AWW 16.03.2011: Alferce Alfresco

Attentive readers will remember that, a few weeks ago, Terry M made apt reference to the book “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman”  a.k.a. a Cock and Bull Story. T.S. is characterised by its “digressive-progressive “ narrative style, which is actually a pretty good description of what an AWW blog should aim at, given the way some of our walks go. Therefore, “It must follow as the night the day” (Hamlet, Act 1, scene 3) that the ideal blogger is a natural with that style when saying a lot about not very much. Please bear that quality in mind when considering who should step up to next season´s JCB post; there is no deadline yet for submitting your nominations. I will return to this theme at a later date – don´t forget to remind me. Meanwhile, let´s on with news of this Wednesday´s Walk.

  The Starters, somewhere between two bars
Leader: Rod
Present: John O'N, David L, Ian W, John and Hazel, Hedley, Dina, Tina, Lindsey, Janet, Yves,  Peter S, Myriam, and Paul (briefly!), and birthday boy Frank.
Dogs: Misty, Rosie, Shelley, Cybele.

The Track
The statistics, provided by Myriam, deputising for Paul, as follows:
Total Dist: 15 km
Total Time: 5hrs 15 min.
Moving Time: 4 hrs 21 min
Moving Avg.: 3.4 km/hr
Overall Avg.: 2.8 km/hr
 
The Leader´s Report:
“We gathered, well were supposed to, at a bar which was on the wrong side of the road but was closed anyway. As it happened there was another one round the corner which was on the right side of the road but was on the left. Despite all that, everyone who had checked in, and some!, turned up.
“Splendid bright morning, clear and cool NE wind...just right for Picota.  
“Before we had achieved 200m (distance that is, not even height!) the RCB suffered engine failure and was forced to retire..there was a lengthy pause for dietary and medical consultation with Myriam while various items of navigational equipment and alimentation were transferred to her capacious backpack..and then on we went, up through the quaintly named village of Alto de Baixo and straight up a dead-end, the first evidence on the day of our leader's failing memory.....well it was several years since we had been there and he claimed it was not a dead-end then!  A long gradual (sic) climb followed, eliciting not a few almost audible wheezings until, after a welcome breather under an Old Oak Tree, we disappeared into the woodlands of Picota´s eastern flanks.

Old Oak Tree
(At this point, we had climbed 202 metres up from Alferce, virtually without pause.)

“A curious but memorable outcrop of granite proved we were on the right track  and so we carried on up ever wilder paths....so wild indeed that one which in times past was just navigable had disappeared under the brambles.

Leader says no way through
 

“ By now we were on top of the long Picota ridge with its splendid views in all directions but our leader determined that further exercise was needed and descended on the northern side on an experimental track, hitherto never traversed nor recce'd.  Needless to say this descended further than he anticipated and he was forced to retrace steps......as it happened, upon checking Google Earth later, he found that he was not so wrong; had we advanced another 50 m we would have joined the upward path!  In the event we ascended through a nascent eucalyptus grove back to the ridge and joined a narrow path along the top.  This led us eventually to better known parts at the foot of the final ascent to Picota itself.

Picota in view
“A minor mutiny threatened but she eventually conceded and came up the final few metres!  This was well worth it for the horizon was unusually clear ..the views were amazing and even Sagres and The Cape were just visible.
(From the Old Oak Tree to the Picota trig point, we had climbed a further 236 metres.)

“The clearest day up here that I can remember” the Leader was quite clear about that.
 
 Panorama from Monchique to the North and the East

and to the South and West


(While we relaxed and soaked in the views, Myriam risked life and limb all for the sake of the paparazza´s art)


Her aerial view

The Odelouca barragem from Picota
“After a lengthy lunch on the sheltered lee side of the peak, which even the minor mutiny appreciated, we wandered off downwards...via a different route. This took us through the lush and fertile valleys of Corte Grande on the southern slopes of Picota and indeed right past the front doors of two farms whose somewhat startled owners and even more startled dogs actually, after a brief chat, gave us quite a warm welcome. And so back to our start point and back to the bar on the left.
“This turned into quite a party...two birthdays and St. Patrick proved a good enough reason for a party. First, JohnO filled the girls´glasses with ample slugs of Carolans, an Irish whiskey concoction, in celebration of the Saint´s day....then,Yves, doubtless ashamed of the French  victory over Ireland (even if they couldn't repeat it against the Italians) produced from nowhere an endless supply of Guinness and two cakes, baked by himself, and covered in a hectic shade of green.

A view from the bar
“Even the sleepy village of Alferce was woken into some sort of activity and a few of the younger population turned out to get their slice of cake...it all ended in uproar when the dogs joined in and upended a table loaded with bottles, glasses and cake......will we ever be welcomed in Alferce again.?”

Just before the crash

Lindsey rescues a Guinness




Cakes and Ale.
Thanks, guys, but does that mean that Ian W and JohnH will have to provide haggis and Drambuie on Wednesday 30th November 2011 (St Andrew´s Day)?