VA Day 8 Odelouca (middle of nowhere) to Monchique

February 3rd 2022

Prelude 0900:  Ken: " Have you seen the car keys?"

                Miriam; " No"

                Marian: " Ros, we need to go to the police station, I've lost my phone"

                0930: Geoff: "Marian you left your phone in my car last night"

                0945: Miriam: " Gill, go without us we still can't find the keys"

                10.00 Miriam: "We've found the keys wait for us!

                10.15  Jan "Where are they all? I'm sure they said we'd all meet in the middle of                                 nowhere. There's no phone coverage here"

                1045 Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, the motley group finally convene after                         quite a sick inducing drive round the scenic bends overlooking the Odelouca                             barragem.

L to R: Ros, Ken, Miriam, Bica, Susan, Gill, Jan, Jim, Sue, Geoff, John, Maria and Alan.

So our illustrious leader had told us it was going to be a wet day (i.e we'd be crossing rivers and also that we would have a spa opportunity)

Off we set without a care in the world - 45 minutes late, some of us stressed, some full of anticipation at what might lie ahead.

After a short stroll we arrived at the first water crossing.  Some chose to wear beach shoes, others decided to risk the stepping stones.

At this stage we were told that in actual fact this was just a short detour to the spa and that we'd have to return this way again later.  Lots of grumbling at this stage and Gill was heard to call Jim an unmentionable name but we carried on up through some steep rocks and a twisty path.

And then we came upon a spa .... right in the middle of nowhere (deja vu?!)

Jim assured us the water was really warm

Don't think Ken was bending down to wash Susan's feet

Note the paisley swimming shorts!

And  we all had to clamber back down again

And then of course, you've guessed it, we had to cross the 3 rivers again.

 So by then we'd covered 4 km and achieved nothing of the VA walk.  More mutterings were heard in the ranks. But allegedly this deviation was to avoid the nasty English lady with the dogs who would not allow any walkers over her land even though the VA had gone that way since the beginning. Jim and Gill's previous encounter with her plus the involvement of the GNR meant we really could not risk going through her land. So Jim put the detour in to keep the distance correct.

We headed onwards and upwards knowing that the hardest part of the day, the climb up to Picota was still a long way in front of us.

Lunch was by then very late and very welcome. We could see Picota and knew it was gong to be a tough afternoon.

Overlooking the Odelouca barragem again.

We just kept going up. By then most of the chatter had stopped and it was heads down, one foot in front of the other.

A welcome mini break

The mimosa was in full blossom

And so we made the final push/climb up to the top of Picota.  By then the wind had got up and the clouds were rolling in so we only stayed long enough to capture the moment.

And of course what goes up must come down! 

 

Are we nearly there yet?

And so to Monchique.  16.45 and a very long day. Back for a very welcome hot drink.

Later that night everyone enjoyed a lovely meal at a local restaurant.  The group gave Gill some champagne and Jim some wine as a thankyou present for all their hard work preparing for the 3 days.

Stats and map:

Distance 16.3 km

Moving time 4.37h

Ascent 800m

Descent 432m

Average speed 3.5km p hr