AWW 28.03.2007 The Incognito Walk or Hedley's Routemarch

Leader : Hedley

Present: Antje, Lindsey, Tina & Andrew, Ian W, Ian S, Janet, Gack, Vitor & Dina, John H, Rod, George & Ann, Stan & Elaine, David L.
Dogs: Archie and Tiggy

Stats
Total distance: 16Km (mais ou menos in absence of GPS)
Walking time: 4 hrs
Total time: 4.5. hrs
Av speed 4.0.Kph
Tilley hats: 2
Gaiters: 1

An impressively large turnout for a walk marshalled with military panache by veteran Hedley. Among the starters, “two-stick” Frew, David L. complete with a pair of waders, Stan wearing Tilley Two, and first-timer Andrew Fielder doing practical field research for his forthcoming thesis “Some Dialectical Differentiations between a Round of Golf and a Good Walk.”
Hedley’s report follows interspersed with the occasional editorial.

"Two-stick " Frew
These waders may come in handy

A splendid crowd of 18 gathered at the bar with no name (henceforward to be known as “Bar Incognito”). The pleasure at seeing Rod back from his Darwinesque South American travels was tempered by the fact that Bar Incognito was shut and we were thus deprived, not only of our coffee kick-start but also of the joy of seeing Rod at work, as he is the only person on the planet known to be able to charm a smile out of the owner.

We started promptly at 9.30 and following the obligatory school photo set off northwards up a steady series of ups and downs ( Note to the Committee – we really must define the precise incline of an “undulation”). The weather was tempered by a cold wind and the presence of a large cloud which hovered over the group for almost the entire walk, although there were large patches of blue in all other directions.Passing through the hamlet of Arrojela de Baixo which (like many such settlements on this walk ) appears to consist of only one house, we reached the crossing of the Ribeira da Senhora do Verde where Vitor slipped on one of the stepping stones and fell flat, happily only getting his feet wet. – the first of several more examples on this walk of what has been previously been documented as “Falling Down Syndrome” (FDS).
Before the fall

On northwards past the now deserted dwelling of the “Dung man”, with whom we have had several run-ins in the past, to a long uphill track which is getting close to impassable due to the encroachment of the dreaded cistus (clear evidence of the Leader’s failure to do a proper recce). Difficult to believe that this area was completely cleared by the fires a couple of years back.
Shortly after we reached the northernmost point of the walk and turned back through 180° along a couple of K’s of good striding country, to another one house village (Varginha).

(At this stage, scarcely yet noon, a trio of ladies began agitating for an early lunch, citing Napoleonic dogma about an army and its stomach, but this fazed Hedley not one jot; he quelled this incipient rebellion with delaying tactics worthy of Quintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator by following the example of that other military luminary, the Grand Old Duke of York, in marching’em up to the top of the hill and marching ‘em down again while – a master’s touch this – delegating (just as GODOY did) the actual task of leading the way to the real top to another, in this case Ian S. )


After a couple of abortive attempts to find the path (more cistus) (Hedley's words are overly modest - it was all pure tactics on his part) we found the climb and wound up the hill to the edge of the eucalyptus plantation where we settled out of the wind for lunch, at about 12.30 pm. Here Rod revealed that one of his new double arm action poles had suffered irreparable damage (memo: must stop frequenting the Chinese shops that are springing up everywhere).
After a quick lunch as nobody wanted to linger in the cold we marched on along the edge of the plantation (of which little is now left as the loggers are steadily salvaging the burnt out timber). Two more cases of FDS before we reached the Cavaca TP for the second obligatory photo.


(Hedley then displayed his generalissimo’s skills once more by appointing George as temporary leader and later, when George became uncertain as to landmarks, the Leader identified one, a long- abandoned car battery by the track-side, with a triumphant cry of “Oh Ye of little faith” and confidence and onward progress were duly restored.)

On over mainly downhill country which now offers very fine views seawards since the trees have been felled and so within sight of, or at least smell of, home. (At this stage, yet another example of the Leader’s Field-Marshallship at its best. The 2 Ians, scenting malted hops, had raced some 300 metres ahead of the pack and were drawing still further away in a left-flankingdirection. Hedley brought the group smartly to a halt, whipped-in the two tearaways, reasserted his leadership, turned sharp right and so quickly and…)
finally to Bar Incognito at 2.05 pm which was (no doubt thanks to the Leader’s prayers) open. For it to have been closed at both beginning and
end would have earned the Leader a lifetime supply of black marks!

During post-walk relaxation, the first of Andrew’s differentiations emerged: “you finish a Round of Golf earlier and get to the bar sooner”, Ian W. enthusiastically extolled the exciting prospects of next week’s Montinho Marathon – should be fun!- and Antje stood Ian S. two beers for his having rescued her Leki after last week’s Benagil stroll. If that is the market rate for recovered technical paraphernalia, what price that mysterious, unclaimed artefact still in Ian’s custody?

And finally

Ah've got those Incognito Blues