Recce walk : Moinho do Roche, Saturday 14 February 2015

[Geoff]

Something different to do with a loved one on Valentine's Day??!!

For those that went on the Centenary Walk, let me explain that I want to walk up the valley (2 water crossings) , walk up to the righthand ridge & try and find the correct way down. I should add that we have already failed to do this twice BUT have been shown the correct way AND we have a track-map( of sorts). So, sounds simple, but recce's invariably aren't.

I would guess that if all goes well, it should take about 2 to 2.5 hours, but please be prepared to spend 3 hours or so on it! Water levels should be manageable unless we get a lot of heavy rain.

As usual for a recce walk, a few volunteers will be very useful, but not too many, so numbers limited to 10 please.

Terrain is quite reaonable, some uphill/down dale, but nothing too steep.

For caffeine addicts, there isn't a cafe at the start of the walk, but there are 3 cafes on the approach road ( see below).....as I can't guarantee that O Tasco is open at about 0930 and Cafe Andre doesn't look very tempting, I would recommend Cafe A Taberna Nicola on the right ( see below) .

Start : 10.00 am

Degree of difficulty ( scale 1:5) : probably 2.5, somewhere between Moderate and energetic.

Directions: From Lagoa, turn left on the N125 and go past the turn-off for Alvor. After a few hundred yards, there is a BP station on your right and a road signposted " Senhora do Verde, Vidigal, Casais, Alcalar, Torre" : turn right here. IF you go past the Hotal Penina on your left, you have gone too far.

Go up this road ( M532), crossing the motorway, for about 15 minutes , passing A Taberna Nicola cafe on your right, and Cafe Andre a bit later on your left. Carry on past O Tasco, on the left. Just past O Tasco, bear left and follow the Monchique sign. About 5 minutes after O Tasco, you will see a building on the right that used to be a cafe : this is what it looks like:

https://www.google.pt/maps/@37.235301,- ... !2e0?hl=en

Turn left here ( signposted Montes de Cima, Marmalete, Casais ) and park by the side of the road.

Map reference : 37°14'07.7"N ,8°35'29.3"W

Alternatively : wait just past the turn off on the N125 at 0940, just before the winery, and follow us!

Usual caveats: all walks are at your own risk, and we do not walk if it is pouring with rain.....I will endeavour to put any cancellation note on this site by 0830 on the day of the walk.

Walking boots/stout trainers , walking pole(s), hats and water recommended. No charge, of course.

Please advise if you are intending to come and whether you will want to meet us at the N125 turn-off.

Any questions , please ask below or PM me or ring 282 380015 preferably between 1800-1900 .

[etsac]

Cheeper than buying flowers!!
Count us in please.
Trish & Alan

[snowbirds]

We will be there as well. Brian and Penny

[Geoff]

and Eileen

[Geoff]

7 intrepid recce'ers braved the grey skies, but we had a rainfree walk. At just on 3 hours, 10.4kms, including 0.8kms on the road at the end, we reckoned we had a new CVO walk, probably at cat 2.5.
Eileen shows the way over the first water obstacle:


but Trish is about to get a wet foot at crossing number 2:


so Eileen decides to do some stepping-stone building ;


while Sue goes barefoot:



Cheers to a successful recce!