RTC 2002-9

RTC 2009: 7th and 8th December

Prologue:

So here goes: (with apologies to Tennessee Ernie Ford!)

(original words) 

You walk Round the Corner, and whaddaya gain?

Another Year Older and a lot more Pain!

St. Peter don't you call us 'cause we can't go,

We all owe dough to Myriam LO!!

   

The weather forecasts for the 2009 RTC, which was held later than normal to enable as much training as possible, as well as to take advantage of optimum tides for the beach crossings, varied from horrible to hopeful in the week before. In the event, it started off dry and mild, but very overcast, and not enough significant rain had fallen in the preceding days to make the early ascents and descents uncomfortable. In fact the first drizzle didn't start until we were descending to the long beach leading to Cordoama and the much needed coffee at Castelejo. The rain continued sporadically and reached a peak as we headed towards the lunch stop at the Coastguard House and then to Torre de Aspe. Then it cleared and we were able to sit outside Pastelaria Baia for our traditional post-walk drinks, on arrival in Sagres, unlike in 2008 when it was clear and sunny but much colder.

        The second day was back to normal with sun and clear skies for most of the day, and a surprisingly warm 18ºC, until the end at Luz where it was cooler, but not so much as to drive us inside.

Another regular feature of the RTC, along with the photo on the Quinta steps and the one sitting on the wall at Fort de Almadena, has been our habit of being selected by various dogs as suitable company for a walk! Last year we had one dog which attached itself to us around Burgau, and having arrived at Sagres, located us on the next morning and walked to Carrapateira.

   

This year we had a new dog on each day - one joined us before the descent to Praia de Barriga, which Myriam named 'Panda' (on the left) and 'Dusty' (right, having a well-earned rest.)

 

Panda abandoned us before the urbanised run in to Sagres with a better offer from one of a couple of Serra d'Estrela’s which were supposed to be guarding some corralled sheep and goats, but had broken free, and was dragging a heavy chain.

 

Dusty completed the course, and eventually followed us to the car park, but we had to leave him there. Hopefully, he will have found another group going back towards Sagres.

Day 1: Monday 7th December:- Carrapateira to Sagres

14 +2 start at Carrapateira

(Dinah took the photo)

  For the record, the walkers on the first day were: Chris, Myriam, Terry M., Yves, John H., Dina, Paul, John O', Rod, David, Gordon, Frank, Ian W., and Hilke.

Tiggy and Rosie made up the canine contingent.

The track from Carrapateira to Sagres (click to enlarge)

Day 1 Stats: 2009                                      2008             

Total Distance: 29.1 km.                                 28.8 km.

Moving Time: 6 hrs 16 min.                            6 hrs 38 min
Total Time: 7 hrs 45 min.                                 7 hrs 54 min
Moving Avg.: 4.6 km/hr.                                  4.3 km/hr
Overall Avg.: 3.8 km/hr.                                   3.6 km/hr
Total Ascent: 718 m.                                           621 m.
Max Elevation: 163 m.                                       160 m.

You may note that we apparently climbed 97m. more this year than last. Hard to explain, but not as odd as the  200 m. less we climbed on Day 2!

     

The pick up at Luz was done with military precision, with all arriving by 0700 hrs, and we piled the rucksacks, overnight bags and ourselves into 5 cars driven by Jyll, Diane, Dinah, Hazel and Vitor, and made it to Carrapateira by 0730 hrs.

       The GPS was fired up, cameras cocked, and the photographic formalities were completed on a surprisingly mild morning, most wearing only light fleeces, except for Frank who was sporting serious Fell Walking gear.

Disrobing before the first climb out of Amado beach

 
The first ‘heart-starter’

 

Going over the top…..

 

The tricky zig-zag descent before the next beach was pretty much as before except the sand had piled up into the ‘V’ and made the last steps easier.

 
‘Do you need help or just a photo?

 

The early start at 0740 brought up the prospect of the tide not being far enough out to get round the next headland. With impeccable timing we were able to skip past in between waves although the ‘Seventh’ wave nearly caught the tail-enders.

Ready to dash for it

 

Just made it!

 

Hilke hits her rhythm

Single file only!

 

This saddle at the top of the narrow climbing path has always been a traditional spot to reassemble the group (and gather one’s breath) and pose for a photo.

 

The wild west coast cliffs – a totally different aspect from previous sunny walks with calmer seas. Photo by John H.

 

The photo does not do justice to this narrow goat path with a steep drop away to the sea.
 

Another spectacular coastal shot by David

 

Myriam captured this shot of the group against a steel gray sky. Evidently I am not as cold as some of the others after that climb!

 
‘Spot the Tilley’ competition!

 

Spectacular pillar on another steep ridge climb

 

As we were descending the ‘easy’ route down towards the start of the long beach walk to Castelejo, the weather forecast came true and we had an emergency stop to don raingear. Rod tries to look nonchalant with his double-ribbed parasol, but it proved less than effective when the winds started to swirl.

At last the long flat bit with a coffee at the end!  This gave our photographers a chance to exercise their art with some wonderfully atmospheric shots, quite unlike the clear shadow-filled shots of last year. This by John H.
 

Still raining

 

Stretching out as the front runners push to be first for coffee!

 

Well-waterproofed 

 

Aaah caffeine!

We reached the beach bar at Castelejo at about 1130 am., and the drizzle started to ease, though we sat inside to stay warm and dry off a bit. We were met by the support group, Antje and Hilary, Phil and Susan, who had some very nice biscuits to go with our coffee.

Though Chris had considered this to be an optional drop out point, he was going so well that even contemplating the last climb to the Coastguard House, he decided to stay the course.

 

The last climb of the day!

 

The rain has (temporarily) stopped and we gained height rapidly.

 

Moody view of Castelejo Beach and the north

 
60’s Rock Band re-united! 

 

Lunch in the lee of the Coastguard House. 

 

The Torre de Aspe was in low cloud and swirling drizzle

 

One and a half  hours later we were back in summer for the stroll in to Sagres

 

Reaching the outskirts of Sagres in the sun 

 

Now that wasn’t so bad!

 

Taking the medicine.

The first day’s walk ended well, in sunshine, and warm enough to sit outside Pastelaria Baia, unlike last year when it had been sunny all day, but cooler. We had made a very good overall time – perhaps thanks to the early part of the walk when the drizzly conditions kept us moving. Everyone appeared to be in good condition and ready for the evening’s festivities.



Evening Day 1- The Dinner at Vila Velha 

         In a departure from previous years, the pre-dinner drinks were held in Vila Velha, where the atmosphere was warmer, and there was no need to move too far to the tables. Monday was normally Lia’s night off, but she had opened especially for us, and we had a good attendance of the 14 walkers and another 11 supporters. These were Jyll, Mike, Antje, Hazel, Vitor, Dinah, Diane, Phil, Susan, Uli, and Hilary.
 

Myriam briefing Lia 

 

Uli and Hilke

 

Dina and Myriam in the pink!

 

Frank,  John O’ and Yves

An Englishman, and Irishman and a Frenchman went into a pub…..

A Frenchman,  an Irishman and an Englishman are talking together after some rigorous exercise.

