AWW VA Day 14 , November 9, 2022: Salir to Alte....or a walk of changing numbers

 AWW VA Day 14 , November 9, 2022: Salir to Alte....or a walk of changing numbers

17 hearty walkers signed up for this stage of the VA which had been recceed by Terry M and Ros , a few days earlier in the rain : unfortunately, this persisted on the day of the walk. We met at  the Ponte  cafe in Alte to have a quick coffee, shelter and car-shared to Salir.The vanguard had proposed that we  started/finished at certain cafes, but were "persuaded" to start/finish at the places we started /finished on previous VA days.  Unfortunately, the rain seemed relentless, and Frank and his two visitors decided the warmth of the cafe was preferably, so wimped out, making it 14.

The wimpers

While others waited outside, most opted for a half hour delay and another coffee...

Terry declared the rain was easing, and it was time to go....or at least, get a starter photo:

L to R : Jim,  Alan, Ros, Ken, Miriam, Terry M, Geoff, Martin, Sue, Fergal, Susan, John, Ros, Gill...and Bica & Rafa....Fergal unfortunately obscured by raindrop!

Off we set  in a drizzle....

...with discussion about a whipround to buy Martin a new cape....

Martin returning to cafe to get backpack

16km in the rain seemed a long way...

Fortunately, the sun soon came out and we disrobed...

Passing Bill and Ben  ( & Weeeeed).....

....and a decorated tree and wall...

We passed a sign saying to turn right, but the leaders iognored it....we then passed a " not this way " sign, which the leaders still ignored....

Bica's thinking....." silly humans, can't they see the sign? It isn't that way!"

Anyway, we had faith, eventually, in the leader when he said that they had followed the signs on the recce and ended up going in a circle. We gave him the benefit of the doubt and trudged up the hill, for which no VA walk can be without...

Onward and upward

The keener observer was then rewarded by the sight of a cistus, dating back to the original AWW pathfinders. The first I had seen on a wooden post, but David has said they used any convenient surface, preferably rock. This one looked as if it had either weathered very well, or someone had touched it up...

It was now sunny and warm : the forecasts were correct, but an hour out!

Terry was planning to have lunch in Benafim, but the site of a convenient wall caused a change of heart..

Though this group thought they had better see how safe this seat was for children....

...which it seemed to be, even with Alan testing it's bouncy capacity...

Eileen thought she had better stop there, and await a lift back later, so we were 13.Lunch must have gone to some people's heads, as we soon discoverd we had then lost half the group . By this stage, we were down to 6, much more than the permitted 10% wastage,  so Terry went looking for them & eventually found them....moral : don't talk and walk!

But he did take the opportunity of photographing the sqauare where we should have had lunch , where a local maiden had once posed....

Ken's hip was playing up, so he took the short cut back, guided by Jim and aided by Miriam & Bica....so back to 10. 

We had the rare treat of a downward slope ( the main reason why the walk wasn't Alte to Salir!) :

The advance party met up with Ken, Miriam and Jim at the Fontes...so back to 13...

Before a quick walk back to the cafe , a drink and carshare back to Salir.

The map and stats  shows Terry's circular detour looking for the lost walkers!

Many thanks to Ros and Terry for the recce and leading....Ros now has to do it a third time with Marian who was awol in UK. Thanks to Alan and Ros for photos, rest are mine, and Terry for stats.

Geoff