WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY, 2023 - A STROLL AMIDST THE HILLS AND GLENS OF BENSAFRIM

 WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY, 2023 - A STROLL AMIDST THE HILLS AND GLENS OF BENSAFRIM

Back row: Darren, Geoff, Julia, Jim, Gill, Vyv, Trish and John

Front row: Ness, Linda, Toby (wee dug), Bruce, Alan, Steve and Sue

A special welcome to AWW newbies and guests

Off we go, onwards and upwards to a green and pleasant land.

First excitement of the day, processional caterpillars  in action, and a nest on an adjacent pine tree, and this would not be the last sighting of these evil little critters!

Next we are striding out, enjoying the panoramic scenery when our leader calls the group together, to advise that up ahead there is a private sign, a tape across the track,  and that beyond for 30 metres, the track has been excavated. Our leader assures that it’s less than a kilometre until we’ll be out of the property and that this barrier will be for vehicular traffic and certainly not for us walkers!!!

We proceed and shortly afterwards we become aware of a wee agitated man coming down an adjacent hill towards us, shouting and waving his arms about.
(perhaps another local Scottish rugby fan still celebrating recent victories?)

At first our leader urges us to press ahead, but as we close towards the wee man, it becomes apparent that he is quite a big man and he seems enraged. The group comes to a halt and Jim announces that he’ll go sort things out.

We can all hear the wee (big) man shouting louder (blue in the face) as Jim approaches him, “NAO CAMINO!”.

Now Jim is no linguist but he used the full range of his Portuguese…, calme, calme, followed by escouta, escouta…, this seemed not to advance matters.

By this time, Bruce had followed in support of Jim and he proposed that a demand be made on the big man…, “SHOW US YOUR TITLE DEEDS!”
Bruce, for whom a later life career in the diplomatic service surely awaits?

In short time, Jim and Bruce returned to the group confirming that we may not continue on our intended route, but claiming credit for having negotiated (!!!) an alternative exit route.

Our leader leads, and shortly we are off piste, a rough descent and a bog crossing before we are back on track. There were murmurings of an absent friend…, who goes by a name that incorporates a description, for “small” and the Portuguese word, “madeira”…!

Excitement over for now, spring flowers, upwards onto a ridge, then descending to “QUINTA DA ESCOCIA (a Scottish farm),… 

"we’ve been here before "commented Geoff ( though not today !) and a little later we tried to encourage Geoff up a very steep hill :

...but " I’m not going up there, I know it’s down and over there…, to PINCHO and lunch!"

                                                   The lunch spot, too comfortable by half!

And after lunch, as advertised, quite flat, only one more hill, but not without excitement,… water crossings, and quite a few!

An exhausted crew were glad to arrive back in Bensafrim and to our private members club… what a day!

We had to let our newbies and guests know that we cannot guarantee this level of excitement every week!

DATA SHEET

Distance: 20.7 kms

Start to Finish Time: 6 Hours!

Elevation Gain: 567m

Walking Time: 5 Hours, 24 minutes

Walking Pace: 3.9 kms/hour

Finally, Jim & Gill would like to thank Geoff, Alan and all the VA Team for the beautiful gift Geoff presented to us today, an amazing book, photos, blogs and poetry, our entire Via Algarviana journey from Alcoutim to Cabo Sao Vicente. We appreciate all the time and effort it must have taken to create.



We will both treasure this book for the rest of our lives, the memories it will bring back when we are too old and knackered to walk the walk; an astonishingly beautiful visual and narrative record, worthy of a place in the Via Algarviana history archives!

Multo obrigado and “a”!
xxx!

8 February 2023...Rasmalhio

 As original weather forecast was for lots of rain there were a few messages asking if the walk was still going ahead. Then the phone calls early in the morning as it was pouring down in the East.  We had clear skies in Portimao so, the walk was on and only Alan declined. He did warn us that the rain was headed our way.

John, Jim, Su, Gill, John D, Bruce, Ness, Jan, Frank, Julie, Trish, Ros, Tony. Plus Linda the photographer and Toby the dog.

We headed out beside the river and then climbed up the valley. 

We had a nice long flat stretch to enjoy the views and the newly sprouted purple Heather.

A brief stop at the crossroads whilst the leader got in front to check the correct route.

 Luckily the route markers were still in place.

Just as we decided to stop for lunch the rain clouds came along so it was a very quick lunch sheltering under the trees and our raincoats.

We set a hasty speed to get away from the clouds which were hanging over Monchique behind us.

The leader had to have a photo taken in the high viz pink raincoat.

Homeward bound back down the valley.

We could now enjoy the clear skies again and started to dry off and warm back up.

We encountered more puddles on the return.

Back to the warmth of the cafe and the log fire.

We completed the 16kms in just over 4 hours, including the short lunch/raincoat stop.

 AWW Wednesday 1^st February 2023 – Around the Alfontes countryside and hills

On a beautiful sunny but cool February morning our walkers arrived from all parts of the Algarve. Fresh from her Austrian ski adventures Jan needed some extra navigational advice as did Sue despite Karen’s best efforts. 

The 14 walkers were (from left): John, Jim, Gill, Mark, Trish, Sue, David, Ros, Julie, Jan, Karen, Kim, Tony and Rafa.

Sadly, with no local coffee shop available we set off down the hill to begin our hike enjoying the beautiful sunlit countryside.

But soon we came to the start of a long slow climb to the highest point in the walk with some stragglers bringing up the rear.

Some stragglers of the Viking nation were finding the going tough and were quite a way behind.

Fortunately this seemed like a good time for a water / banana break which allowed our stragglers catch up with the group.

 

Tony, helpful as ever was providing sweeper cover.

After our short break we headed downhill to a nice flat narrow path alongside the dry riverbed.

Along the riverbed path we came across a buggy where Kim was hoping someone might push him the rest of the way!

But eventually we reached out lunch spot a sunny old bridge wall.

Even in winter it is scary to see how dry the riverbed was:

After lunch we began the slow climb up from the river valley:

where we reached a short quiet road section before turning off again into the hillside.

Nearing the end now we climbed a final hill up to our parking spots and a short wait for our rearguard allowed time to admire the views:

A final drink in the busy local cafe was very much welcome with some of our hikers looking like there needed it.

Many thanks to everyone, total distance 17.1km, 249m ascent, stats and map below for reference.

Martin