Had a lovely walk yesterday. Started off up the Barranco de los Canarios. Just after the Aloe Vera Museum (Has this died, it looked deserted?), I striped off and climbed the up the southern ridge. Passed a small pool of water in a quarry area on the way up (A sign of recent rain?). It was an easy climb but windy on the ridge. I continued up, and sheltered by some goat rocks. Didn't see a sole, just a handful of cars driving up to the viewpoint. I then dropped down into the Barranco de Mal Nombre and returned to the sea. Bizarrely, when the dry riverbed crossed a track, not one but two SUVs passed by (travelling in opposite directions) visiting the Casas de Mal Nombre. Seemed derelict last year. Goat herders tending their goats? Crossing the various main roads wasn't a problem - used the storm drains again. Good concrete floor and just enough daylight to be sure there was no obstacles or holes. One had a make-shift (goat-proof?) fence at the entrance, but this was easy to get over, though I was careful not to leave anything hanging on it. After reaching the beach, I returned to my Princess hotel - dressing briefly to pass through the hotel's gate.
Sounds more like an obstacle course. :D
Walked from near the Casas de Pecenescal to the sea today. Naked from Jeep to Jeep. Fantastic walk! Didn't see a sole. Started late, but still had 70 mins on the beach. Lots of black rocks on the beach this year, but the usual fascinating rubbish. Parked near some old irrigation constructions a few minutes beyond the Casas, but then made the beach in 90 minutes. At one point on the downward path after about 10 minutes, there is small wall. The wall is to tell walkers that only the bravest (suicidal) goats should continue - sensible walkers turn sharp right and go down. I added a few rocks to the wall. Down on the beach, the start of the walk is hard to spot. There was a better marker last year. I erected an 8 foot piece of driftwood with a blue plastic drum on top. Wish I'd taken a photo of my handywork.
The walk is well marked with cairns and paint spots. If you follow a false trail, you'll spot your mistake after a few steps.
Good reports. But for those of us not there - report on climate, please. How is the wind and the temperatures?
I gather a couple of weeks back the weather here wasn't too good. A friend sent me a photo of water in the barranceo next to my hotel (Fuerteventura Princess). I seen such water on Tenerife, but not yet during my visists here.
On Thursday and Friday, I went (by Jeep) to the southern end of the Cofete beach: at the Roque del Moro. It's been very hazy over the last few days. I thought it was just mist, but someone tonight claimed it was dust/sand from the Sahara. So no crystal clear views on the way over the mountains. Cofete attracts quite a few visiters, but hardly any take the left turn down to the Moro beach. Yesterday, I went there on my own and saw only 3 people. Mid-afternoon, I could see two tourists at the far end of the beach, then as I was leaving a local guy and his dog arrived. I took my digital thermometre with me. It clocked 28.6 in the shade when I first arrived, but it slowly dropped to 24 as the afternoon progressed. I was comfortable naked, but it didn't seem that hot and the breeze was only slight.
Today, I went back to the Pecenescal walk. I managed to get off earlier: 12.00. I know that's late, but for us nightowls, it's early. As I had more time, I knew I would have more time to relax on the beach, but on the way down, I also wanted to investigate where I went wrong last year at one point near the end of my walk from El Jable (Parque Natural) to the northern end of the Cofete beach. The two paths meet almost at the end. I branched off the Pecenescal path towards the sea and went north a little until I reached a barranco. I could see various goats-paths down below me. I must have followed one of those, whereas I needed to climb higher up for an easy walk along a flat (but sloping to the sea) top. The goat-paths got me stuck at one point with the end in sight, but I managed to climb up and reach a cairn. I built some extra cairns along the top today. Then I rejoined my route and reached the beach.
When I drove north from my hotel it was quite hazy, but then in the mountains it was beautiful: hot sunshine but with a pleasant wind - just about perfect for me. The wind was stronger when I reached the sea-view point, but then dropped off again as I lost altitude. I sat on the beach with my beach towel around my shoulders to protect myself from the sun. I forgot to look at my thermometre, but it must have been upper 20's. After 90 minutes, I headed uphill at 5. The sun was still quite strong, so I was glad of the breeze. I get very hot when I walk. Walking naked is brilliant as most of my skin stays dry. My back however, was still dripping under my rucksack.
Just 5 minutes short of my Jeep, there was a breeze-block structure. I'd assumed it was another shallow obsotete water reservoir. Had quite a shock when I peered over the wall. It was a 3 second drop well - about 6 foot in diameter. 3 seconds seems to make it around 40 metres plus deep. Where the wall ended, you could see the carved rockface. God, that must have taken some work to create! Then it was off to my hotel for a sauna/shower/g'n't and dinner.
Last year on this walk, I saw a handful of people, but today there was nobody again.