get to know everyone well. The exchanges and many contacts therefore happened in the five walking groups plus the arrow and logistics team. This gave extra weight to people who stood out, such as spiritual leader Walter Ceyssens, practical leader Nick Hannes, nurse Rita Kerckhofs and Wim Van Laer, the ever-cheerful guitarist who came to wake us up every morning with an instrumental serenade.  

Highlights of the journey were clearly the arrival at Javier's imposing castle and the visit to the smiling Christ on the Cross, the reconciliation service on a mountaintop, the openness and depth in the exchange talks, the Eucharistic celebrations and sunset prayer services, and the many surprises that nature and culture had in store for us. However, many of the impressions we will carry with us for a long time to come are difficult to adequately express in words. I can only recommend to join us next time: come and see! 

Wouter Blesgraaf SJ