AWW 25.11.2009: Alferce Alternativo

A conundrum to start with: why is there no feminine equivalent of the word “triumvirate”? This thought crossed the mind of this week’s blogger during the walk as he followed behind three redoubtable trans-Algarve veteran ladies whose very audible conversation disclosed such intimate personal detail as to make the tips of his ears burn. But more of the Group of Three later. Let’s cut to the chase.


We were welcomed to Cafe O Carlos as usual by the friendly grin of the Boar’s Head ( no Spoonerisms, please, Paul) and, after the usual preliminaries, set off in close convoy-or at least most of us did- to Monte Velho for the Starters photo.

Leader: Rod:

Followers: Ian W., Yves, Terry M., Paul & Myriam, Lindsey, Chris, Dina, Tina, Ingrid, Alex,John O’, Hilke, Hazel & John H.
Dogs: Misty. and Maddie (flying Ian S’s flag.)
The Stats: (courtesy:Paul)
Total Distance: 25.6 km
Moving Time: 5 hrs 18 min
Total Time: 6hrs 47 min.
Moving Avg.: 4.8 km/hr
Overall Avg. 3.8 km/hr
Total Ascent: 958 m.
Max Elevation: 405 m.
Walking sticks : 21. (walking sticks!! )

The Track

And now… The Leader’s Report:



“ Gathered at Cafe Carlos, Alferce for a short drive to the Monte Velho turning, (once the French contingent caught up with us!)Cloud with sun to start, gradually turning full cloud with light rain shortly after we finished. This was designed and pre-warned as a warm up for the RTC and so it proved!
“All down hill to start with as we gradually descended the western side of the Monchique River valley, but with a good view of the challenge to come across the other side.
(Maddie was full of energy but she kept going back and looking for someone who wasn’t there; Myriam excelled in encouraging her to keep going. What exactly is in those titbits?)




Yves demonstrates his technique to the Group of Three
“We reached the river with no more ado other than a temporarily lost stick ( Oh, Hazel, how could you?). “ Here we were faced with the first river crossing. This was hardly a challenge as the water was only about 2cm deep but half the group made such a fuss about not getting their feet wet that we wasted about 15 minutes placing stepping stones and constructing a wooden bridge....suppose the prolonged drought had caused a bout of hydrophobia ! (but Yves is very proud of his bridge-building techniques.)




“From there we were faced with a long climb of well over 300 m right up to the Montinhos trig point. The last bit was quite steep up a recently bulldozed fire cut....all enough for the flu stricken Ian W who wisely thought it better to head to the road and a relatively easy return.


Ingrid wishes Ian “Bon voyage.”



“The descent to the Odelouca valley started off quite steeply down recently bulldozed trails and then joined an easy track heading gradually down the valley. It was so easy that our leader thought it necessary to throw in a bit of sterner stuff and a short cut track downwards became steeper and steeper. The final 45º slope was viewed with considerable apprehension but the sight of a truck at the bottom, involved in dam clearance work, to carry the possible wounded, encouraged everyone to have a go! In the event everyone ended up, or rather down, in one piece.








“The bottom of the valley where it joined the Odelouca was a sad scene of desolation. What was once a beautiful stretch of the river was now stripped of trees and shrubs, with heavy forestry trucks moving tree trunks and branches belching diesel fumes...all in the cause of improving water resources! Once clear of these monsters we stopped for lunch at what would once have been a leafy glade beside the river but was now simply another barren bend in the track.


“ Shortly after that we arrived at Foz de Carvalho, site of the quinta whose generous owner once plied weary wanderers with wine. Sadly no longer; he has collected his compensation and disappeared off to civilisation, and his house was on the point of final destruction awaiting the final inundation.
"There was only one way to go from there and that was up.....a long unbroken slog of over 300m back up to the ridge. This was a single climb well over anything to be faced on the RTC so really should have got everyone in trim.......some more in trim than others for by the top the group was strung out over half a kilometre!



