Considering the forecast and Rod’s ominous trailer for the walk, (“Probably around 20k..a few hills but little scrub. A hand of Madeira plantains will probably suffice!….”), 11 walkers was a respectable turnout for this one, offering no organised ‘All you can eat’ lunch nor even a caffeine boost at the start at Café Ourique.
Leader: Rod
Present: Frank W., Tina, Hilke, Chris and Antje, Dina, Ian W., Maria, Paul and Myriam.
Dogs; Misty, Tiggy and Shelley.
The 9 am. start at Café Ourique, was to facilitate a long drive to the barragem, and despite being delayed by livestock, and a hopeful wait for the absent CB, we set off walking at 0930 am.
Myriam’s camera was in action before we set foot on the walk.
Being a little unpractised at Start Photos, (these being the CB’s speciality) I dawdled a bit returning to the group from the gorillapod and missed the first attempt. However it all came back to me and the second attempt was more successful.
Wrapped up well on a grey day
The track below looks unlike any other of our walks which are predominantly circular, but if Google Earth had sent satellites over the area more recently you would have seen that we had to pick our way around vast fingers of water which currently are about half of their potential. The walk was ‘designed’ to show off viewpoints and for Rod to reminisce loudly about how formerly we had walked across what was now the bottom of the lake. Indeed little islands showed tracks disappearing into the water where once we had trodden the way.
The track (reservoir not included)
Stats: from Oregon GPS
Total Distance: 12.33 km
Total Time: 4hrs 16 min.
Moving Time: 3 hrs 15 min. (lots of time admiring the views)
Overall Avg.: 2.9 km/hr
Moving Avg.: 3.8 km/hr
Total climb: 441 m.:
Max Elevation: 248 m.
Here is the Leaders’s Report.
This was advertised as a perhaps hilly, 20k walk to view the western side of the new Odelouca Dam and lake. It was only partly achieved in that it was well down on 20k....but in the light of comments, made up for in terms of hills and views.
We met at the closed and therefore clearly coffeeless Cafe Ourique and drove up to the Dam along the spanking new access road (pity they couldn't make the N125 or the N124 the same way!) and we were on our way by 9.30.
We set off up along a lower valley up a little used track to a ridge; here our leader was overcome by his desire to get down to water level to get a closer view of the rising waters drowning for ever his memories of past walks.
“Long and Gradual”!!!
We descended a down a long and gradual track to the water's edge from where we could view bits of old tracks emerging from the water and nostalgically remember those past walks along this once lovely valley.(come on now lets not get too soppily sentimental!)
Perhaps the Leader forgot this part of the ‘descent’!
A new peninsula
The end of the road
Having said that the new lake makes for wonderfully different scenery and will obviously be a huge new source of water created without having caused much loss or inconvenience to any people or homes. Because of the nature of the lake and terrain there was then no real alternative other than to go all the way up again. Everyone was obviously so enraptured by the new scenery that there was hardly any, at least audible, grumbling at this usually to be avoided retracing of steps.
The long way back
From there a detour was added, no doubt just to make a point of ensuring there were 'a few hills', to one of the high points from where there was a great panoramic view of the lake....framed needlessly to say by the odd electrical pylon. Then down to the main ridge track which would in fact eventually lead right up to the Alferce - S.Marcos road, this would have been a road too far however so after a couple of k's we veered off up a suitable rocky hill top to find a sheltered spot for lunch.
Lunch on the rocks
The forecast rain never materialized so there we sat for a while with a dramatic view of the Picota massif. As the ridge track is flanked on one side by the new lake and by the impenetrable, mostly, Monchique river valley on the other, there was no alternative but to retrace our tracks once again for some distance. After a while we took another track further to the east which eventually ascended to a high, but quite overgrown contour track with spectacular views over the actual dam structure and surroundings....and impressive it is.
We really needed the CB’s new panoramic camera here!!
A sharp descent took us back down to the cars and a return to Cafe Ourique which fortunately by then was open and amazingly, in view no doubt of the falling temperature, more hot chocolate than Sagres (which we must remember after last week's history lesson means 'Sacred' !) seems to have been drunk!
Only one beer in sight – guess who? but I was supported by Dina, who had necked hers before I finished the stats!
Rod was right – a 12 km walk that felt like a 20 km walk. Whether it was the cold, damp weather or the multiple undulations, or (for some) the effects of Scottish poetry the previous Saturday, which even may have caused the CB to stay away, aware that his prose might not rise to the heights of "Learn taciturnity and let that be your motto!"
Anyway, it was good to have a scenic walk, with many memories of what ‘progress’ is now denying us. Along with the ever-encroaching tarmac, the fencing of vast tracts of land for no apparent reason, and the flooding of wonderful valley walks to provide water for Golf Courses, much conversation was stimulated on the ecological and environmental evolution of our walking wilderness. Women outnumbered men (again); the English had a small majority, equalling a coalition of the Germans and the Portuguese (unless the Chinese wears her Portuguese hat), and the Scottish were an ethnic minority. The French and Belgians were nowhere to be seen!
Chocolate sales were at a high at Café Ourique, although Antje produced a small snifter from her nether garments, and refreshed Rod’s drink in addition to her own! Tina was back to manage the fund, but hid behind her ‘Assistant secretary’s ‘ rank when I boldly suggested culling the circulation list, and asking for confirmation of updated contact details.
Janet over to you!
You've got to be in top physical condition. Fatigue makes cowards of us all. Lombardi, Vince