'I'm so tired and thirsty,' moaned the Frenchman, 'I think I must have a glass of wine.'

'I'm so tired and thirsty,' murmured the Irishman, 'I think I must have a Guinness.'

'I'm so tired and thirsty,' muttered the Englishman, 'I think I must have diabetes.'

 

Ian W. and Vitor

 

Gordon, Susan, Phil and Hazel

 

Susan and Phil

 

Hazel in a generous mood! 

Uli and Diane

Frank and Jyll                                               Rod and Antje

Myriam wearing last year’s fashion 

A selection of 'bon viveurs'

The dinner was excellent, with some ravenous diners over-estimating their capacity (Guilty Your Honour!) and overdoing the delicious anti-pasti, hors d'oeuvres, couvert or appetisers! The fish course on it's own would have been a sufficiency but when the pork appeared I had to admit defeat and calculated with precision the exact quantity of wine it would take to lull me to sleep.
      Myriam appeared to have exhausted her camera battery, and I was already fearful of the amount of editing and selection I would have to do for this Blog, so John H. was virtually the sole photographer and nearly all of the foregoing are from his camera.
       Rod, as usual put the whole occasion in  perspective with a short and witty speech, and for once we were permitted to sit in our original seats all night, as Ian S. was not there to  attempt to rearrange the seating positions!
       I can't recall what time we eased off towards the Hotel after thanking Lia and her staff for their magnificent repast, but it didn't seem long before the alarm went off next to my ear, heralding the start of Day 2.

Day 2: Tuesday 8th December:-Sagres to Luz


       Still dark as we blearily made our way from The Navigator to Pastelaria Baia for our pre-ordered breakfasts.  The Baggage Teams had been up earlier and the cars were open for loading.  As I approached the Café with Rod, I saw a couple of walkers standing outside (you know who you were!) and I thought the worst - Sr. Emanuel and Maria José had failed to set their alarm clock and were not yet open - but I needn't have worried - the half asleep early arrivals had not been sufficiently awake to turn the door handle fully!

John H soon arrived with his 'Big One' and the record could start again!

 

Day 2 Stats:- 2009                                     2008

Total Distance: 26.9 km                               26.7

Moving time: 6 hrs 30 min.                      6 hrs 50 min

Total Time: 8 hrs 28 min.                         8 hrs 12 min

Moving Average: 4.1 km/hr                          3.9 km/hr

Overall Average: 3.2 km/hr                           3.2 km/hr

Total Ascent: 861 m.                                    1078 m.

Max Elevation: 83 m.                                     85 m.

New Feature:

Average age of walkers: 64.666 years (Source: Ask Myriam!) 

Somehow we managed to climb over 200 m. LESS than last year on this leg. Partially made up for the 97 m. more we did on Day 1!  Not sure how, but it couldn’t possibly be faulty technology, or the fact that we went in the opposite direction! Any suggestions please!

Day 2 Track

 

John warming up

 

The Breakfast Club including Sr. Emanuel, the owner.

Second day starters were as the first day except that Frank retired on the grounds that he had come to his senses, Ian W. had a recurrence of his earlier ‘snuffles’  and Hazel substituted as planned, and carried the torch for John – but not the camera

When John got the above photo back from the chemists, we noted a spooky phenomenon. Behind the group, apparently inside the bar,  a strange face loomed between Yves and Terry! Could this have been a ghost of RTC Past? Does anyone recognise a lost friend or a relative who is spiritually disturbed and unable to accept his fate peacefully?

The sun was rising with scattered clouds,at 0740 as we set off, but it was reasonably warm already and good prospects for the walk ahead.  After 8 RTC walks, the majority conclude that the leg from Sagres to Luz is the toughest, despite being a couple of Km shorter, and to do this as the second day makes it tougher still.
   However there is a school of thought that if you walk from Sagres to Carrapateira on the second day, then all the tough climbs come right at the end of the day when you are least motivated to bound up and down those longer hills.

     If there is an RTC 2010, then we will put it to a democratic vote – or how about from each end towards the middle?

 

First landmark – The Quinta

 

The traditional ‘Quinta steps’ photo

 

The plateau stage with a large herd of sheep and goats

 

Great shot by David of a breaker approaching the ‘Hippy’ beach 

 

Gordon leads the charge up the slope towards Ingrina

 

Arty view by Paul of Ingrina beach

 

Starting the descent towards Praia de Fornos

The ‘ovens’ can be seen at the far side of the beach under the ridge which we are destined to climb.

 

This miradouro has a tiled floor, wonderful views and apparently was built for wining and dining al fresco, by some acquaintances of Rod who own the land, but cannot build there!

Starting the climb out of Fornos requires a bit of scrambling and a head for heights, but the final views back to the beach are wonderful……….

 

….and the reward when right up the top is the sight of ‘The Disney House’, which seems to have augmented it’s wind turbine since last year!

 

Hazel celebrates surviving the climb.

Apparently John  told Hazel that the second day was easier, so that is why she chose to walk to Luz. This demonstrates the validity of seeking a second opinion!

 

Yellow sandstone (as opposed to grey sandstone and red sandstone!) We are getting spread out here!
  

The rearguard cautiously negotiate the ‘Wall of Death’ coming in to Salema. The vanguard are probably sitting down to coffee about now! Discipline must be enforced!

 

A welcome break

Salema, which the last of us reached just before 1 pm.,  is always a good spot for lunch where we can sit comfortably and gorge on our sandwiches with real coffee with the proprietor’s blessing. We were met by Phil and Susan, Vitor and John. Dina had been struggling with a rubbing boot, and changed to trainers here. Rod made some terse remarks about those in front being unsympathetic to the slower walkers behind.

 

Ready to move on from Cafe Solmar, Salema.

At Salema, Chris concluded that he had nothing more to prove and went for an early shower. Hazel was asked if she would like to join him (not in the shower) but she showed true grit and despite being tired, pressed on.
The next highlight was ‘The Ascent of Gordon’s Gully’.  Phil had already been Up the Gully with Susan, to achieve a FTF (First to Find’) of my new cache hidden  there on Sunday. I had reccied the Official Route through the gully some two weeks earlier and was delighted to note that the sea had helpfully pushed a vast quantity of sand up the beach to cover the slippery seaweed-strewn rocks which were exposed on that occasion

 
 

Up the Gully- with a smile!



Myriam, Dina and Rod pick their way to the top

That intrepid Snaparazzi, John H had outflanked us and reached Boca de Rio before us, hoping to get some action photos of the river crossing. Alas it was disappointingly low, and we crossed dryly at the seaward end.


Showing superb navigational skills, John then leapt in his car, and reached the Fort de Almadena before most of the walkers. Here he took this historic photo of the group sitting (as usual) on the historic wall of the Fort. Rosie was fed up with being photographed and stood on the wall behind Yves, so ‘Dusty’ seated himself at David’s feet and posed beautifully If you enlarge the photo and could see through Rod’s head you would be able to see the starting point for the day – or at least the Hotel Navigator.

 

Last year I pioneered a ‘more interesting’ route through the ‘boreens’ of Burgau, and the triumph was repeated in the reverse direction this year. This avoided going along the main road and then trying to force a way through the building sites to get back on the cliff tops.

