The weather outside AND the forecast didn’t look good, so I rose in a leisurely manner, and idly checked the email for the expected cancellation message! There it was in Chris’s neat e-hand:-
“Ian advises that today's walk is on ! Bring rain gear and plastic bags for at least one river crossing. You have been warned ! See you there.
Regards, Chris”
No! Really!! Myriam wasn’t walking, still not being fully repaired, but as I had an old friend from Hong Kong staying, I thought I would make an exception and so we set off into the driving rain, with Ian and Maddy towards the Foz, which certainly wasn’t visible until we were 100 yards away!
The track of the walk which, with a little imagination can look like many things!
Click to go to an enlarged version.
Stats:- Total Distance 8.4 km; Moving time: 2 hrs 1 min.; Total time: 2 hrs 23 min.; Moving Average: 4.2 km/hr; Overall Average: 3.5 km/hr; Total Ascent: 318m; Max Elev.: 224 m.
Lead Diver: Ian W.
Bottom Feeders: Ian S.; Hedley; Chris; Frank; John H.; David; Val; Paul; Andy (guest)
Dogfish: Maddy, Sambo, Tiggy
Damp start outside the Foz:
Only one lady, Val, risked her hair-do to join the Cockle-shell Heroes. She thought the weather was great as she had just returned from UK. No doubt the regular ladies had good and worthwhile excuses!
Hedley was damply welcomed back, as was my old friend Andy, a first timer in the Algarve who had arrived for some sun and warmth as a respite from the cold and damp in his home in France!
Ian’s report arrived soon after I reached home – but it wasn’t a record, as we had taken the scenic route back, and were forced to stop to replace lost body fluids on the way. Ian S., was at pains to point out that he didn’t want to get home too early in case it became expected.
Here are Ian’s words:-
In any group of homo sapiens there are always a few risk takers whose sanity is in question. Normally they lie hidden in the crowd, but occasionally something happens to expose them. Today that thing happened. The weather forecast was for 30mph winds and heavy rain and the leader opted to walk, regardless of whether anybody joined him. He was heard to mutter something about cabin fever, a condition common in Canada in the winter when people are snowed in and can't get out for months on end. 9 other brave (foolhardy?) souls turned up at the Foz before 9.30am to watch the rain come down.
Getting ‘in gear’!
More than one was heard to say that if they were the leader they wouldn't walk. Nevertheless, at 09:45, 9 of us stood in the rain whilst the Official Photographer sheltered out of the rain and took our picture. (John H. had left his expensive camera at home in case it wasn’t waterproof!) We headed towards Caldas and then down the hill beside the Ribeiro do Banho, crossing the bridge and continuing on the original route of the Medronho Meander.
How Green is my valley!
Underfoot it was like walking in a shallow stream the whole time and meanwhile the rain continued to fall.
Damp but undaunted
When we reached the ridge, blue sky appeared and thinking that we might escape further rain we headed for the first river crossing.
So it’s Plan B then!
Unfortunately the rushing torrent deterred some of the faint hearted (plastic bags notwithstanding) and we reverted to plan B - a short 2 hour walk as the rain started again.
John sacrifices himself for the others!
The ‘two-stick’ technique
Going down stream!
Up a valley and then a hill we lost 20% of our stalwart band, (10% is the legal permissible maximum!) who were heard to mutter something about beer and sore backs, but we caught them up just in time to set off back down the hill past the medronho trees and the Welshman's house.
Mimosa Moment
Just then the sun came out and we trudged back up the hill to the Foz, arriving shortly after 12.00noon, drookit as they say in Scotland. Nothing that a bowl of soup, a beer or a medronho couldn't put right after a change of clothes.
Getting wet on the inside!
Drying out!
The first walk of the month is intended to be a shorter one, to encourage the less strong walkers to attend – it was certainly shorter, and Ian achieved an amended objective of staying out on the water until at least 12 midday – but only just! We may not often use the full wet-weather gear here in the Algarve, but it really is worth it when you have it on occasions as this. The damp and cold inspired some to take soup, and the more easily led followed the Leader’s example to imbibe medronho.
And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow. Chin, Jerry
1 comment:
You all did well; wheras we had snow of which I have sent you pics of Esme sweeping up. It has cleared now, with more perhaps today, Friday. Maurice
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