Hubby wants to do a 6 week holiday alone

The only thing I would be worried about is getting used to being alone and not wanting him back!

I'd encourage my DH to do this (we both love hiking) especially if he was nearly 70. (of course your DH may have many years of hiking still to come, me and my DH met a man of 80 whilst doing the coast to coast who had done it multiple times!) My only concern would be safety if he was doing it alone, I'd want regular updates!

i would say you should positively encourage him, be happy for him, his time for doing physical things like this will be running out, you both need to grab life with both hands, get on and do what you want to do.

Maybe consider if there’s something you would like to do too.

(My close friend, only slightly older than your DH, 3 months ago was climbing and exploring alongside me up and down remote cliff faces and doing adventurous exploring in europe, 2 months ago he took ill on a different trip, and within the space of 12 weeks he is now no longer fit to fly). I only mention this to say how rapidly health can change from being extremely fit and future travels all out there on the horizon - to a wasteland of nothingness.

Try and be happy for him, don’t restrict his life and his happiness.

I don't think I'd have a problem with this. It's a trip I'd love to do myself and if it's important to him then my feeling would be that he should seize the opportunity while he can. Could you do as others have suggested and meet him for a few days part way along?

Let him go and have this special experience. You could meet up with him when you can, maybe do a little of the walking with him, meet him at the end.
Maybe you need to find more meaningful things to do in your own life?

The Camino is more than a hike, it's an experience. He may not be able to do it in the future, let him seize the day. Find something lovely for you to do while he's away, and enjoy a loving reunion when he returns!

Many people do the Camino alone, it’s not exactly cheating grounds so I wouldn’t be upset (or rather, I’d be an upset because I’d want to do it too).

You are being ridiculous OP.

He’s a grown man with the chance to do something amazing!

I can’t ever imagine stopping my husband from doing something like this. It blows my mind that you’d even consider preventing him from doing it.

You should be happy and excited for him!!

It’s 6 weeks, not 6 months!!

YAB so, so unreasonable.

So ordinarily I would say that your DH was being unreasonable, but I think walking the Camino is different, if he wants to walk the full length, and I think it’s quite common for people to do this alone. How about flying out to meet him at the end?

Do you mean you actually physically can't hike, or it's just not usually your thing? If the latter, could you not join him for some of it, even if he takes it at a slower pace than he would otherwise? If the former, could you not spend some time with him at some point during the route?

It would be a yes from me. Life is too short, of course he should go.

Why can’t you live without him for 6 weeks? It’s clearly an experience (and not just a holiday) that means a lot to him. People walk the Camino as a personal development/ spiritual thing. I don’t understand why you would stand in the way of that if it’s not because you’ve got young children together and you’d have to pick up all the work in his absence.

@Shortdaysalready

why is it taking the piss exactly?

Why on earth can't he do it? I would understand if you had young children but when else will he have the opportunity to do this? If he's not allowed to leave his wife at home?

Can you go out and meet him at a couple of overnight stops en route?

Oh let him go. If you don’t he will secretly bear a grudge against you. I’d be sticking pins in a doll dressed in hiking gear in the knee area 🤣
Seriously though, find something which pleases you while he is away - go on a lovely yoga retreat, visit pals, do a residential water colour course? Visit Graceland? Go on a cruise?

Ive had many friends do the whole 800km route (admittedly some in 5weeks) and i know why he wants to do it one go. Its a unique, deeply Personal experience and id support any partner who wanted to do it. You've got adult kids, you can talk every day (I used to have calls with friends whilst they were walking and they'd tell me about what they were seeing/going through). It was wonderful.

Saying that, there are other (shorter) camino routes that he could do.

Edited to add: definitely go out and see him. Leon is a wonderful place to visit and he could break it up a little for him

Hiking? Sounds awful, but if he likes it fair enough.

With no small children to wrangle I could not get irate about it.

I think you need to find your own thing to do for six weeks. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and once it's too late to do this do you really want that resentment lingering? Can you fly out and visit him for a couple of nights half way?

Life is too short to give up dreams like this for no reason other than your partner doesn't want you to do it. When I am retired I FULLY expect to be travelling like this and sod anyone who tries to stop me! Book a cruise OP and have 6 weeks missing each other and a wonderful reunion discussing your adventures.

If you stop him from going it will ruin your marriage as he will resent you from then on. Go with him (taking transport) or help him plan and arrange. Share the experience. My DH did the John O'Groats to Lands End on a bike and camped all the way. We met up in Malvern (about half way) in a spa hotel for a few days. He was 74 at the time and had always wanted to do that. It is wrong to hold someone back when you are the one with fears.

I think given the circumstances of what he wants to do let him go for it. If he wanted a solo “normal” holiday that you would also enjoy, but said he wanted to go alone, then no. If not retired and that’s his whole lot of AL, then no. If you had children needing looking after, then no.
But retired and if this is something he’s wanted to do for a long time, it could be his last chance at his age. Let him go for it.

I couldn’t imagine stopping someone doing something like this if I was perfectly capable of looking after myself at home. You’re a long tome
dead OP. What exactly is the issue?

😀OP hasn't had time to get sick of her husband yet ( from one hard-boiled detective to another).

Wave him off on his merry way, can’t see the issue. You don’t need to accompany him,and he’d prefer to be alone

YABU. He isn't wanting to disappear off to Thailand for a few weeks. This is a specific adventure that takes 6 weeks to complete. Why would you want to stand in the way of that? He may only have a few years left when he is fit enough to do it. Instead of stifling his dreams, wave him off and find an adventure of your own to do if you don't fancy his.