A walk in the Atlantic Garden

By Mike Merchant

As a year-round hill walker in northern latitudes, I decided to take part in Madeira's second annual walking festival in January. The aims -- to get fit, and treat myself to some warmth on the spectacular ridges linking the 6000 ft summits of "the Atlantic Garden" . That was not how it worked out...

On an inch of fresh snow on the mountain road, a big yellow taxi skidded slowly sideways towards our big yellow taxi. We stopped in time, but there was no chance of starting again uphill, and the road was later closed by the civil defence. Our classic high level traverse, from Pico de Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, was off.

We were down, but not out. A few miles to the east, along excellent roads, was the backup plan, a route along the Sao Lourenco peninsula, the chain of cliffs and islets that stretches from the main landmass towards Africa.

To the mountains, the Atlantic had brought snow, low cloud and a freezing gale. At ocean level we had whirlwinds, rainbows, sharp ferocious showers, bright sun and towering white clouds. We wandered through ungrazed meadows, over wind-scoured brown slabs, past red and black cliffs and sea stacks, a riot of colours and swooping contours with the green Atlantic swirling all around - calm to the lee side and with crashing waves to the north. It was a photographer's dream.



At Cais do Sardinha, there's a landing place, a bathing spot (not tested) and a base for the natural park rangers who look after this Natura 2000 site. Here also was the only notice board we saw! There were steps and handrails at the few most exposed spots, but generally a refreshing absence of waymarks, barriers, prohibitions and warnings. You go where you please.

I did get some altitude that week: one long day started near the island's highest summit. I have to admit that the ascent was all done by bus (I told you the roads were good!) and so the walk was all downhill: a 5- or 6-mile expedition, losing 4000+ ft in height. It sounded a doddle, but it was a hard 6-hour day, and one to remember, for our party.

From the summit ridge, we began our descent over paved paths, with a trace of ice, watching rock pinnacles emerging from boiling cloud over the valley. Then down a long northern spur of the mountain, in steady sunshine, rather like descending a Cornish cliff path in May, but for mile after mile! We pass vegetation zones. First came shorter heathers, then the giant tree heathers (erica scoparia), then the indigenous Madeiran laurisilva - a dense laurel and bay-tree forest that has a key role in trapping moisture from the clouds, in effect acting as water-collector for this whole fertile island. For the walker laurisilva means shady conditions and arduous progress through damp sunken ways and zigzag steps. There were tantalising glimpses of the blue Atlantic ahead, and colossal, forest-fringed gorges to right and left. Last came farmland, steep fields, an old lady lifting her sweet potato crop, a mile of tarred road and the village. 



Thankfully, the bar and shop dispensed tea, coffee and beer. I realised our altitude loss is the same as Ben Nevis, from summit to sea. I don't want to disparage the Ben, but going down this was harder!

My week included two full-day walks along levadas, the almost-level irrigation channels that cross the entire island (there are more than 1000 km of them). We also made a dash through cloud, rain, ice and snow to the summit platform of Pico Ruivo, which reminded me more than a little of winter days in Scotland.

I did get fit! And I was reminded that there is more to hillwalking than peak-bagging. The ocean air, sunshine and warmth and miles of varied walking all do you good, and you don't miss carrying an iceaxe one little bit.

Walking is big business in Madeira. Numerous UK tour operators offer walking packages, and local outdoors companies do full or half-day excursions. Those not on a package will have transport decisions to make. Local buses are not geared to walkers' timetables, so the likely choices are to join a local excursion, rent a car, or hire a car and driver for the day (worth considering for a group of three or four).

A Madeira walking festival is planned for January 2010. Check www.madeiraislandswalkingfestival.com 

   

Mike has spent thirty years as a journalist, writer, designer, publisher and editor, and has worked as a freelance since 1999.  He walks, climbs and skis regularly in Scotland and abroad and has been a ski instructor on snow and artificial slopes.  He also swims and surfs on British beaches and is a recreational cyclist. Along the way, he has developed considerable knowledge of environmental issues, particularly in relation to wild land and to Scotland. For more about Mike www.merchant.uk.net