AWW 27.10.2010: Per Ardua ad Aspa; or The Castelejo Chronicle.

 

Dear Reader,

I am of course writing in the mangled dialect of Myliam & Ian Wirson when I type this "Reader". I am trying to draw the attention of Leaders present and future to the Leader´s Report which follows. It says everything (or nearly everything) that needs to be said about the walk, so that the Blogger doesn´t really need to say very much at all. Brilliant report, Paul, thanks.

 

The 17 Starters

From the left: Myriam, Dina, Antje, Rod, Paul, Hazel, Maria, Lindsey, Chris, Phil, Susan, Hilke, Peter, Yves,Frank, David, John.

Dogs: Tiggy, Misty, Jess, Bella, Shelly, Cybele (Sybilla?).

 

The Track

Statistics (embedded in Paul´s report)

And without more ado, to the Report.

 

AWW 27.10.2010: Per Ardua ad Aspa.

    “ I was going to amend the title to ‘Para Arbusto  ao Aspa’ to regionalise the RAF motto to the AWW context, but it was pointed out by the pedantic linguist at the next desk that the prepositions were  incorrect, and no-one would get it. I refrained from a discourse on the use of schoolboy Franglais as a code during the war, the potential of Portuguese/Latin puns, and promoted domestic harmony by capitulating, as usual.

  “As I had daringly predicted in the call circular, it was a perfect day for a West Coast walk, with the temperatures barely rising to the low 20’s and  useful zephyrs  at the top of climb. Numbers were up with a total of 17 starting the walk, most of whom couldn’t resist the cheap coffee at Café ZigZag, although Antje was outraged by the €1 or so she was charged for a meia de leite, and when she heard I had only paid 60 cents for my abatanada, she charged back inside for a recount – alas I never heard the outcome.

 

Stats*: (Source Garmin 60Csx)

Total Distance: 17.9 km:

Total Time: 5 hrs 30 min.

Moving Time: 4hrs 35 min.

Overall Average: 3.2 km/hr.

Moving Average: 3.9 km/hr.

Total Ascent: 343 m.**

Max. Elevation: 160 m.

*Stats are for those that stayed the course and didn’t weaken in close proximity to the cars.

** The Smartphone measured the total ascent at  511m, which was more like the ‘RealFeel’

 

     “The start was up a steep path immediately behind the Café Castelejo, which caused a minor flurry of grumbling, but it was a good heart starter and the wonderful views both ways along the coast were achieved rapidly.

 

 

    A short breather in the carpark at the Miradouro (“see! - we could have driven up here to start”) and then a winding descent to Cordoama Beach, where Philip and Susan and Jess, who were only out for the short course turned back along the beach towards Castelejo, and a days geocaching further up near Aljezur.

     We headed up the tarmac a short distance past the surfers and campers occupying the car park, and branched up towards Barranco de Garcia, where the dogs enjoyed a swim. Then the second climb of the day up to the plateau which led back to the main road from Vila do Bispo to Bordeira, which we followed for a short distance before turning back towards the sea and running the gauntlet of some noisy dogs from an old farmhouse next to the track. Hazel was going like a Thoro’bred and achieved a top three placing in both of the climbs as I recall. ( It was at this stage that Maria, Dina and Myriam interviewed a surveyor and discovered that we were walking over the site of a future 6-star hotel; possible venue for RTC dinners?) 

 

 

    We crossed back over the road from Vila do Bispo to Castelejo and had a short refreshment break in the shade near the start of the Trilho Ambiental.

 

Caption competition 1

 

      Maria pre-empted Antje and got in an early request (Is this lunch yet?) at 1050 hrs. The crisps remained unbroached and we headed along the Trilho Ambiental and then some flat tracks to Torre de Aspa, where we lingered for the T.O.T.P.P, again to cries of “Is this lunch yet?” but we adhered to the master plan which was lunch at the Coastguard House.

Meissen advert  (ask Hilke)

Aircraft Radio Beacon?

T.O.T.P.P.

Lunch break

 

     The visibility was incredible and someone even spotted Ponte de Piedade from the Torre.

   After lunch we descended The Middle Way to the beach at Castelejo, which can be quite daunting for those with no head for heights, weak knees and affectations of the middle ear. John who was vying with Yves and Myriam as Tail-End Charlie almost caught up with the leaders by opting for Route One down the hillside after missing his footing. However his old Barclays Bank training kicked in and he adopted the ‘Spreadeagle’ position which effectively stopped his further rotation down the slope. Myriam was so astonished at the acrobatics that she forgot to take any action pix until after Yves had helped our hero to safety. Happily the only casualty appeared to have been the prized antique green Rohan shirt, which sustained another gash, and whose days appeared to be numbered after the lacerations it suffered on David’s walk the previous week when they were temporarily uncertain of position.

 

That´s the last time I stitch that blasted shirt!

    Down at the Beach the proximity of the cars appeared too tempting for those with inadequate moral fibre, and Frank, Chris, Antje, Peter and Lindsey took the soft option while the Stout-Hearted and True ascended to the ridge extension of the Trilho Ambiental, and thence to the junction of the Castelejo/Cordoama roads where the Leader had thoughtfully positioned two cars for transfers.

   In the event we only needed one and Lindsey had waited there for us, so took a couple on to Café ZigZag, which was the preferred and more economic post walk venue.

   Frank had disappeared taking his potential contribution to the Christmas lunch with him, but most of the group lingered longer than usual, and feigned interest at Myriam’s announcements of the Almargem walk next Monday, and finalised the RTC finances with David.

    All in all a very enjoyable excursion with just enough undulations to get some fitness into the legs.

 

The Membership Sub-Committee interviewing a prospective junior member.

 

Running Down the Mountain (by Jack Kerouac)

 

“…. with one of my greatest leaps and loudest screams of joy I came flying … “

“  Then suddenly everything was just like jazz: it happened in one insane second or so: I looked up and saw Japhy running down the mountain in huge twenty-foot leaps, running, leaping, landing with a great drive of his booted heels, bouncing five feet or so, running, then taking another long crazy yelling yodelaying sail down the sides of the world and in that flash I realized it's impossible to fall off mountains you fool and with a yodel of my own I suddenly got up and began running down the mountain after him doing exactly the same huge leaps, the same fantastic runs and jumps, and in the space of about five minutes I'd guess Japhy Ryder and I (in my sneakers, driving the heels of my sneakers right into sand, rock, boulders, I didn't care any more I was so anxious to get down out of there) came leaping and yelling like mountain goats or I'd say like Chinese lunatics of a thousand years ago, enough to raise the hair on the head of the meditating Morley by the lake, who said he looked up and saw us flying down and couldn't believe it. In fact with one of my greatest leaps and loudest screams of joy I came flying right down to the edge of the lake and dug my sneakered heels into the mud and just fell sitting there, glad. Japhy was already taking his shoes off and pouring sand and pebbles out. It was great. I took off my sneakers and poured out a couple of buckets of lava dust and said "Ah Japhy you taught me the final lesson of them all, you can't fall off a mountain."

 

A nice touch, there, in Paul’s report – the bit about the Barclays´ spreadeagle, wasn´t it?  I refrained editorially from interrupting his flow to point out that in fact  I wasn´t with Barclays. In The Chartered Bank, we felt somewhat above that sort of thing!

Caption Competition: you will have notice Picture no.1. Here is picture no.2.The Prize will be presented at the Christmas Lunch. Entries to the JCB.