Sea to Summit

A plan has been hatching since I got here for a little expedition, climbing to the top of the island from the coast at Funchal. I reccied the start the other day, finding out where an old levada leads to a steep trail up to Monte, from where E and I had already taken a walk up to Ribeira des Cales. Today had to be the day.

After seeing E off to the airport, I jogged down to the seafront and found a place where I could dip a foot in the sea. The climbing starts almost immediately and is relentless. 3 hrs and 51 mins after leaving the beach, I topped out on Pico do Arieiro, where we'd driven to the previous morning to watch the sunrise. The second half of the 'run' was in thick mist and drizzle. I hoped I might get above the weather but, like my other mountain expedition, the cloud closed in and showed no inclination to move. I'd arranged for Roam to meet me, which he did at the very summit, and the decision was soon made not to carry on along the ridge to Pico Ruivo (which, to be fair, is not much more than 100ft higher anyway). It was wet and cold and windy and there wasn't a lot of point without being able to see anything. 

A little disappointing but it was still a fair effort. And it feels good to connect the landscape we drove to the landscape I've felt under my feet. That's important to me. I don't feel like I have a proper sense of the topography until that point.

On the way back, Roam put up his drone to take some spectacular pictures of the improbably situated stadium of Portuguese League 2 side, Clube Desportivo Nacional. That made him happy.