“Once at the top Myriam called up the luckless Ian S, still supine under traction at the Barlavento Hospital, to let him know what he had missed.....and that she hadn’t lost Maddy!.... and off we went down once again....and down and down. Our leader, thinking we still needed some adventure tried another new path which probably to everyone’s relief, and his, came out at the ford where he expected (or so he said! ) And so we were faced with another river crossing; this time everyone was too weary to try any imaginative crossing techniques and simply waded through the 2 cm’s of water before facing the final 300m. climb back to the cars. This really was pretty testing stuff and meant that we had climbed a total of all but 1.000 m for the day as well as covering around 25 kms. Sterling stuff indeed by everyone and a well earned drink back at Cafe Carlos just as the rain started coming down !”


Yves admires…….. Lindsey’s avocados.


During our stroll, we had also come across WineMine’s field force busy sampling and harvesting the 2009 medronho vintage.


Hilke found out that the berries are picked while still amarelo so as to keep them firm until distillations starts.
From the Archives

Rod’s nostalgia for the now-lost charms of the Odelouca valley and its wines can maybe be better understood from these “before and after” pictures.
The beautiful stretch of river, then…


and now….


The quinta at Foz de Carvalho then…..


and now….




Yves' bridge




The last but final word has to rest with one of the Group of Three:
“Since I became a WW, I can’t do it inside anymore: I have to be out in the open.”

“The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of."



(Shakespeare: Macbeth.)

CB’s Comment:

       The DCB was under pressure this week, since I abdicated responsibility on the grounds of having demanding guests arriving on Thursday, and support and visiting duties to Ian S. who had been hospitalised on Sunday night after a domestic tumble, resulting in a fractured hip. (some people will do anything to get out of walking Round The Corner!!).

     He not only had new techniques to master (Windows Live and a new Blogger Editor) but also the Leader and Report Writer had to contend with St Andrew’s Ball and the threat of a Scottish XV defeat by the Argies that was imminent, and he was not demonstrating his usual alacrity with the report submission.!

      However, as expected he rose to the challenge and produced the visual and literary spectacle that is the above Blog, complete with video and rather odd-sized photos, but failed to mention another milestone in AWW History. That is, that this was the first walk since the D. of D. system came into being, to be awarded the coveted 5-Star rating.

      I am sure you all remember the criteria for a 5* Walk:- 25 km. or more; new ‘paths’ to be pioneered; secondary jungle; severe updulations where breath has to be caught on the way up; butt-clenching descents; total climb – more than expected! 

                Well Rod certainly delivered on that, and it was one of those walks which improved immensely when we had finished! Good training for those that are doing the RTC, and despite the odd winge I heard, it improved the confidence, fitness and even beauty of those that have declined to walk with us Round The Corner!

To finish, a motivational quote for Ian S.:-

“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.”    Brown, Les

AWW 18.11.2009: CorTe(rry) Garcia Clamber

 

 

The Track (click to enlarge)

 

 A large (21) starting line-up

Once again Terry managed to get a coffee bar open before the start of his walk, and this walk, which bore some similarities to a previous walk led by David, started at Snack-Bar Sol e Serra in Corte Garcia, instead of Querença, which now has parking difficulties in the main square. A fairly grey start, and those arriving from the west ran through a band of light rain.

Leader: Terry A.

Walkers: Ian S., Hazel, Chris, Stan, Elaine, Paul, Lindsey, David, Hilke, Dina, Ben, Celianne, Tina, Rod, Ingrid, Myriam, Bob, Frank, John H. and Terry M (who had a labour-relations problem and didn’t make the start photo!)

Dogs: Maddy, Rusty, Alfie, Amos, Misty, Rosie, Tiggy, Harry
(8 dogs must be near a record!)

