Despite a positive description (good tracks, water for dogs) in the walk announcement, perhaps the “about 5 hours” and the easterly location of the walk discouraged quite a few potential AWW’s, and on a glorious autumn day only nine of us arrived at Café Serra e Sol in Corte Garcia for pre-walk coffee. Also even though Terry had described the newish Loulé By-Pass which would have cut a significant time off the journey from points west, in the event only Paul & Myriam found it with the aid of Jane of TomTom.
Starters in the Sun (Gorilla pod in use)
Leader: Terry A.
Extras: David, Myriam, Dina, Paul, John O’, Tina, Hilke and Yves
Schweinhund: Rosie
Best of Breed: Rusty
John O’ had put Querença into his TomTom to get there and was saved from making an SOS call from Querença main square by the fact that Paul & Myriam were close behind him as he was about to turn up into the village, and a judicious blast of Berlingo horn soon had him amending his route, albeit on the wrong side of a traffic island for a short distance.
Yves then arrived in his best Rolande Garros tennis shoes and after a short rummage in the boot of his car announced that Katherine had clearly forgotten to remind him to bring his boots. After extracting a binding oath from Terry A. that there were no rivers, mud or rocky tracks, he condescended to carry on regardless.
Track of the walk
Here, in his own inimitable style, is the account of the walk by Terry A.
The Wed Walk this week was a small select band of enthusiastic souls putting their trust in me
to lead them through the Barrocal area, so after a Bica or two and the customary photo of the starting line up we started a walk which I had lead before but this time we would do it anti-clockwise, it all looks very different the other way round.
After climbing round the the edge of Cerro do Negro and down the the Ribeira das Merces which still had quite a lot of water in it, however much to Paul's disappointment no one had an early bath except the dogs.
Crossing the Styx – couldn’t get Myriam to drink from it tho’!!
The next bit of track was a good climb to Alcaria do Gato, we then find the centuries old cart tracks to take us through to the village of Amendoeira. Again keeping to the old tracks we wound our way down to the next valley.
We took lunch in the shade of the carob tree with Myriam explaining how us dog owners should have a bottle of water handy to wash down where the dog has cocked its leg up, as is the norm in China or was that Hong Kong? Is dog still on menus? I think it was a Myriam wind-up.
Giving the wall a rinse – Hong Kong style
Proper seats for lunch!
Either a Kung Fu demonstration or re-enactment of leg-cocking and water throwing!
We now head in a big loop through a valley of cork-oaks where sheep were grazing, but also grazing in undergrowth were a family of pigs complete with little piglets, Rosie chased them one way, then the pigs chased Rosie the other way it was great fun for Rosie.
Rosie retreats momentarily!
Excitement over we wound our way back to the bar for the necessary refreshment.
They were not all for John! A thirsty RCB was doing the stat admin!
Supping in the shade
Thanks to all who came, Paul has the stats so he will enlighten you with them I am sure, all captured on his super-duper new bit of technology .
Stats:
Total Distance: 14.3 km
Total Time: 3 hrs 53 min.
Moving Time: 3 hrs 10 min.
Moving Avg.: 4.4 km/hr.
Overall Avg.: 3.6 km/hr.
Total Ascent: 391 m.
Max Elevation: 276 m.
RCB’s Comment:
A very pleasant walk through beautiful countryside becoming greener by the day after last week’s heavy rain. No one complains when a leader overestimates the length/duration of a walk, and it was certainly enough for me. After the walk Myriam and I went for a geocache on top of Cerro do Negro, which we had hoped (not really!) would have been on our route, and at 406 m. was higher than anywhere we had walked today. Fortunately there was a track to the top which the Berlingo could negotiate, and we not only enjoyed magnificent 360º views but Myriam managed to do a bit of tidying up – CITO –Cache In Trash Out, which is part of the geocaching code. You will no doubt be delighted to learn as a follow-up on the geocaching record attempt on 10.10.10. that a total of 78,313 geocaching teams logged finds on that day, world-wide.
Read about it HERE
As Terry had not found us a TP on the walk I feel bound to include this one with Myriam and her Camara rubbish bag after finding the cache on Cerro do Negro!
Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it. Thatcher, Margaret
Always remember, a cat looks down on man, a dog looks up to man, but a pig will look man right in the eye and see his equal. Churchill, Winston
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