This walk to be led by myself, was a transparent maintenance tour of the four sub-Geocaches which made up my Puzzle Cache, Sudoku Symphony of the Serras, which for the curious can be viewed HERE The premise of the cache is that one needs to solve an increasingly difficult Sudoku puzzle at each 'Movement' of the Symphony to discover the coordinates to the next Movement and so to the Finale. The Third Movement 'Adagio' was the most arduous!
A good turnout of 12 hardy walkers was amazing, as to get many more you need apparently to offer a 2 hour walk followed by a Christmas Lunch (see last blog!). Although the walk was advertised at "only 15 km with a few hills" the more observant had noticed that the estimated time was "4-5 hours" which indicated that I thought that the average speed would be somewhat slower than normal.
The Orchestra at Casa Pacheco, Guest Artiste Dona Aldina
Conductor: Paul
Orchestra: Myriam, Rod, Ian S., Ian W., Dina,
John O', Peter, Tina, Ingrid, Colin, Mike
Accompanists: Maddy, Nandi, Beroe
The track (enlarged version HERE )
Stats: Total distance: 15.2 km; Moving Time: 3 hrs 58 min; Total Time: 5 hrs; Moving Average: 3.8 km/hr; Overall Average: 3 km/hr; Total Ascent:661 m.; Max. Elevation: 267 m.
We started, after invigorating coffees, on a cold overcast morning which encouraged most to wear their full complement of Arctic gear. However half way up the first climb, and some were already shedding. We completed the first movement after about half an hour, when there were further adjustments to clothing as the wind section patiently awaited the Leader who was checking his cache.
Ian W. in shirt sleeves while others have many layers still!
Shortly after this I found a nice slope to warm the rest up, on the way to the Second Movement, Presto.
The first real slope!
The Second Movement was fairly close (on the other side of the hill) only taking another 20 minutes to complete.
Two senior members offered helpful advice while the CB scrabbled around in the bundu searching for his cache!
Following this, there was a fairly serious descent back to the main track, with a few obstacles to go under or over.
Ian S. does the limbo!
The bulldozer which cleared it, had unaccountably stopped about 5 metres short, providing a challenge for our less balanced players.
Helping the ladies!
Soon after this there was a long stretch of wide flat track until we approached Movement 3, Adagio, which involved a steep climb up Cabeça de Eguas.
The long slog up from the valley.
At the top after a suitable pause for breath, and the maintenance of the cache, the Gorilla Pod was brought into action, and a photo of the whole Orchestra with the Trig Point was taken.
T.O.T.P.P.
An added bonus for today's walk was that Ferrari were testing at the Autodromo do Algarve, and the high pitched scream of engines being tortured at 19,000 rpm could be heard even above the laboured breathing of the climbing walkers.
From the TP yet another view of the Autodromo was possible, and it certainly wasn't there last time we walked this way!
The back path down from the Trig point had been manicured and widened by some thoughtful person(s), and all was well until we came to the bottom, where there was some red and white tape across the path. This was obviously meant to stop 4WD or Quad bikes so we carried on as only grass was growing behind it, but the proud new owner of the hideous yellow new construction the other side of the track came out and gesticulated at us. We did manage to ignore him, and he failed to follow up on his initial actions!
Unfortunately, despite all the rain of recent weeks, the river at the bottom was not much of a challenge and all crossed without so much as a damp sock!
The we wound up a long valley on the opposite side of the track, reaching the small barragem which still had the surfboard floating near the edge, and stopped for lunch bang on 1230 pm.
A convivial spot for lunch
The threatened rain never materialised, and soon we were headed towards the Finale - the 4th cache. I had never walked this route before, so quite a bit of interpretation of the GPS pointer was required. This of course ignored inconvenient valleys and hills in the way, but eventually we made it though approaching from the opposite than intended direction.
Now this particular area of Cerro do Madeiro is the Algarve equivalent of The Bermuda Triangle. It was near here that Stan famously left his stick and went back over a kilometre and failed to find it: it was found by me the following year, but had suffered from the exposure; Mike on his epic journey to solve the Sudoku Symphony had last his €7.00 sunglasses at the final cache, and I regaled those that were prepared to listen with these tales.
CB Ascending from the Final Cache.
The observant will notice something odd about this photo of me having serviced the final cache!
Yes - I am stickless!!
Alas it took me about 500 metres to realise this, while recounting the carelessness of others in the past.
This was my 'lucky' stick, so there was no alternative but to jog back down the hill and up the other side to recover it from where it had been neatly laid beside the cache. The Orchestra took a break and waited for me while I carried out a Solo Allegro.
There were some incredible suggestions that I had deliberately done it, to adjust the overall walking time to match the predictions of my call circular, but that is a secret that will never be revealed!!
Anyway, stick firmly in hand we continued onwards, only stopping to admire some mushrooms along the way including this one near the 7-Way junction.
Comparative study of Rod's feet and a Mushroom
Soon the outskirts of Romeiras and the road hove into sight, and another aquatically challenged 'river' to cross.
Useful stepping stones - but not much water
A short stretch of tarmac, and we arrived in good order, Ian S. to the fore at Casa Pacheco, where the sun had come out and made the beer taste even better! Again the Gorilla Pod was pressed into service and balanced on top of a microcar.
The timings and distance were of an extremely high order of accuracy (other leaders please note!) even if I do say so myself!
Like dreams, statistics are a form of wish fulfillment. Baudrillard, Jean
He used statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts; for support rather than illumination. Lang, Andrew
Video Extra: Click on the pictures below to see the video.
