Two Rivers or Not two Rivers? That's the question An AWW Re-run 20th May 2026

Or could it be deja vu all over again?  It doesn't seem that long since we were at the cafe in the rain, pondering the merits of walking and avoiding river crossings.

So we had the question and the answer was, well yes and no. There were two rivers but this time we got to cross one river twice and Rafa got to paddle in the other. Also it was a little different to January’s walk as it was much warmer.

As I hadn't told the whole truth at the beginning of the walk (the ascent was actually 525 metres) I was quite relieved when the vote was to take the easier, shorter up. A much better idea really.

Don't all good walks start from bus shelters!

Left to right: Julie, Kieran, Steve, Karen, Jan, Rafa, Fiona and Martin Tony behind the camera.

And what do Burnley girls use for protection during sex? Yes, a bus shelter!! Although the offical version of that joke is girls from Wigan

As on the previous Bengado valley walk, it was all going so well for the first 3 minutes then Tony, who had been with me when we recced the route, led the front walkers astray. I managed to get everyone back on track.

Not so different to January’s walk as with with all good or terrible walks it started with negotiating or navigating down the overgrown single footpath. Very overgrown as I hadn’t had time to get the bush trimmed . The very brave and adventurous group, when they were offered a choice of wide, easy track or more of the same, chose to continue on the overgrown path and cross the puddle which had been a raging torrent in January. Off along the Bengado valley. It wasn’t the uphill out of the valley that had been recced originally but still it was up. Onward and upward.

Uppy and downy but probably more uppy.

Then.... Just what you expect on a walk in the hills, an office chair and a teenager/old ager sitting to take a selfie. Take a letter Mr Spicer. "Dear Sirs, This walk is ……. " (feel free to add your own comments). As on the January walk we missed the boundary stone marker between Sao Bras de Alportel and Santa Catarina Fonte de Bispo, but nobody complained about walking over two municipalities.

We went down to the river to pray. No, come on, not us. We went to paddle in the cool water. A bit of a change from January.

A pleasant spot for lunch.

But after lunch... Everyone knows that if you're at the valley bottom, you're going to be climbing back up.

Yes we did walk over two municipalities and it felt like it!!!

Tony is formulating his garden plans for Chelsea next year so there are lots of photos of flowers. They do look lovely though.

Shade and a welcome drink before the last short climb up my .......... shady but overgrown path.

Back at the cafe for that well deserved drink.

The all important stats:

Distance: 14.42 kms

Climb: 483 m

Moving time: 3 h 27 mins

Total time: 4 h 28 mins

Around Another Bordeira

(A Small Walk with Large Consequences)

Back in February we led a grand walk around Bordeira involving proper numbers, sensible planning, and enough people to form a rescue party if required.

Last Wednesday’s version was rather more intimate.

Four walkers.
One Heinz 57 dog.
Questionable navigation.
Excellent weather.

The Team

Steve led the expedition armed with a hat, optimism, and a route that definitely looked easier on the computer.

Karen brought common sense, which unfortunately nobody listened to.

Linda arrived with Toby — a compact mixed-breed hiking machine apparently assembled from leftover parts of several different dogs and powered entirely by enthusiasm.

And Marion quietly observed events unfolding with the expression of somebody who already suspected this might become “one of Steve’s walks.”

The Beginning: False Confidence

The day started beautifully.

Blue skies.
Warm sunshine.
Fresh coffee.
Everyone smiling.

This was before the climbing started.

The route quickly narrowed into a rocky hillside path lined with bushes apparently designed by nature specifically to attack bare legs.

Toby disappeared ahead at alarming speed while the humans adopted a more tactical pace generally known as “frequent stopping.”

The official walk notes described this section as:

“A gentle ascent with rewarding views.”

This turns out to be technically true if your definition of “gentle” comes from the North Face catalogue.

The Great Algarve Stairmaster

Eventually we climbed high above the Algarve coast with magnificent panoramic views stretching all the way to the Atlantic.

At this point Steve confidently announced:

“It’s mostly downhill from here.”

This statement had absolutely no relationship with reality.

Still, the scenery was spectacular enough to temporarily distract everyone from the fact that their legs had begun filing formal complaints.

Discovery of the Sacred Armchair 

Every great expedition has a historic moment.

This walk had an Armchair.

Perched bizarrely on the edge of the hillside sat a rather tired armchair overlooking the Algarve like the throne of a retired pirate king.

Naturally Karen claimed it immediately.

The group briefly considered remaining there permanently and waving at passing hikers.

Frankly it was one of the better ideas of the day.

Return to Civilisation

Eventually the team staggered back into Bordeira dusty, sweaty, sunlit, and extremely pleased with themselves.

Emergency recovery operations commenced immediately at the café.

Cold drinks appeared.
Boots loosened.
Toby collapsed underneath the table in the satisfied manner of a dog who had successfully herded four pensioners across a mountain.

And so ended another Bordeira adventure:

• Nobody was lost
• Nobody fell off a cliff
• No airlift was required
• The sofa remains available for future expeditions

Which, by our standards, counts as an outstanding success

22 APRIL 2026 – HUNTING LODGE

 

AWW Walk REPORT – 22 APRIL 2026 – HUNTING LODGE

After meeting at the café in Rasmalho we drove further up the main road and down a dirt track to the start of the walk.  Lots of introductions to our new walker Christine.

9 walkers and 1 dog.  Marian, Gill, Karen, Richard, Ros, Steve, Christine, Jim, Linda (photographer) and Toby the dog.

Richard is holding up Ros antique walking pole (15 years old).  A bit like Triggers brush in “Only Fools and Horses”.  Looked like parts from 2 different poles.

The poles came in handy at the water crossings and we didn’t encounter any problems.

As I stepped in to lead at short notice, I had not had time to recci all of this walk.  As we started to head up the valley we found the path was completely hidden due to fallen trees from the recent landslides.  The leader climbed through to check things out and said the path was clearer further up so after a bit of tree bashing suggested everyone scramble over.  We got everyone over and under but we all had a few scratches and grazes.

The only blockages on the path from now on were the beautiful wild flowers.

  No complaints about that.  We did the gradual climb up the valley on the nice wide tracks, dodging a few bees along the way. 

Then headed down to the hunting lodge for lunch and a relax on the chairs and sofas. 

(Toby lived in hope....)

We headed off again, stopping along the way to take photos of the flowers and admire the beautiful landscape.

Toby found a baragem to cool off in and a little entertainment from the frogs jumping around.

Back to the cars and the short drive back down to the café in Rasmalho.  Ros was pleased she made 10 euros for the kitty this week.  Thanks for organising the drinks.

The walk was 13 kms last time I did this but my new app said it was only 12.25kms.  Gill said hers recorded 13.  Thanks for joining me today and to Gill for the extra photos.

Linda