Stats:
Total Distance: 20.00 km
Moving Time: 4 .00 hrs
Total Time:     5.00 hrs
Moving Average: 5 km/hr
Overall Average: 4 km/hr
Total Ascent: 585 m.
Max Elevation: 440 m.

There is a pleasing symmetry and precision about the stats which were not rounded up, nor adjusted. Not only that, but Terry proved his supreme abilities as a leader by living up to his pre-walk email prediction!

Rod made a welcome return following minor bionic improvements to his lower limbs.

First time walkers Ben and Celianne joined the group with Celianne’s dog, Harry, and Stan and Elaine showed up for their first walk with us for a long time.

 

A handy wall for a break for the ‘wise’ or ‘foolish’!

 

Terry’s report follows:

It dawned a cloudy day which was not a bad thing for what I had in mind, I moved the start to the bar at Corte Garcia because the owner would open early for us and we could park outside which is something we can't do in Querença any more due to the pedestrianisation of the Square plus the cafes do not open till late, so I hope my little detour was ok despite more tarmac at the start than I would have liked, anyway once off the black stuff we had pleasant paths down to  Fonte Benemola where the water was as low as I have ever seen it.  We took the high path up the hillside, positively crowded with school children climbing up to the caves 'there is a geocache in there’ cried Paul, but we will leave that to another day.

   Now crossing the plateau to the small villages that abound this area and all the many Fontes wending our way along newly marked paths heading ever nearer to the ridge picking up some muttering now from the walkers "is that where we are going? '' oh yes the higher the better, nothing like a climb, well the views are worth it.  Time for lunch at the trig Cepo 438 m., now its down hill all the way, honest would I lie, a nice walk back to the cafe, the end of a good day weather was just right and the beer hit the spot at the finish.  Thanks to all who came to another well attended Wednesday walk, Paul has the stat's which I think I hit spot on for once.

Terry

 

A steep climb up to the Grutas de Salustreira…..

 

….from Fonte de Benemola

 The second climb on the ridge – some straggling going on! 

 

Algarve snow near the summit

 

"Snakes (not quite) alive!" We were knot alone!

 

TP Cepo – the lunch spot

 

Some were cast upon ‘stony ground

 The majority participated in T.O.T.P.P

 

Back at Sol e Serra – undercover seating.

 

CB’s Comment:

      Terry has turned this walk into a classic valley and ridge walk. The previous similar walk led by David can be compared here and while measured shorter, had an additional trig point and 230+ extra metres of climb! However the end was awkward and Sol e Serra was preferable to the new pedestrianised and touristy Querença.

Looking back at the Degree of Difficulty Guide, this was ‘on the cusp’ of 4* rating, but remained a 3* because total climb was less than 600 m. although it is conceded that there was a lot of waiting at the top of climbs, by those that ‘went for it’!

     The Guide was introduced on Rod’s 1* walk of 30th September in Torre e Cercas, and is again reproduced here for reference in a handy ‘cut out and keep’ format for future leaders!

Guide to my new system of Degree of Difficulty (DoD)

1*:  Up to12 km.; good wide paths; gentle ascents; Total climb <= 250 m.
2*: Up to 15 km.; mostly good paths; moderate and gentle ascents; Total Climb <=500 m.
3*: Up to 20 km.; some more obscure paths, some vegetation to push through; mostly moderate ascents perhaps one or two steeper ones; Total Climb >500+ m.
4*: Up to 25 km; expect detours into the scenery; several updulations where the leader has to wait at the top; Total climb >600 m.
5*: 25 km or more; new 'paths' to be pioneered, secondary jungle; severe updulations where breath has to be caught on the way up; butt-clenching descents; Total climb - more than expected. RTC 2009.

             Reviewing this, I find that there are some interpretational difficulties, for instance where a walk of less than 15 km has a climb greater than 500 m, or as last week where a walk of more than 20 km and less than 25 km has a climb between 500 and 600 m.

