Hubby wants to do a 6 week holiday alone

Well if it’s such a partnership why does OP become a long distance hiker and that way he can do the thing he desires and she doesn’t have to live without someone for 5 weeks. But no, it’s him that’s being selfish isn’t it.

I’ve been married 18yrs and together for 23, since I was 18yrs old.

I’d cheer my husband on in this endeavour because I respect the hell out of him for the person he is and the love I have for him. Nothing to do with holidays being sacred. It’s not a 6 week holiday, but carry on being obtuse and obnoxious because you know you’re wrong and selfish. Married people don’t have to spend every minute of every day together for ever for the marriage to still thrive.

What a fun sponge you must be.

If he isn't using all of his annual leave, he's using his own money, he's not stopping you doing the same and you can still have a holiday together. I think it is fine. 6 weeks is a long time, but it is a bucket list thing

I'd be a little worried if this was out of the blue, but the fact that he already does two weeks solo hiking every year means this is just a one off extended experience that he doesn't want to miss.

You can't physically join him for it, so IMO it would be quite selfish to try and stop him going, it obviously means a lot to him, so I think you should think of it as a positive experience for him rather than a negative experience for you as it will really tarnish the whole experience, six weeks is such a small chunk of time in the grand scheme of things, unless you have any legitimate concerns you need to reframe your thinking on it.

'Marriages being a partnership' doesn't mean that one party to it has to do what the other wants for any old reason they come up with. On the one hand here you've got the OP's husband wanting to have the experience of a lifetime, that presumably he couldn't do when he was working and/or raising kids, in the probably quite limited number of years he's got left to do it in. On the other hand you've got the OP that doesn't want him to go...just because. The danger of running the 'but marriage is a partnership' argument in this sort of situation is that it may lead the other party to question whether the partnership is worth carrying on with. It's six weeks. You'll manage.

Gosh - good on your DH. There’s something he wants to do and he’s going for it whilst he can. Please support him. Take the opportunity to do things for you.

I don’t think it’s fair to try and stop him doing something like this.

I am sorry op but you are being unreasonable. He might not be able to do it again. Your partner has inspired me to write a bucket list. You should let him go and maybe join him halfway through his trip?

Oh I always forget that on MN holidays are sacred and take prescidence over relationships.

I also forget that a lot of posters on MN don't see marriage as a partnership. They see it as a matter of convenience for living and procreating. They don't accept a blending of the two parts into one unit: each participant just has to stay fiercely independent and prioritise their own wants because they really don't see any duty of care or any responsibility for the happiness of the person they are married to.

I’ve been away for 2 weeks hiking alone and DH is happy for me to go as he knows this is my ‘thing’ and on top of that we have a 5yr old, 13 and 16yr old. With clubs, homework and all the usual crap lol

so I think with adult children you can let him go…. When our children are grown up DH knows he will be waving me off at the door for weeks and weeks. And he’s fine with that because he loves me.

@Piratecatcher Is he stopping at the cathedral or is going to add the five day trek to Finisterre on the end? If he's going to Finisterre then I'd meet him Santiago to celebrate him getting there have a couple of days together, then you travel to Finisterre by bus and have a lovely few days in a hotel, explore the beach etc and then have a few days with DH when he arrives.

He is married and his own person still, op hasn't given any reasonable excuse as to why she's not happy with this apart from she just doesn't like the idea. It would be one thing to have young children and work to manage or a disability or caring duties to consider but nothing of the sort has been mentioned.
6 weeks is a small amount of time considering they have had 7yrs together and hopefully many more, this isn't a holiday it's more than that for many, op is being unreasonable imo.

This is a bucket list thing , if you had something you have always wanted to do in your life would be stand in your way ?

I’d want to know a schedule and daily check ins. For that time, I’d arrange to fly over for a weekend so he’d get a break and a chance to meet up.

You're being v selfish OP.
It's six weeks fgs.
Enjoy the time apart x

I think it’s best to cheer him on. You only live once etc. I would be making plans for myself within that time in your position. 6 weeks will go quick if you are busy.

Well my view of marriages are they partnerships.
Why bother getting married if your desire to go off for six week holidays is more important to you than your wife and what she is comfortable with? Just stay single and then you can prioritise your own wants.
It's not as if OP has objected to his solo holidays. It's the length of this one. I think he is being totally self centred.

If you keep saying no and he gives in and doesn't do it in a few years his body won't be able for it and he'll regret not doing it while he was able.

It's not really a holiday, it's a pilgrimage.

Can't you fly out to join him for a weekend somewhere in the middle?

Or go on your own adventure somewhere at the same time?

He's retired and you don't have children living at home. He's not getting any younger. If he wants to do this, it's now or never.

He may be feeling his age, and this is something he wants to do and thinks it's now or never. Let him go fulfill his dream. Six weeks isn't really such a long stretch of time.

Do you have any idea what the El Camino Trail is? It’s certainly not swanning off doing what he likes.

But he’s a grown man, with no job or caring responsibilities so actually he absolutely can waltz off and do what he wants. Hopefully if the Op decides to try and control him even more he’ll up and leave for good. Which is what I would do if my husband tried to coercively control me.

My mum walked the Camino, it was an amazing experience.

I think you are being selfish tbh.

I'd worry about his health and safety, so I put YANBU on the basis of that. However, if the main problem is just that you'll feel lonely or wish he wouldn't want to be parted from you for six weeks, that less reasonable.

Rather than have him resent you, I think I'd try to find ways to make it feel less lonesome while he's gone. Maybe ask him now to agree to something special that the two of you can enjoy together, to give you something you can look forward to.

I'd also consider if there's anything you've been holding back on that you'd like to splurge on, to keep things a little more fair, financially (if you share finances). I like to buy myself a few small gifts or treats to lift my spirits while DH is away without me. It doesn't necessarily have to be big-ticket items.

He’s 69! He wasn’t got many good years left! He should be able to do it while he can. You are being selfish. He should be able to go and do the hike if that’s what he wants to do

Because 6 weeks is a very long holiday. OP has made it clear she isn't happy about him being away so long.
Marriages are supposed to be about compromises. Not about one partner waltzing off into the sunset like a single guy doing his own thing despite his partner voicing her concerns.