WW 20.09.2006 - Fonte Santa Follies
The responsibilities of Leadership sometimes weigh heavy 
Leader: Ian S.
Present: Myriam ; Paul ; John ; Hazel ; Antje ; Ian W. ; Janet ; Gack.
Xana ; Tiggy ; Archie.
As a regular WW and a leader, Ian is known for his 'No nonsense' , 'Back to Basics' approach, and here in his own words is his concise account of his walk!! I have tried to match the colour of his scarf!
We were 9 on the 20/9, a warm and sunny day. Paul & Myriam, John & Hazel, Janet, Ian W.,& welcome returnees Gack & Antje, plus Ian S. leader. Initially we reviewed the progress on the Odelouca dam - "none", & then after various dog & ladies dress adjustment stops,completed an easy circular warm up before entering the beautiful valley leading to the Fonte Santa & were suprised by the volume of water in the stream which in all we crossed 5 times with not a murmur from our committed band.While elevenses were taken at the Fonte, Paul & Ian S. endeavoured to clear the trail above but it would not go due to dense cistus & brush growth although Paul claimed a white cistus marker sighting.The suggestion is that this track needs clearing from the top down.
Having sighted a new track further up the valley we lunched by the stream & then followed the new route which after an hour & reasonably strenuous climb enabled us to gain the Alferce road about half a click above the usual point.
Afterwards it was as they say all downhill by the usual road/track route.
The Ourique was open & refreshment taken & no grumbles heard,must have been a reasonable walk. A brief footnote of thanks to Antje& Myriam & all the others who helped the poor dog which has now been looked after.
Embellishments:
Far be it from me to disagree with Ian's "No Warts and Nothing" approach to Blogging, but I feel that the regular reader would have been left with a little hunger for more detail.
The loop to the Odelouca dam site was a good warm up, despite not even having the rattle of coffee cups from the numerous deserted work huts ( and not even having heard them at either of the restaurants near the meet location!!) to lend credence to the published information that work had restarted on the project.
Ian stopped off at the car to collect his Machête or Panga, in case either the flora or fauna should present difficulties. The only fauna we had encountered was a large red deer approaching us on the path back to the cars, which took off abruptly with Tiggy in hot pursuit about 100 metres in arrears, before those at the back of the group had a chance to sight it. On the way up to the Fonte we encountered a cheery group of senior citizens descending loaded with 5 litre bottles of the 'Holy' water. Happily Ian did not consider that they posed a threat and the Panga remained sheathed.
At the Fonte, while the troops relaxed and enjoyed various snacks, Ian set off up the old trail to the Alferce Road, but had not travelled more than 15 metres when he encountered some obstructive flora. The Panga was unsheathed with an audible 'snick' and Ian set to. At this point he realised that it would have been advantageous to have sharpened it before setting out. Some small progress was made, and I pushed on a little higher passing the 'Cistus' Way Mark before the undergrowth turned into secondary jungle that would have defeated a platoon of Gurkhas.
I have to report that when we returned to the group with the sad news that the route was blocked, certain members visibly brightened, and started planning their lunch in the shade at the river valley below.
This we did, and a spirited conversation on the tenacity and vindictiveness of horse flies was led by Ian W. who had recent experience. Instead of meandering back to the cars afterwards, our leader had done a short recce and pronounced that the newish path which led along the river "looked promising", and that there was still a little walking to be done.
The day was getting warmer by now, and after a short walk alongside the river, the new path turned inexorably upwards. The leader quelled an incipient rebellion by promising with great conviction that the near vertical path up beside a line of trees was not on his intended route. And so we climbed and climbed until we reached the top of the near vertical path, albeit by a slightly less vertical route.
Antje, Gack and Ian W. were on their first outing of the season, and performed creditably, with Ian S. whipping up the rear! Hazel's fitness is improving rapidly, and Janet had benefitted from bathing her feet in almost Holy water at lunch. John maintained a steady pace and was still appearing to be smiling at the top.
