AWW 26.11.2008 - The Caldeirao Cop-Out

Present:-
Bipeds - Janet, Paul, Antje, Hilke, Ingrid, John H, Hazel, Lindsey, Terry M, Hedley, David.
Quadrupeds - Tiggy, Sambo.

Track of the walk (click to enlarge)

The planning for this walk was made far less onerous because those nice people at Sao Bras had sent someone out to paint helpful red and yellow markers along the route. Then they went even further and sent the details to those equally nice people at Turismo do Algarve who put the whole thing into their terribly interesting book of walks for all of us excruciatingly pleasant folks to use. Isn't all that ever so ever so???

Ten Cold Walkers

Meeting time was set for 9.15 on the outskirts of Barranco de Velho, and mirabile dictu everyone was there on time, even if Hedley (on a flying visit, and most welcome) was 300 metres up the road at the Tia Bia.

Senior Member with Sign

It was too much to hope that the start would be prompt, however, as several arrivals demanded their caffeine shot and comfort stop and disappeared up the road. On their return, it appeared that a new rule had been promulgated stating that walks must always start from a bar - at least that's what Janet said. The Leader had a few choice words to say about Whingeing Westerners before all mounted up to ride in convoy to the start at Parises.

Weather conditions were sunny but extremely chilly as the group left the village to begin this roller-coaster of a ramble through a beautiful section of the Serra de Caldeirao. Praise was heaped at several points on those who had not only marked the walk but also set up information boards and maps at intervals.

Voces Sao Aqui
The route describes a distorted figure of eight, with an extra loop at the extremity of one of the circles of the 8. Deep wooded valleys with running streams and isolated hamlets alternate with open and (on this occasion) windswept hillsides and spectacular views. Both the ocean and the Spanish frontier are visible from the highest points.
All of that descriptive garbage is an attempt to hide the fact that this was a largely uneventful outing for the WWs. No-one fell in to any of the streams cunningly left in their path, even though some rather uneven stepping-stones had been prepared for the purpose.

Demonstration Run

Stick Down - 0.5 Deduction.
No-one fell over or got ripped to shreds on pricklies. The Leader cannot even remember hearing a complaint of any kind after the initial mutiny, which he finds ever so slightly worrying. It's when they go quiet that you should really be scared - or so they say.
Lunch was taken in what might be called 'surprise valley' a deep hollow near the ridge at Cabeca do Velho. Even here, the cold wind penetrated, and a sheltered sunny spot was located with some difficulty. Once found, however, it was warm and seductively comfortable, and it was only with reluctance that the trek was resumed. This valley, with an old donkey track running through it, made a refreshing change from the wide dirt roads covering the rest of the route.

Happiness is....

.... a Cold Banana
On reaching the tarmac road at the village, Hedley, out of training, decided to walk back to Parises along it, leaving The Ten to descend once more to the valley floor and complete the walk by the return climb to the start.

Cabeca do Velho Hillclimb
With only a few hundred metres to go, the first and only glitch of the day resulted from an abortive attempt to find a route avoiding the last rather unwelcome ascent. As predicted, both bars at Parises were closed, so the happy band returned to Barranco Velho.

Rush Hour, Serra de Caldeirao

Baaaaarmy, all of 'em!
With the sun having just left the terrace at the Tia Bia, the warmth of the cramped bar was more than welcome, and the usual half hour of chit chat and banter followed. Farewells to Terry Mace, returning to the UK once more, and it was all over for another week. What a masochistic lot we are. No bar photo this week, as none was supplied. Some might say thank heavens for that.
Stats, for the terminally bored:
Total Distance:- 21km
Moving Time:- 4h 41m
Total Time:- 5h 19m
Moving Av:- 4.5 k/h
Overall av:- 3.9k/h
Total Ascent:- 916m
Max. elevation:- 524m


CB's Comment: A very good turn out considering it was the week after the RTC and also at the nether regions of the Algarve (for some of us!). There were some notable absentees, who probably considered they had already done enough to qualify for a subsidised Crimble Lunch! Most had reasonable reasons, but they missed a superb circuit of eight with landscape quite different from the western end of the Algarve.

Without Myriam's trigger happy fingers, there were far fewer decisions to be made about which photos to include.
The cold Nortada wind sustained throughout the day, just enough to prevent us from sweating excessively on the climbs, but also prompting most to keep their fleeces and jackets on all day. However in the few places the wind did not reach it was very equable and the visibility was superb.
"The higher we rise, the more isolated we become; all elevations are cold." Boufflers



"Many can brook the weather that love not the wind." Shakespeare, William




Finally, Antje gave her analysis of what the basic requirements of a good walk are.
First, her prognosis:
Then, her prescription:
Moral of the story? Leaders have to allow for comfort stops when they plan their campaigns.




(click on the little black arrows to view)
That's All, Folks!