 

Not far now!! 

 

These boxes have been finished since we came past last year, and David was sufficiently impressed to take this shot.

On the way in, John ambushed us by appearing from behind a bush at the end of The President’s Path. The ladies were surprised and I suspect they thought he was a ‘flasher’! But only with his camera!



Just before 4pm we make our triumphal entry into Luz. with a gala welcome by Dinah, Tina, Ingrid,  Alex, Marguerite, Hilary,  Ginny, Brian, Gail and Ian S., who had arrived complete with crutches and a quite unjustified thirst!

Another successful excursion round the most South-Westerly corner of Europe.  As I announced at dinner, the franchise is up for sale, particularly the joy of sifting through 457 photos, and compiling the Blog – during which I lost over an hours work when the Vox Blog I started deleted itself on a whim, and a later electricity failure at a crucial point on this blog when I lost 2 hours work!!


"Leaders don't inflict pain -- they share pain."   Depree, Max


"When we are young we take pains to be agreeable, and when we are old we take pains not to be disagreeable."    Unknown

RTC 2009: 7th/8th December 2009

Below is a taster for the RTC Blog for 2009. I found it next to impossible to compose the Blog this year in Vox because of incredibly low loading speeds and the propensity to lose work for no apparent reason!!

The real Blog for the event this year is at:  http://rtc2009.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy it,
                     Paulo

The 8th time we have held this annual event, and only the second time we have had any rain, although it certainly wasn't as gloomy as the forecasts would have us believe.

Starters at Carrapateira

RTC 2008:- 18/19th November 2008

Day 1 Luz - Sagres

Op (st)art by Andy WarHope

Prologue

       A couple of  months before this year's RTC, someone (I think it was Mike) suggested that it would be nice to attempt it in the reverse direction.  We had only done this once before, in 2005, although the concept had been mentioned and rejected last year. Logistics were a concern this year, as we were a large group, originally 17, Terry's van was not available and so it seemed practical for us all to start at the meeting point in Luz, and rely on the attrition rate to reduce the numbers requiring collection from Carrapateira on the second day.
        The T- shirts were ordered, proudly setting out our direction of travel.

Fashion shoot

         A couple of weeks before the start date, someone (I think it was Mike) remarked that it was jolly windy from the north, and he wouldn't fancy toiling into the teeth of a gale all the way from Sagres to Carrapateira on the second day.
I am always open to suggestions, and monitored the weather closely on the Internet, until the weekend before it assured me that the winds would veer to the ENE, and so made the executive decision to go with the original plan. As my luck held we had glorious clear weather, cool enough to make it comfortable when on the march, and the winds were quite light and largely north-easterly. It was too late to change the T-shirt anyway!

RTC2008 Day 1 Track

Those that want to examine this track in more detail click HERE

Day 1 Stats
Total Distance: 26.7 km; Moving Time: 6 hrs 50 min; Total Time: 8 hrs 12 min.; Moving avg.: 3.9 km/hr; Overall Average: 3.2 km/hr; Total Ascent: 1074 m.; Max Elevation: 85 m.


Day 1 Starters
Paul, Myriam, Mike, Rod, Andrew, Lindsey, Ian S. Terry A, David, Chris, Antje, Terry M, Maria, Kevin, Gordon, Andrew Mc. and Maddy and Rosie (until Burgau).

Hilke originally had signed up, but was stricken with a cold a few days before, and scratched as a precaution. Terry M. had emailed at length about his possible withdrawal, but Myriam diagnosed it over the internet as 'man flu', and he manfully recovered in time to start.

Starting line up

We were ably supported by the Administration Operatives (aka Bag Ladies), led by Jyll and enthusiastically helped by Marguerite, Dinah, Danielle, Hilary and John.

The Leaving of Luz

And so at around 0745 am, 16 of us plus Maddy and Rosie, set off on a cool but sunny morning along the esplanade leading from Luz to points west.  I was up the front, but before long I noticed that we had been joined by a woman and her dog. I at first assumed she was just a morning walker who had tagged on for some company

Cool despite the sun

but as she reached Salema with us, I learned that this was Kathy, who in 2005 had invited herself and her then boyfriend along to walk from Sagres to Luz with us!  Apparently she had met Rod the previous week at a Gourmet (or Gourmand) extravaganza, and under the influence of some extremely fine wines, he had blurted out that we would be doing the RTC again soon. He probably thought nothing of it, but she evidently took this as an invitation, and had turned up as we left Luz,
complete with spaniel and slick tennis shoes. Soon

after Salema, she was struggling, despite the encouragement of Ian S. in the rear, and had to be shown a red card!
     I had been dissatisfied with the route through Burgau the previous year as the party had split with some opting to take to the tarmac early in the race for Kelly's Bar, because of the new building. Myriam and I reccied the link and found a nice new path along the narrow streets which led us out on to the cliff early. David had to meet Dinah and hand over Rosie in Burgau, as she is still a trainee, and with Terry for company managed to avoid the first hill.
It was nice to wind through the old part of the village and we were rewarded with some nice sea views from the terraces.

Along the terraces

  
Further along after Burgau, we made a rare sighting of a polar bear - which goes against the current theories of Global Warming!!

It's behind you!!!

Just past Barrancao, we found that the owner of the guest house had made an even more determined effort to block the cliff path, and we took the alternative down his fence and though the front part of the property.

Thou shalt not enter!

A little further on we came to the Fortaleza and posed for the traditional photo on the wall, which was taken by Kathy with several of our cameras, causing not a little muttering in the ranks, in view of the time required to sit still!

16 atop the wall

      At the very next (unnamed) beach, where Ribeira de Vale Barao reaches the sea, we spotted a major joint forces operation preparing for a pollution clean up in case of an oil spill at sea. Luckily this was only training, but the size of the force there was impressive.

Anti-pollution training op.

  When we reached the beach we were pleased to see that someone had provided some stepping stones to cross the river.

Look before you leap

Lindsey's Ski Jump

A short climb up the other side of the beach, through the security gate, and we neared the top of Gordon's Gully. Again I had reccied the descent, to avoid any incidents, and though this was an option (another path available along the cliff, down to a road at the top of Salema), most, especially Gordon himself) enjoyed the route down.

Gordon and the Gully

 

By the seat of your pants

Lucky the tide was out!

Gymnastic effort

     A short walk along the beach and we were ready for 'elevenses' in Café Solmar, although it was only just 1030 am.

A welcome break!

It's not all hard work!

At some stage in Salema we were joined by a small stray dog, which set an example of behaviour which could be emulated by our more regular companions. She kept quiet, stayed near the front and never got under anyone's feet! Moreover she didn't beg when later on the sandwiches were produced.

Our new Best Friend

The next section was the famous 'wall of death' a good but vertigo inducing path round the cliffs.

The Wall of Death

Don't look down!

       There was a divergence of opinion after we climbed up and entered the pine forest. The path had moved since last year and led us deep into the scratchy bits. David made an early correct choice, but spoilt it soon after and made up for the hill he had omitted while going through Burgau.

       A very steep descent led finally to Praia do Forno where it was time for lunch. There was a strong wind whipping down the valley from the north, so it was nice to have the 'ovens' to shelter and sunbathe!

