AWW 11th April 2018

Crossing the Rubi Ribeira - To Be or Not To Be.

Sitting here writing with the rain lashing down outside, the day after this little epic, I am astounded at how lucky we were to have only one short shower. Tuesday was a washout - must have been if Sue M stayed at home - and the concern was that the Ribeira de Algibre would have risen too far to make the planned 17.5k walk possible. As it was, fifteen people assembled, in a cold wind but under blue skies, at the Cafe Reguengos, ready for whatever might befall.

It has not been Sue M´s week. Having been confined to barracks on Tuesday, she set out for this walk, only to be turned round by a frantic call from a tenant who had locked himself out of his lodging. That left the following as the AWW for the day:

John, Hazel, Frank, Ros, Myfanwy, Jan, Jim H, Jim L, Pam, Nick, Gill, Isabel, David, Catarina, Alan. Jasper only there for the lunchtime sandwiches.

I explained that the river might defeat us, and that, as advertised, we might have to take on the detour which would increase the total distance by 5k, but that didn´t result in a rush for the cars, so off we went, along the road past Osvaldo´s wonderful mural and over the dangerously narrow river bridge to the turn towards Monte Seco.

    Preparing for the climb.                                

The first stage of the steep hill was undertaken at what is now our usual starting speed, and John duly pointed out the fact when we paused for breath. The rest of the hill was taken slightly more easily, until we reached the open land near the summit, with excellent views behind.

                       

After a brief discourse on the village we were about to walk through, we set off over the hilltop and two field walls to discover that Cabecas de Monte Seco remains largely undeveloped, in spite of the renovation activity we witnessed last time round. In fact the place, including the one cottage that has been lived in, had a very neglected air. The one bit of sanitary ware that we saw was not even plumbed in.

  Once a teacher.....

  Over the garden wall.


When we tried to escape from the apparently deserted village, we discovered that someone had erected a gate. Nick quickly decoded the opening device (a bent piece of iron), and let us all out.

   Quick, before the goons come.

There followed the long and rather rough descent to the river which was achieved without injury but under an increasingly threatening sky. Soon after we reached the valley floor the shower arrived, and we retreated to the shelter of a large tree for a short time. This turned out to be the only rainfall of the day.

   I thought the English were used to rain!

Reaching the turn-off to the river, Nick, Jim L John and I walked along to view the state of the water. The decision was marginal, but it was agreed that the speed and depth of the water were just too much for safety, and we were aware that Hazel has an important date with a long walk coming up, so we returned to deliver the sad news.

Nothing for it but to embark on the long level trek, first back to Ribeira de Algibre and then on along the south bank of the river to Tor. This was achieved without incident and at a good speed, though there was a difference of opinion at one point about the distance we had covered. Nick´s device was on overdrive, suggesting that we had walked a good three k more than anyone else had recorded. A flood of water entering the river near Tor was quite an eye-opener.

The Roman bridge at Tor provided seating, shelter from the wind and pleasant river views for lunch. Having got so far so quickly, we were in no desperate hurry to continue, so a relaxing half-hour ensued. John timed it at 24 minutes!

   You forgot the begging bowls, guys!

   Togetherness (1) Ee it were chilly!

   Togetherness (2)  The joy of sitting down.

   

   The river from the Roman Bridge.

Then it was on and up, on the winding tarmac through Tor, city of dogs, before hitting open country again at Cerro das Corvas. A minor navigation error had us walk a couple of hundred metres further than necessary, but all was quickly rectified and we proceeded to climb, steeply at first and then more gently, up to the ridge leading west to the Benafim road. In Tor, we came across a typically idiosynchratic monument to the development of the community over many decades.

   Dinosaurs R Us.

   

    View from the climb to the ridge.

The rough short-cut track to avoid said road was not especially popular at the end of 20k, but it got us down through the olive grove and past the old lime-kiln, with only a k or so to go, when disaster struck. Trouble with Jasper is that he is so well-behaved that it is easy to forget him, and he was well ahead of me with the leading group when they reached the main road. Untypically, he charged into the road in front of a car which narrowly avoided him. Then he ran off, evading attempts to stop him.