  Perhaps there is room for an intermediary half star rating where both last week and this week would be classified as 3 1/2 *

   I think we need a sub-committee, and those with a need for precision, and capable of analytical thought can offer amendments to the Guide by comment or email to be discussed on the next walk.

“Some people are always critical of vague statements. I tend rather to be critical of precise statements; they are the only ones which can correctly be labelled wrong.”    Smullyan, Raymond

AWW 11th November 2009. Ruins and ?River

 

11th November 2009. Ruins and ?River.

The Happy Wanderers:

Two-legs:-

Ian W, Bob, Tina, Andrew F, Paul, Myriam, Ian S, Val, Dina, Terry M, Sam, Chris, Hilke, Ingrid, John O’, John H, Hazel, Hedley, Terry A, David. (Leader)

Four-legs: Amos, Alfie, Maddie, Rosie.

The Track

Here we go again!

The walk was billed as a 3 by the ever-inventive leader. It turned out, using the scale details developed by the CB, to be on the cusp of a 4. Given that five years had elapsed since the leader had covered the route, this was not a bad shot. And everyone found the bar at, Cerca Velha south of Paderne, without difficulty, also something of a minor miracle. Parking was another matter!

Can we fit another one in?

A cool start to the day in the hills had led some to come prepared for a similar sort of day, but shortly after the start it became apparent that we were in for a warm one at the very least, and disrobing took place well before Paderne Castle was reached. Worthy of note on this early section was the amount of signposting and information boarding now provided by the authorities about the local flora and fauna as well as about  the castle itself.

It Says ‘Cuidade dos Passeantes’

Horatia and Friends

The R. do Algibre was, as seems to be the case for most of the year these days, completely devoid of water, and the old weir was crossed dry-shod. A photo-op followed at the Roman Bridge, with much encouragement to the leader to take backward steps out on the buttress he was using to take the pic – most unkind, I thought.

Can this lot take the castle?…….

….with canine assistance……

Paderne Castle was deserted and the gate padlocked, so more photos on the lower ramparts had to suffice.

…sorry,chaps, the gate’s locked….

…better retreat, then!

From there a return to the N270 was made via Barradinha, followed by a climb to the ridge just below the trig point at Almeijoafas (see, I managed to miss it again!), passing on the way the now celebrated art gallery Corte Real. The views from the ridge path were truly stunning on this clear day.

So many walks, so little time……….

Views, shmews, gimme the hard stuff!

It’s when they move that they’re dangerous.

Time, you old gypsy man……..

Descent to the valley floor near Lagoa was followed by a climb over the saddle and a contour round the lower slopes of Cerro do Samuel. The only navigation error of the day took place here, cleverly covered up by the leader as a small detour for the lunch-stop, which was taken amongst alfarrobas and in steadily rising temperatures.

Wall Street Cafe

Olientar Runch

I can see fish in ‘ere!

Resuming the (correct) track, the final major hill of the day took the group to the summit of Lombao (no trig!) and along the wide gravel road back down to the Algibre, followed by a most pleasant (and rapid) transit of the gorge down to Moinho Novo.

Third class picnic seat

Peace offering.

From here, the leader had hoped to locate the minor road or track through Casas do Poco and Aldeia Grande back to the start, but had to settle for a rather tedious tarmac slog instead. One of these days, I will find it!

The Yellow Bar (as Bob has accurately described it) was a welcome sight after a long and very warm walk. Sitting facing the sun there it felt as though summer was still with us. We need some rain now.

Happy drinkers with tonsure, 2009.  €400.

 

Statistics:

Total distance:-    24km

Moving Time:-      4h 42min

Total Time:-          5h  33min

Moving average:- 5.1km/h

Overall average:- 4.3km/h

Total ascent:-       503m

Max. elevation:-   230m

A couple of thoughts on leadership!

Look over your shoulder now and then to be sure someone's following you.

— Henry Gilmer

The task of the leader is to get  people from where they are to where they have not been.

— Henry Kissinger