Lunch is in the oven!

Some do - some watch!!

Myriam on the rocks!

     After lunch it was a steep climb up, and everyone was going well.

Digestive climb!

    Up on the top, where it was relatively flat, Antje relaxed her concentration for a second, and a small rock moved and grabbed her foot resulting in a nasty tumble which not only winded her, but easily put her in the lead in the bloodletting stakes.  I wasn't callous enough to record the moment when she emerged bloodstained from the ruck, but Terry A whipped out his first aid kit, and she was soon plastered and ready to continue.

                        Note the 'claret' on her jerkin! Mike and Ian were quite jealous!

One round with a rock!

 Soon the steep descent to Zavial was a test for sore knees, and Ian's back was beginning to complain.
A short and pretty transition up the cliff edge over to Ingrina, and we were almost there, except for the descent to Barranco, and the climb to the plateau of Peniche.

Almost the last big descent for the day

I was temporarily delayed by an international geocaching phone call from two Dutch geocachers who needed some coordinates, so dropped behind, and David led the group down the steep way. Having lost sight of them I followed my track from last year on the GPS and found I was there before them. Of course they claimed they had been waiting for me, but my route was definitely easier!

Descent to Barranco

  The next stop was the Quinta, where we normally pose on the steps with the morning sun on our faces while heading east. However the sun was well round to the west now, and we needed a non-traditional arrangement to capture the light. The Gorilla Pod came into it's own and all 16 of us are shown:

Quinta steps

Martinhal Beach

From here we could almost smell the beer, and hastened down to Martinhal Beach where the pace perceptibly quickened!

The credit crunch doesn't appear to have reached Sagres yet, as there was a lot of building going on as can be seen by the cranes in the above picture.

Just over 8 hours after the start we were able to sit down out of the wind in Café Baia, where there was enough cold beer to restore our lost body fluids.

Myriam modelled the RTC T-shirt while the rest got stuck in, and were not really as gloomy as they look!!

There was plenty of time to relax before a welcome shower at the Navigator Hotel and pre- dinner drinks at the Pousada.


The Evening -refuelling!

     Nearly everyone gathered at the Pousada bar - a doubt was raised over Ian S. when he failed to be first to the bar, and didn't show until almost time to move on to Vila Velha. He professed to have fallen asleep, but this unusual excuse made the more observant suspect that he was carrying an old rugby injury.

Are you sure you need that?

 

Doing the admin!

Planning their next trip!

Still standing!

After Myriam had done the accounts, and extracted dues from all, we had precious little left to indulge in the Pousadas over-priced beverages. (Note to CB: We really must find somewhere else next time!)

With the precision of a military operation the assembled throng limped over to Vila Velha to a warm welcome from Lia and her staff, and a very pleasant evening.

                                                                       A selection of diners

Before the dessert, Rod made a short speech of thanks and encouragement to those continuing onward in the morning.

Rod in full flow!

The food, as usual was agreed to have been excellent, and the wine certainly flowed well. Andrew M. had obviously been sitting too close to the fire!!

Matching cheeks and socks!!

The party broke up at a reasonable hour, as custom decreed that breakfast would commence from 7 am at Cafe Baia.

Day 2: Sagres to Carrapateira

There was a good turnout for breakfast, only Danielle having returned to bed after the early morning rendezvous at the luggage vehicles.  Ian S. had made the decision to cede his place as Tail End Charlie, citing the after effects of a scrum in the under 15's, which he claimed Gordon knew something about.

As you can imagine, Maddy wasn't exactly keen on the idea of losing her walk, and her eyes showed it as she looked towards the walkers while restrained!

Maddy wants to walk with us!

Preparations were made for the group photo and we hoped to get a good one to print and present to the Café owners, so we had engaged a professional photographer.

The Professional Touch!

The photo was taken with Andrew showing immense understanding of the technology, and the result was this - one of a selection of 5 auto timer pix., none of which had everyone present and looking at the camera!

The Breakfast Club

Day 2 Track - Sagres - Carrapateira

(Click the map to go to a version that can be enlarged)

Day 2 Stats
Total Distance: 28.8 km; Moving time: 6 hrs 38 min.; Total Time: 7 hrs 54 min.; Moving Avg.: 4.3 km/hr;
Overall Avg.: 3.6 km/hr: Total Ascent: 621 m.; max Elevation: 160 m.

And so we set off through the outskirts of Sagres towards the Torre de Aspe which was the first stop.

Snapper snapped!

There was no sign of the little dog which had followed us from Salema the previous day, but unbelievably, as we were leaving Sagres she appeared in the road ahead of us and dutifully fell into position.

Sitting pretty

We successfully found the lovely path through the pine forest and before long the Torre appeared on the horizon about 8 km away.

Aspe in the distance

We made rapid progress and the wind was light, although it was very cool, and soon we were posing at the foot of the tower.

A break by the Torre de Aspe

As we had made such good time on this first section, and because David still had to hand Rosie back at the nearby crossroads, we decided to take the Coastguard House in as well, as the views would be magnificent!

Coastguard House

And the views were magnificent, and Dinah took a couple of pix after she arrived to collect Rosie.

From this point the 'middle way' descent gives great views if you can raise your head as it is very steep. Everyone coped very well, although some were much slower than others, but it didn't matter because a coffee stop at the Castelejo Cafe had been allowed in the schedule.

Going over the top!

Halfway down

After this welcome break, and every one had relaxed it was time for a bracing stroll along the beach. The walk dates are calculated round the tides to enabl us to have an easy 3 km, instead of having to go over several more cliffs if the tide is in.

We had the place to ourselves

A nice flat beach

About three quarters of the way along, Rod met a couple of friends.

Any chance of a lift?

After the beach we took the easy but longer option of a looping track back up to the cliff top. Then it was time for lunch as we had been on the go for about 4 hrs 30 min.

Lunch on the wall

 After a leisurely (by AWW standards) lunch there was another steep descent .........

Down we go again.

..............or two or three or more, and despite trying to pick out the best path up the next climb during each descent we (I)! did get it wrong at least once, resulting in much trampling through gorse and cistus where there should have been a nice clear path!

In the bush!

There was a minor panic on one of the last descents when a glimpse of the beach revealed that the tide was coming in. This descent ended in a gully much like the one that drops down into Castelejo, and in the past I recall having to encourage the slower descenders to make haste before the sea cut off the narrow access to the next climb. However when we reached the beach there was plenty of sand still available for walking on and we made the entrance to the climb easily.

Still on the Algarve Way!!

The 'escape' from the last beach

Reaching the top after this climb we could see Praia d'Amado which was where we would leave the coast to go inland to Carrapateira, and I received a phone call from John enquiring whether we would be 'in time for tea'.   I was sure I reminded him that "Mine's a Bohemia", and that we were only half an hour away, but when we got down to Amado, he and his camera were there, and so was Marg, and Maddy to welcome the conquering heroes home.

Destination - Café Bravo

Who's taking the photos then?

