WAGS 13.10.2021: Season Opener: Never admit you are lost!!

 

Mea Culpa! The tardiness of this blog is entirely my fault, as the New Rod had caught me by surprise by sending his walk report to me by 4pm on Thursday. Somehow my computer was astonished as well, so it failed to notify me of the arrival of the precious document, and it was not until I queried John this morning as an afterthought in case Rod had entrusted him with the report, that he replied -Didn't you get it yet?

It had actually shown up on the mail app on my phone and also been missed among the welter of ads from Chinese online merchants clamouring for business, and other ads of a more delicate nature.. It certainly had not been blocked because of excessive file size, and here it is below. He had set a personal record for compiling it because he was soon to jet off back to England, and as I usually had to remind him to send his script on Sunday arvo, it was most unexpected. Whether you would have seen this blog much sooner remains a mystery, but John had also sent about 20 photos for my perusal.

     This being the season opener for the 2021 - 2022 session, I should really have opened a new blog, but that may come later.

     The season finale of the 2020 - 2021 Season had been back on 23 June when this had been the starter photo:-

The new Season was started by these doughty WAGS below:-

Starters for 2021-2022 Season at the Barragem de Bravura

   Well I can hardly start a 'Spot the Difference Competition' on the basis of those two photos, but if you scrutinise them closely, you may notice only the absence of Dina. but I heard quelqu'un a murmure, that Dina had run off to the French Foreign Legion who carried out manoeuvres on Tuesdays.

     By now you may have realised that being one of the earlier members of the AWW and having known Rod for some time, I had pretended to sign up for the walk, but at the last minute, put on a brave face and had to cancel for an (unspecified) ailment of the leg. Ingrid also did not participate, which was odd as she had initially been the volunteer leader of a Carrapateira walk on 13th, but we switched to maximise the attendance (of which more later). Was it intuition, cowardice or Divine Intervention that led me to believe that no good would have befallen me if I had followed Rod once more into the breach. I had only to look at the faces of the Forlorn Four that went with him as they straggled and staggered in to the Lopo cafe at Odiaxere at about 1350 hours, to realise I had called it right for a Lunch Only Outing.

Anyway, without more ado, here is Rod's report interspersed with John's excellent pictures.

 

Right at the start Hazel told Yves his new stick was too short

 (what did she know about his old one?)

« Was it the absence of breakfast, the late hour or maybe the warm weather but only a modest turnout for the first winter seasonal walk comprising John and Hazel, Yves, Myriam and the undersigned. Warm it indeed was by the time we set off from the Barragem de Bravura carpark at 10.00. The route was of course only decided upon at the last minute and, as afterwards researched by John, turned out to be a virtual re-run of one undertaken in May 2012. Then of course we were 10 years younger, which  became increasingly obvious as the walk wore on!  

Long sharp first descent 

from the other direction.

After walking along the tarmac road for a few hundred meters we turned off onwards the river (well it might have been been once) valley. This involved an extremely sharp descent down a recently bulldozed and very unstable track, which was patiently and safely navigated by everyone. At the bottom we admired the near vertical track which Paul in a more youthful and energetic moment of madness once led us up, but this time we  went the other way! 

NSFW (Not Suitable For WAGS)

Library photo from top of that fabled ascent

 This took us up the long and still wild track heading east. After climbing gradually we came upon a turning to the left which as evidenced by John's photographic records once headed towards Miseria. 

Another Library Photo (Rod did not have a spare pink shirt in his pack for photo opportunities)

The sign is no longer there.

Had that sign still been there we probably wouldn't have headed that way but anyway we did. Actually to start with  it was quite attractive passing by a very pretty agricultural dam (* pano photo at start of blog) which, somehow not very obvious, was almost full. The Miseria came later with a long and increasingly hot plod up to the main track along the  north-south ridge, where we headed north. It was really warming up...around 30º by this time... so we were only momentarily tempted by a short diversion to the trigpoint. 

Myriam was wilting a little and when she found a ledge seat nailed to a tree.........

..........she sat on it.

New WAGS -Style TOTPP - Trig point well behind and above the group.

The temptation passed and the track swung west along a very recently erected wire fence. Whether this was to keep anything in or out was unclear but in any event it still had a number of openings which would have defeated either purpose.  The track wound on and grumblings about the heat and distance became more audible until eventually we came upon the ancient farm ruins beside which 10 years ago, again  according to John's records,  we stopped for refreshments.

Elevenses at the Old Farm - The Way we Were! Who was the mystery woman on the right with pink sleeveless top and Tilley?(Sue Hill?)

 This time there was little left for us to refresh ourselves, so on we plodded until at a major cross roads we joined a track we had more recently  used and from this point it was pretty much all downhill. 

Landscaping in progress. Water level very low.

This whole area from here all the way down to the dam lake had recently been entirely denuded of its covering of eucalyptus, so we had a very different and uninterrupted view of the lake. Well once it was a lake but the water level must now be at an all time low.

Nice view of depleted reservoir

From the dam.

By now Paul had been a couple of times on the phone enquiring about our ETA at the Cafe in Odeaxere as he had already been there about an hour and having finished breakfast was keen to get started on lunch. By then we were  quite keen to get there ourselves so we pushed on and eventually regained our equilibrium at the hands of the ever friendly and most efficient owner of the Cafe Lopo.

So, at 9.8k this was within WAGS parameters distance wise but at 3 1/2 hrs this was a long time in the heat and accounts for the rather stroller type average speed of 2.7kph.  Next week a rather more gentle seaside walk is promised. »

The track

The stats (click to enlarge)

Thanks Rod and sorry for doubting you. As a tribute to your style of leadership, sense of direction and adventurous navigation, here is Bing again, reprising his role in the 23.06.2021 Blog

     Yes as Rod noted, I had been at Cafe Lopo for an inordinate time, batting off attempts by locals and Tourists to share my jealously guarded table for 6. Chris and Antje were allegedly moving house and had decided not to relax from the necessary stress that entails. I consoled myself with the thought that I was not out in the 30C heat contending with lots of undulations.

     On their return Rod triumphantly announced that he had kept within WAGS parameters but the expressions on the faces of the 4 lost sheep told a different story. (except Yves of course who managed to maintain his normal grimace for the camera.

Is Yves grinning at appropriating John's large shandy or grimacing with the after effects of the walk. Rod seems to have shrunk!!

        The host at Churrasqueira Lopo was on form and dispensed welcome shandies, iced tea and sundries.

Frango piri piri and chips

Standard Bifana

Myriam as usual went for the prato do dia which turned out to be a veal stew, but I can't find a photo, so I will take a leaf out of John's book and use a library photo!

What Myriam wishes her lunch had looked like.

To finish on a more serious note, it seems that the WAGS are in decline, for one reason or another in terms of attendance, The circulation list is 22, but we are aware that some are retired from walking , but just enjoy the news. If you are anticipating that you will walk this season, please send me an affirmation. It is the same 5 or 6 people every week, and if there are few others we will not need to consider the location for our meeting. Granted that every one except Terry is W of Silves, then we need to decide where we want to walk, how far and with what level of difficulty in terms of ascent. I would also like to only have to circulate to the WhatsApp group and we are getting close with Hilke and Frank signing up to WhatsApp.

    Please, if you have any thoughts on the subject let us know. And especially if you want to lead a walk that you feel you can manage and would interest others, no matter how short or flat it is, -  likewise. Or just turn up for the Apres Walk activities.  We need your support.