Carmen Venturi hikes a 32 day 'camino' in Okanagan

A Kelowna woman has created her own hiking trip around the Okanagan inspired by the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain.

Carmen Venturi told Daybreak South's Chris Walker she had the idea while she was ona trip to Europe and passed a signpost for the trail.

"I said to my husband we're not going to get back here soon so how many kilometres would you need to do in a day to do somewhat of a Camino," she said.

"I thought I could do that in the Okanagan, in my own backyard."

Venturi just completed 32-days of hiking and walking around the Okanagan a trip her daughter nicknamed the "Okamino."

She kept a blog to track her observations and says she chose a different trail each day and averaged 15-20 kilometres per day.

The Camino de Santiago is a religious pilrimage to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great. Venturi didn't have a religious motive behind her hikes but she said it was about more than just the physical exertion.

"You can't help but reflect when you're walking," she said.

"I'm not sure that I would call it spiritual, but I certainly was examining things that I hadn't noticed before."