Thanks to John and Brian for coming to Carrapateira  to augment the official Bag Ladies Transportation Section.  As I sit writing this some 11 days after the event (well it takes some time to sort out 300+ photos) I am amazed at our continued luck with the weather - if we had attempted the walk during the cold and heavy rain of the last two days it would have been a completely different story!

Our extra canine companion, who did the whole walk with us from Salema was lucky that Dinah had some spare dog food with her, as she really deserved a good feed after her efforts.

Well deserved meal.

Unfortunately, no one was willing or able to adopt this lovely little dog, so she may well still be In Carrapateira.
Perhaps she will join us next year!

I had a large number of photos sent in to add to the ones that Myriam and I took, and I have put some of the best ones up on the web unsorted but available to view  HERE

"Forgive me my nonsense as I also forgive the nonsense of those who think they can talk sense." - Frost, Robert

This, then, is the test we must set for ourselves; not to march alone but to march in such a way that others will wish to join us.    Humphrey, Hubert H.

RTC 2007:- The Photo Competition Results.

        Owing to our absence on a visit to Macao and Hong Kong shortly after the RTC 2007 finished, I had barely time to cobble together the post below on the 2007 Event. The Photo Competition was therefore administered by the magic of the Interweb between the Chief Judge, Alex, and myself on a borrowed computer in Macao.
       I had the foresight to load all the contestants in the three categories on to the Flickr site, and Alex perused them online at his leisure and made his deliberations. Obviously to avoid any bias or fixing, I had to load the photos in random order and delete anything but the captions that could lead to identification of the photographer.
       There were three categories selected before the walk even started,  and these were:
                                               Athleticism/Spirit of the RTC;
                                               Sartorial Elegance;
                                               Best use of Foliage;

        The intention was to give the entrants encouragement to shoot on a theme, rather than point, click and hope for a good one! However, I had a feeling that this proved too much for some potential photographers, and with other notable paparazzi being away, in the end only myself, Myriam, Dinah, Andrew, Lindsey and Terry entered photos.

        So eventually, at the Christmas Lunch, Alex stood up and delivered his judgement. Embarrassingly, he had omitted to bring a slide show of the field to display, and I was unable to assist from my position at the lunch buffet in the Peninsula Hotel on the day in question!

       At last I have got round to posting the winning entries, and  here they are, in order and fully captioned:

Overall Winner

Overall Winner: The next climb! by Myriam

Category 1: Athleticism/Spirit

Winner:Bulldog Spirit by Dinah

2nd Place: Pressing on! by Andrew

Hon. Mention: Gordon's Gully by Myriam

Category 2: Sartorial Elegance

Winner: Art imitates life! by Paul

2nd Place:It's the thought that counts! by Andrew

Honourable Mention: Dressed for it! by Dinah

Category 3: Foliage.

Winner: Sea Saws! by Paul

Second Place: Need a rest? by Terry

Honourable Mention: Golden Nectar by Dinah

Well that was the art for this occasion. There were 47 photos entered by the 5 top photographers, and the prizes were bottles of fine wines and fortified spirits from Wine Mine (paid - not donated!!) In addition as prize for the overall winner, Alex printed, mounted and framed the winning shot for Myriam, and it graces our sideboard right now.
     Thanks to Alex for his critical acumen in selecting the winners, and for those who entered. As it was the second year of the competition, and it has shown that not always the best camera wins, I hope there will be more entries and competition next time.

RTC 2007 - 29th/30th November 2007

DAY 1 - 29th November 2007

Having laboured last year to arrange all the previous years' adventures in a readable and logical order, I find that this year's Odyssey has to appear just before the 2002 saga.  Tant pis as Yves would say!

(NB. All the pictures below can be enlarged for better viewing by clicking on them. You may then have to use your browser 'Back' button to regain the Blog)

PLUS:- Dinah has prepared a slide show of her photos which can be viewed here.

The Day 1 definitive track!
NB. Due to the way this has been uploaded you need to click on the map, and then on a button to the right marked 'view full size' and when that is loaded click on it again to get a clear large map. Then you can see the difference between this year's track (red) and last year's which is under it in blue.

RTC07 Day 1 Track

Day 1 Statistics:  Total Distance: 28.1 km; Moving Time: 6 hrs 10 minutes; Total Time: 7 hrs 15 minutes;
                                 Moving Average Speed: 4.5 km/hr; Overall Average Speed: 3.8 km/hr;
                                 Total Ascent: 663 metres; Max Elevation: 169 metres

Ready for the start at Carrapateira

    There was little novelty in the organisation pre-event, apart from a minority who opined that they would prefer to walk beginning at Luz. The more experienced I think realised that the five big undulations on the second day from Sagres to Carrapateira would be best left to a future generation of RTC'ers, and so the majority (including myself this time) prevailed.
     The "training walks" round the Forest on 14th November   (link)   and in the muddy wilderness near Covões on the 21st (link)  had taken their toll and the original 15 volunteers were reduced to 12 at the start, Lindsey, Mick and Sylvia having succumbed to various ailments. Rod was nearly a casualty having suffered shin splints after the 14th, and head butted his horse, coming off second best in the same week, but he rallied and proved he was still 'the right stuff'! David had managed to weather a cold after Covões, and aggravation from his neighbour to enter with a provisional start - but maybe only one day!!  My ankle had suffered from the training and was strapped both physically and chemically, and Antje had received advice from a surgeon on a trip to Germany, that she needed a knee operation. She bravely started however, and I think I can claim some credit for pointing out that asking a surgeon if she needed an operation was rather similar to asking Ian if he needed a beer!
     And so we met just before 0700hrs on a dark chilly morning at the car park at Luz. The optimistic flashes of cameras here produced nothing of note, so the 12 willing walkers and 5 bag ladies plus Lindsey distributed themselves among the cars and we set off for Carrapateira. The regular Chief bag lady, Jyll was away on grandmothering duties, and Terry and Jill A. were unfortunately unable to participate this year.
     The weather forecasts for these two days promised cool sunny weather, with minimum wind, and so it proved being in my opinion, the most ideal walking conditions we had ever had.

Waiting for Starter's Orders

    Photographic formalities having been observed we set off at just before 0745 am with the sun just starting to peer over the hills to the east.  Terry M. appeared to be attempting a new method of Rounding the Corner, but he eventually fell into line!

The non-conformist!

        The walkers were hardly out of sight when the bag Ladies started flirting with a group of hunters, Myriam using the pretext that the ever-reliable G-Wagen had broken down - as if!!

Some ground frost was visible in the valley and on a fallen agave as we headed up to Praia d'Amado, but it was soon time to shed some outer layers as the sun rose inexorably..

      

The first small scramble down of the day had suffered from heavy weathering since last year and required a little care, and good pole technique!











          The surface was reasonable for climbing and descending, but still a little damp in the shadows. Soon we reached the sunny outcrop for an impressive group photo. I was a shadow of my former self

A rocky outcrop

       No navigational errors this year and the group were fairly cohesive, and we reached the beginning of the long beach that joins Cordoama and Castelejo at low tide. calculations had been impeccable, and the light and the air were very atmospheric, as we marched towards the closed coffee shop where Myriam had thoughtfully arrived with the ladies and a couple of flasks of most welcome coffee.