The climbing was over once we reached the vicinity of Mike Henshall's mountain residence on the Alferce Road, and as Ian noted it all went downhill from there!
The little dog mentioned by Ian was a local dog that we saw laying on a mat in front of Cafe Ourique.We commented that it was odd that such a dog hadn't noticed our own dogs arriving and welcomed them vociferously, and it was only later that we heard from the bar staff that an estrangeiro had found it on the road earlier in the day, and put it there in case it belonged to someone local. Externally it looked quite normal, but after a while it started howling, and proved to be unable to stand up. Antje gave it some water, and Ian decided that it should be taken to a vet, so Antje, with Myriam for company went to James cagney's practise in Odiaxere on the way home. Unfortunately the vet said that in view of it's possible internal injuries and concussion, it would be best to put it down, and sadly this was done.
Embellishments:
Far be it from me to disagree with Ian's "No Warts and Nothing" approach to Blogging, but I feel that the regular reader would have been left with a little hunger for more detail.
The loop to the Odelouca dam site was a good warm up, despite not even having the rattle of coffee cups from the numerous deserted work huts ( and not even having heard them at either of the restaurants near the meet location!!) to lend credence to the published information that work had restarted on the project.
Ian stopped off at the car to collect his Machête or Panga, in case either the flora or fauna should present difficulties. The only fauna we had encountered was a large red deer approaching us on the path back to the cars, which took off abruptly with Tiggy in hot pursuit about 100 metres in arrears, before those at the back of the group had a chance to sight it. On the way up to the Fonte we encountered a cheery group of senior citizens descending loaded with 5 litre bottles of the 'Holy' water. Happily Ian did not consider that they posed a threat and the Panga remained sheathed.
At the Fonte, while the troops relaxed and enjoyed various snacks, Ian set off up the old trail to the Alferce Road, but had not travelled more than 15 metres when he encountered some obstructive flora. The Panga was unsheathed with an audible 'snick' and Ian set to. At this point he realised that it would have been advantageous to have sharpened it before setting out. Some small progress was made, and I pushed on a little higher passing the 'Cistus' Way Mark before the undergrowth turned into secondary jungle that would have defeated a platoon of Gurkhas.
I have to report that when we returned to the group with the sad news that the route was blocked, certain members visibly brightened, and started planning their lunch in the shade at the river valley below.
This we did, and a spirited conversation on the tenacity and vindictiveness of horse flies was led by Ian W. who had recent experience. Instead of meandering back to the cars afterwards, our leader had done a short recce and pronounced that the newish path which led along the river "looked promising", and that there was still a little walking to be done.
The day was getting warmer by now, and after a short walk alongside the river, the new path turned inexorably upwards. The leader quelled an incipient rebellion by promising with great conviction that the near vertical path up beside a line of trees was not on his intended route. And so we climbed and climbed until we reached the top of the near vertical path, albeit by a slightly less vertical route.
Antje, Gack and Ian W. were on their first outing of the season, and performed creditably, with Ian S. whipping up the rear! Hazel's fitness is improving rapidly, and Janet had benefitted from bathing her feet in almost Holy water at lunch. John maintained a steady pace and was still appearing to be smiling at the top.
The climbing was over once we reached the vicinity of Mike Henshall's mountain residence on the Alferce Road, and as Ian noted it all went downhill from there!
The little dog mentioned by Ian was a local dog that we saw laying on a mat in front of Cafe Ourique.We commented that it was odd that such a dog hadn't noticed our own dogs arriving and welcomed them vociferously, and it was only later that we heard from the bar staff that an estrangeiro had found it on the road earlier in the day, and put it there in case it belonged to someone local. Externally it looked quite normal, but after a while it started howling, and proved to be unable to stand up. Antje gave it some water, and Ian decided that it should be taken to a vet, so Antje, with Myriam for company went to James cagney's practise in Odiaxere on the way home. Unfortunately the vet said that in view of it's possible internal injuries and concussion, it would be best to put it down, and sadly this was done.
posted by Paulo a Pe | 4:33 pm
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