Then followed at least a half-hour of searching and calling - many thanks to Catarina for helping out. We had returned to the bar where the rest of the group had gathered and were contemplating the next move when a tiny shape was seen moving on the track we had come down earlier. I raced off in the car, recovered a very upset hound and took him back to the bar where there were cheers all round. Thus the usual end of walk gathering was not. Many thanks to all for your concern and assistance. Jasper is none the worse for his adventure.
Thanks also to John and Alan for photographic contributions.

           Butter wouldn´t melt.....

   The track.

Distance: 22.6 kms

Total time: 6 hrs 8 mins

Moving time: 5 hrs 9 mins

Moving average speed: 4.4 kph

Ascent: 572 metres (felt more)

Lunch stop: a generous 24 mins

JohnH

A Jaunt into the Alentejo (or did he mean Joint)

Fourteen walkers gathered at the café at Malhao on 4th April 2018.

The walk leader arrived and hardly before he was out of his car, Jim sidled up and said he was so disappointed now that he had given up smoking as he had read that “we were going for a JOINT in the Alentejo.

As he walked away disappointed, Isabel strode up and asked about this JOINT we were going to and if there would be any Distinguished and Refined people there.

So I directed her to the U-Tube video that defines and told her to click below.

https://youtu.be/d8gJHFPyWxI

I told them that we were just going for a pleasant stroll in the countryside.

So it was a downcast group that lined up for the starting photo.

Those attending all had only 2 feet. The leader was a bit disappointed as he had arranged for quite a bit of water to be available on the walk.

John H, Sue M, Rose, Ros, Nick, Gill, Jim, and another Jim ( I can never remember which one is the good looking one), Hazel, Pam, Frank M, Isabel, Jan,  and last but not least is Susan from Cork ( the place from where the Jaunting cars come from and not the stuff in the photo further down). Also what is the name of the film in which John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara went courting on a jaunting car? Rose and Susan from Cork are not allowed to take part

At 09:30 prompt we were off. As we left the café, there were many attempts to count the nos. Eventually it was agreed that we were 15 or 14. Perhaps this was because John H has his new camera device and can take the photo and also be in it. I think that it was Nick who was counting that 14 lined up for the starting photo and assumed that John H was behind the lens.

As we walked through the village, we could see that spring was really here. This was not taken by John as you can see someone’s thumb and part of their hat in the top right corner. And I refuse to do photoshop or cropping, etc, You get what you get.

And we were off at a cracking pace. Nick was spotted breaking the 4km/hr speed limit.

The leader had to give them a good telling off, but as usual not everyone listened. I think the leader is better with dogs than walkers. He has such empathy with dogs.

At the 7km mark we met the water.

This was just bizarre.. Some wore blue suede shoes, others appear to be pulling “bloomers” over their feet. I think they stole them from the tree we passed on John H’s walk And then here comes Sergei Jim Bubka with his pole intending to just vault over the stream. See him just behind Ros.

But I do not think he is going to make it. His head is down and there is not the spring in his step that is needed

And then there were those who had hot feet and decided to cross it 3 times to retrieve their belongings that were too heavy to bring the first time, and so they left on the other bank.

And so up the hill and on reaching the Almodovar road, those who spend the walk talking, finally found where we had been.

After crossing a few more streams and some crossed more than others, we stopped for lunch

Some sat at the “low” table,but some made their way up the slope to the “high” table.

And there in in the middle of nowhere they were obviously cultivating  something. it was fenced in and protected. Was this the “WEED”  being grown for the Joints. When I told Jim that it was for the cattle, he trudged off disappointed.

And on we went, and then in the middle of the wilderness, when the leader was scratching his head at which path to take and thinking of retracing his steps to the sign that went to nowhere, all was revealed and we could take a road to everywhere.

We had a quick stop at Cork to placate the Irish, but there was no Jaunting car to be found. There was an elderly gentleman from Malhao, with his wheelbarrow collecting firewood whom I have seen every time that I have passed this spot. On reflection perhaps he was not that elderly. We surmised that he had been sent out by his partner to  get him out the house. Probably a bit like some of the AWW.

And then it was a drink.

The Portuguese do wear gorgeous hats, even if they are a bit flyaway.

But it takes a lot to beat the gorgeous Portuguese countryside. We are so lucky

And then there is some truth

Technical Details

Walked 17.44km

Time 09:30 till 14:30. Thirty minutes for lunch, but Ros still not able to finish her oranges, but she was one of those who hiked up to the high table.

Average walking pace 3.99km/hr

Elevation gain 350m

Frank M

4th April 2018