However, Mike, having been his usual dynamic self on the 4 climbs, somehow managed to tweak a sinew (I hesitate to use the word 'muscle') after the descent to the beach, and while he was on flat ground. This did slow his progress, and he decided to drop out after limping along the beach, and although disappointed he did manage to console himself later with a lunch at Ingrina with the ladies, while the 11 remaining continued their toil.

        The next climb after coffee was to the 'lunch spot' at the Coastguard House, - a formidable climb. David and Andrew decided 'machismo' was the best approach, and went for Route 1, but the consensus was that the Middle Way was more 'walker-friendly',  though longer and I led the remaining eight up the initially steep ascent which revealed amazing views as we turned to catch our breath.

The next climb!

    Eventually we all arrived at the Coastguard House, where lunch was declared, and we fell ravenously on our smoked salmon on seeded rye rolls, or bags of nuts and dried apricots. After I managed to work out how to use the self-timer function on the camera, and with the assistance of a convenient wall recorded a snap of the remaining 11.

At the Coastguard House

From here it was a short flat stroll to the Torre de Aspa, that wonderfully sited obelisk that can be seen from much of the route. Indeed on the second day as we reached the crests we could glance NW and see the Torre looking all too near in the crystal clear air.

Guarding the Tower

The remainder of the walk was uneventful and  was on good paths, mainly flat, which was just how a long walk should end. All the views had been in the first half, but we could see the Navigator Hotel ahead and the end was in sight!. We followed the path through the pine forest and along a river bed, which was particularly picturesque and moved swiftly building up the average speed for the stage. We arrived at Pastelaria Baia at just before 3 pm, giving plenty of time to relax in our individual ways before the evening's festivities started.

        The group sat in the sun at the corner of the street, as it was becoming cooler already. Myriam arranged for Dona Maria José, the owner of Pastelaria Baia to join us outside for a group photo, which we will enlarge and print for her, and her husband Emmanuel, who was unaccountably absent at that time.
       Gradually people drifted back to the Hotel, until the hard core still at the bar were joined by Mick, who had rallied sufficiently to join the post-walk drinks and the dinner later. Sylvia was still suffering, so had stayed at home. Mike P. was exhausted from his lunch with the ladies and did not make it to Baia.


The evening
        The arrangements were to meet in the Pousada bar for preprandial drinks  at 6pm. Here we were joined by Hedley who is over on a short visit and had declared himself 'hors de combat' for walking purposes. While it is a nice space and a comfortable venue, there were rather a lot of dark mutterings about the prices which seem to have gone up rather a lot.  Perhaps we will need to seek another place if we go again, although the 'Lounge Leopards'  fitted in very well!

Lounging in the Pousada bar

         At 7 pm we advanced to Vila Velha where we were warmly welcomed by Lia and her staff and a roaring log fire. Ginny, a regular RTC Diner Only was waiting, and we sat down to a splendid meal. Some who had not built up sufficient appetite from their earlier exertions were heard to mutter that the starters would have been enough. The quality and presentation of the food were excellent, and I DO like hot plates!

    Towards the end of the meal, a presentation was made to Ian S. who, to be fair, had not enjoyed a season devoid of controversy to date. A large Wooden Spoon - The Wednesday Wanger (Marguerite thought that was a spelling mistake!) had been carefully and artistically inscribed by Dinah, at the instigation and with the collaboration of Others Unknown, and this was presented to Ian by Rod, who was at great pains to emphasise that this was a 'one-off' award and would not be competed for every year!!

The Wednesday Wanger Award

       The Outstanding Senior Moments which prompted the award were enumerated on the shaft, and it was evident that Ian was deeply touched by the presentation, and the acknowledgment of his contribution!

The proud recipient of the W.W.A.

       And so the evening drew to a convivial close, as those that remembered (and still cared) about the early start, headed off for a recuperative night's sleep, and some didn't! Our thanks to Lia and the staff at Vila Velha for a splendid evening, and we hope to be back next year.

                                                 ................................||......................................

Day 2 - 30th November 2007

       The usual early start, breakfast at Pastelaria Baia was scheduled for 0700 hrs, and amazingly there were 11 Good Walkers and True presenting front and centre for their chosen belt strainer to start the day. Mike had decided on discretion rather than valour, and was resting his leg (allegedly)!  There was some rather cruel banter which inferred that with Jyll's imminent return the next day, there may have been one or two small 'To Do's' left on the list, which had been deferred due to his vigorous geocaching activities during her absence!!

RTC Walkers march on their stomachs!

The track for the day is shown on the map below, which can, as usual be enlarged:

RTC 2007 Day 2 Track - click to enlarge

Stats for Day 2
Total Distance: 26.5 km; Moving Time: 6 hrs 52 minutes; Total Time: 8 hrs 5 minutes;
Moving Average: 3.8 km/hr; Overall Average: 3.3 km/hr; Total Ascent: 861 m.; Max Elev: 82 metres.

A quick analysis of the two days stats show that this, indeed appears to be the tougher day, with greater ascent and lesser max elevation, and the average speed reflects this despite the natural 'second day syndrome' where we are understandably less fresh - mainly due to the social side rather than the first day's walk!! 
     
    After breakfast, Andrew, with some technical assistance from the CB managed to invoke the time lapse mode on his highly sophisticated new camera, and Emmanuel and Maria José were yet again hustled outside for a group photo, with which we hope to present them for display purposes!! The light was still not really good enough, but we had to get going to catch the tide at Salema and Boca do Rio. Ian managed to appear to have the sun shining out of his shoulder rather than the customary orifice!

An early start

     The early morning sun presented some opportunity for the talented snappers among us (Andrew and Terry - Dinah not being a 'morning' person!)

     I always enjoy the start of the second day with the walk across Martinhal beach and then the wide plateau to the deserted Quinta de Peniche, where we posed for the traditional photo on the steps. There had been signs of work on the building, and I wonder how long it will be before it is turned into a luxury hotel and golf course!!

The Quinta Steps

    The descent to the first beach after the Quinta was accomplished by a much easier route nearer to the sea than last year, and then began a succession of 'undulations' some of which we remembered, and some of which we had to 'wing'

        The 'Gaudi House' appeared to have sprouted a lot of windmills behind it in the intervening year - and there were still more 'undulations' before Salema, which had definitely been moved much further to the east, as when Rod and I confidently thought we had completed the last ascent before the village, we topped the brow to find two more deep descents in prospect!

We reached Salema to meet the ladies for lunch at  Café Solmar, and David was delighted to be reunited with Dinah!

Reunion!

       Lunch was fairly leisurely on the new tables that had expanded from the original small café, but the challenge of Gordon's Gully was to come. Antje had stumbled and twisted her knee on the way in to Salema, and decided to call it a day, having walked much further than she originally estimated. Brian's blister, sustained on the first day, despite having been expertly and professionally treated by Marguerite with 'Second Skin' was still causing him problems, so he took a painkiller with his coffee.
        The beach seemed to have been totally rearranged by the spring tides, and we found a large area of seaweed covered rocks to cross instead of the sand of last year. nevertheless, the gully was still intact though some had been washed away since the last recce in September link . Myriam, and Dinah both made the walk along the beach to record the struggle up the Gully.

 

       After we all reached the top safely without the heroics of last year there was Boca de Rio which was rather shallow and muted this year!

 

        We took the direct route from here, and eventually reached our next obligatory photo stop - the wall of the Fort of Almadena. Even Maddy decided she needed a rest here!

Nine Algarve Walkers - sitting on a wall.....

    

     The more acute among you may notice in this photo, the absence of a cheery smile on Brian's face. Unfortunately he had a reaction to the painkiller he took in Salema, and was soon violently ill. Despite putting on a brave face, it was evident that he was still in some discomfort, and he dropped out near the large apartment house on the coast, rather than slow up the rest of the group. Now we were Nine!!

       There were still a few ups and downs to go, but nothing too severe, and despite one or two personal variations in whether to take the optional hillocks, we arrived in Burgau 'ensemble'!
       On the way the tide revealed a giant footprint, which was worthy of note as it had not been witnessed before.

        Also the flowers came out to welcome us on the long run in to Luz.
The coastal path which was thankfully fairly flat led us into Luz where the paparazzi were there in numbers to record the Triumphal Entry! But alas - they haven't yet sent me any so I will make do with this - Luz in the background.

The End is in Sight!

 

        However the cameras were flashing in the bar at which we celebrated  our journey, and though tired there was a great feeling of satisfaction and thanks that the weather had been so perfect for this event.

          And so the Sixth Round the Corner came to a close.  The best weather ever, but the highest attrition rate, 15 volunteers reduced to 12 before the start and 3 retirements en route. Losing one walker is regretful; losing 2 a coincidence, but losing 3 is carelessness!! At least I enjoyed it when it was all over, and I hope that everybody else did, whether they made the full course or not. We shall see if there are enough applications next year. In the meantime, I would be glad of your comments, critical or laudatory or even faintly amusing.

We shall walk on the beaches, we shall walk on the landing grounds, we shall walk  in the fields and in the streets, we shall walk in the hills; we shall never surrender! (After W.S.Churchill)

He who limps is still walking. (Stanislaw J Lec)

RTC Timeline: 3/4 December 2002

The first day's cast

L-R: Mike; Ian S.; Hedley; Paul; Myriam; Carla; George; Neil

I am finally convinced that this was the second of the series of RTC Walks, for the reason that Rod was not in the starting line-up, owing to an obviously pressing engagement which kept him away until he met us in the vicinity of Torre de Aspa just after lunch. It was also notable for the one and only visit of Neil, my friend who was living in France, and used to be a very strong walker, until golf and lethargy got him!!  Also George and Carla, who again were lost from our group since that year because of their commitment to the golf and social scene, turned out for their only attempt at the RTC.

The origin of the term 'Bag Ladies'!

     
      So a group of eight set off from the centre of Carrapateira on 3rd December 2002. Jyll was the only lady in support this year as Myriam was walking. Navigation was entrusted to the acting stand-in Route Consultant, confidently following Rod's advice to "keep the sea on your right"! 

Unfortunately tide predictions and planning had not quite reached the stage which saw us in 2006 scurrying along the beaches at Castelejo and the next day at Salema to beat the onrushing sea. This year by the time we arrived at the long beach leading to the climb to the Coastguard House, I deemed it a 'Health and Safety' issue, and took a longer route inland rather than risk the tide. This was all very well, but never having done this bit before, we had to improvise and with a little help from a mobile phone, we contacted Rod, the Official Route Finder who had freed himself from  whatever it was, and was marching from Sagres to Aspa with his dogs, Pookie and Purdey.

The above pix, shown twice so that each photographer had his 15 seconds of fame, show the reformed group near the weather station close to Torre de Aspa, after Rod and the dogs had arrived.

Dinner, as usual at Vila Velha, was a jolly affair, although to look at Ian in the left hand picture you might not think so! We imported some glamour in the shape of Jinny and Odete to alleviate the testosterone-charged male-dominated atmosphere of the walk. For some reason, Hedley did not appear for dinner, and nor for the second day. I presume he had only committed to one day and had something else that precluded his staying overnight.
       This may well have been the famous "Ian's Beans dinner", but I have no photographic evidence to support this.
As is his wont, Ian had been difficult about the food arrangements, claiming that the 'set dinner' enjoyed by everyone else was not to his refined taste, although he had no such problem with the liquids!  Being an equable sort of leader, I had told him that in that case he was on his own, and not only would he have to order his own food, he would not benefit from the economies of scale of the set dinner, and moreover would not have his drinks included on the group account. We were duly served, and Ian stared glumly at an empty plate until Lia emerged from the kitchen, with  a can of Baked Beans for him!
       She explained it was the best she could do at short notice, and there was much ribaldry. However the joke was on us, as she came out a second time with a huge portion of prawns, and it emerged that Ian had set the whole thing up with Lia beforehand!

The next morning we set off early, but not so bright, as can be seen by the ponchos worn by some walkers, eight in number again without Hedley. We took a fairly standard second day route as I recall, going inland after Salema to avoid the frequent and strenuous climbs at the sea edge.

There was the usual great sense of camaraderie, as is evidenced by these two pix of interested bystanders watching the ladies struggle down a slope! Myriam pioneering the oft-adopted technique of 'rather safe than clean trousers!'

The weather continued to brighten, and at last we reached Kelly's Bar in Luz for the well-deserved Aprés-Walk refreshments.

Raising a smile - and a glass!

   Photo at Kelly's was courtesy of Jyll, I believe. Regrettably, I have no photos nor details/recollections of the 2001 RTC, and I was rather hoping that someone whose faculties were not as damaged as mine by years in the White Man's Grave of the Far East, would push forward with some reminiscence. Sadly not so far!

RTC Timeline: 25/26 November 2003

A small but beautifully formed field of only five hardy volunteers started the 2003 walk from Carrapateira on 25th November. I have no idea why there were so few other than the usual absences for visiting friends and family, and a lack of confidence in their personal fitness. I know for a fact that Myriam couldn't walk because she had recently had an operation for an injury to her foot arch, and was recovering , but of the other candidates I have no recollection. On this occasion Myriam took care of the baggage and driving to the start.

Four of the Fabulous Five

   There was no official start photo at Carrapateira. The first I have is as we began to cross one of the beaches at low tide. The walkers were myself; Rod; Ian S.; Maria and Trevor who was visiting from UK with a view to spending more time in the Algarve.

Top of Climb

       This is a rather nice photo taken after a steep climb from one of the beaches to a rugged spur.
On this occasion, we all stuck together and there were no variations of route!

A break at Torre de Aspa

Lunch was taken at the now standard venue of Torre de Aspa, and this was one of the few photos I appear in on this walk. By process of elimination, it appears that Ian S. does have some photographic talent! However this next one of Maria reclining on a bank in the pine woods to the north of Sagres was definitely taken by me!

Reclining RTC walker

On the social side, there is one shot of the five of us walkers plus Myriam in the Pousada bar, which must have been taken by a barman. Dinner was at the Vila Velha as customary, but there is no record of the meal nor the menu. Another memory I have is that Ian S. apparently had no hot water in his room at the Navigator - whether by misfortune, or having overstayed his welcome at Pastelaria Baia. and I will leave you to guess whose room he turned up at to 'borrow' the shower clad only in a towel!!

Second day - ready for the off at Sagres

The morning of the second day dawned bright, and Myriam took a photo of the famous Five close to the breakfast spot at Pastelearia Baia.

Boca do Rio was fairly low and presented no difficulties in crossing for the climb up to the Forte de Figueira. Ian looks sufficiently warm, but has still not been motivated to shed his 'lucky' pullover and ubiquitous blue scarf.

Aprés RTC - safely in Kelly's bar, LUZ

And eventually we arrived back, tired and happy to Kelly's bar in Luz, where the photo is almost as blurred as my recollection of the walk.

    Sad to relate, but Trevor succumbed to a recurrence of his non-Hodgkins Lymphoma within a year of this walk. We miss having him with us every time we return to the course.

RTC Timeline: 17/18 November 2004

The starting line-up.

      
    The 2004 Expedition was set down for 17th/18th November  earlier than ever. We had 11 in the starting line-up, from L-R:- Ian S.: Terry A.: Jill A. (support crew): Ian W.: Mike: Myriam: Paul: Rod: Antje: Lindsey: Chris and Andrew. Nathan was the sole canine walker. Jyll Pease was charged with organising transport and baggage, along with Jill A. From the look of this picture, it was a fairly brisk early morning, but the whole two days proved to be sunny and perfect for walking. We started from Carrapateira and were soon enjoying the coastal views.

 This year there were no tide miscalculations or delays, and we sped across the beach to Castelejo in good spirits, and we also made the detour to the Coastguard House.

Oddly, I do not seem to have any pictures of the traditional post walk beer in Pastelaria Baia nor of the dinner at Vila Velha that evening. I doubt that this was because I was concerned about offending sensibilities, or blackening (enhancing) reputations, but it may have been because Myriam walked off with the camera on her traditional early return to the Hotel, or because the battery was flat, or maybe just apathy!





The second day dawned bright and clear. No record of the breakfast, of which I am sure we all partook. The traditional photo on the steps beside the deserted Quinta reveals that Antje had declined a second day of punishment, and that we had been joined for the day by a couple from Luz, whose names I can't remember, and whom I don't recall ever walking with us thereafter.

The second day: On the Quinta steps

This year we managed to select the correct route down to Praia do Fornos, and were soon waiting at the top with the 'Gaudi House' in the background as ever.

    Before long (or so it seems from this distance) a happy group were sitting atop the ruins of Forte de Figueira, and a short while thereafter picking their way carefully round the outflow at Boca do Rio.

Sadly, there were very few photos taken by me this particular year, and none at all of the social side and our triumphant arrival at Praia de Luz. I did however find, and couldn't resist inserting this photo of a handsome and fit-looking couple on the wall at Forte de Almadena!!

.....one named Myriam and one named Paul

RTC Timeline: 2005 December 6/7th

Myriam and her MEN!

 The starting line up for this 2005 walk was as above: L-R.   Gordon; Ian S.; David; Terry A.; Mike; Ian W.; Myriam; Rod (behind); Paul. The weather was superb and this photo was taken before the start in Luz, as we walked it in the Westerly direction the first day towards Sagres.

Myriam and the Support Team

Myriam managed to insinuate herself into the second photo of the 'Bag ladies? who didn't object on record to the title this year. In 2006 we became more politically correct and renamed them Walking Algarve group Support (WAGS)

Funny how the same 'classic' shots turn up year after year. The wall at Forte de Almadena is a favourite. We didn't have so much trouble crossing Boca de Rio as there had been little rain, and some helpful tourists had been building stepping stones there.

Gordon's Gully was inaugurated for the first time.(Left Pic)  As I recall Antje joined the walk at Salema, and rapidly got amongst the photos!(centre pic). Lunch among the rocks at Praia de Fornos. (Right pic)

The shot on the steps of the abandoned Quinta was well established (L). During our walk across the plateau between Ingrina and martinhal, we found a lot of mushrooms (centre), which were later cleaned and cooked by Lia as an extra starter for the dinner at Vila Velha in the evening.

The "Full English" in the sun-filled breakfast room at Pastelaria Baia was just the job to set us up for the second day's walk to Carrapateira. Ian Scott spoilt his perfect attendance record so far by dropping out on the grounds of unspecified pains and strains. Chris joined us for the second day, while Antje continued as far as Castelejo beach before going back to tend to the dogs - or so she said!

There were ten of us (including me with the camera) at Torre de Aspa (L) and we made the short detour to the coastguard house where the senior member addressed the troops with a rousing rallying speech! (C). I took the opportunity to take an arty shot of our silhouettes on the opposite side of a steep valley as we descended a ridge. (R)

The scenery on the west coast was staggering (as were some of the walkers) particularly in these perfect conditions. No problem with the tide or slippery descents this year!

And finally we arrived at Cafe Brava in Carrapateira to a rapturous welcome and a well earned beer or two. The sun was still shining, but we agreed that the last half of the walk was fairly tough for the second day in this direction. I seem to recall that it took us something over 7 hours each day, but the weather was a bonus and made it all much easier.














Just to finish, a few excellent photos - I think by Dinah - which demonstrate the views in the area and the clarity of the air.

Luz Beach at sunrise

RTC 2006 Photo Competition

It was Terry Ames who first floated the idea of a photo competition for the AWW Blog, and I thought that the RTC Walk would be a good place to give it a trial run.

As a result cameras were clicking throughout the two days (and one night) of the walk, and even the grumpiest joined in the spirit, and posed for the obligatory group shots. However it was the capturing of the offguard moment, or an unusual viewpoint we were after, and the subject was to be "Spirit of Round the Corner".

A total of 35 entries were received, but perhaps owing to communications difficulties, some entries were not really on theme. The independent judge was Alex Whittle, son of Chris and Antje, who is a professional photographer, and since his parents were not carrying a camera during the walk (excuse; 'Too much weight' !) he was deemed to be neutral. In any case I sent the photos via the Flickr site having removed any identifying tags or names of the entrants. The full field can be seen here .

After some discussion, Alex decided to award prizes in three categories, and one Overall Winner. The categories were:-
                   1. Human Interest
                   2. Landscape
                   3. Beer Shot
This last because there was a preponderance of photos of Ian S. and Beer!!

The judgement having been made, there was additionally an Honourable Mention awarded to Lindsey for her shot of Chris caked in mud, having just picked himself up after an unscheduled slip. Regrettably no-one had the presence of mind to snap him as he lay 'in flagrante delicto' in the puddle.

The Official Results can be viewed here.  and of course you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

The prizes were presented at the AWW Xmas Walk and lunch held on 20th December 2006 at Patricia's in Montes de Cima. You can read all about that on the Algarve Wednesday Walkers Blog at http://aww2006.blogspot.com/ 

I must say that the standard of photography was very high, especially Dinah's photos, although she was limited to snapping at the beginning and end of each day, at the social soirées, and wherever she manged to catch us en route.
A good selection of photos actually taken by the walkers and en route are in the blogs below of the walk itself, but as I have recently been given some more of Dinah's photos, I will endeavour to upload them to a site for general viewing.