This month, I feel we have been a little thwarted with our walks, not for want of ideas and enthusiasm.  Oh well, it can happen!
We had hoped to walk the middle section of the GR131 from Roque de Muchachos to El Pilar, this being the only section we hadn't done.  It's a biggie in that we planned to split it in two, spending overnight at the refuge hut at Punta de Los Roques and we quite shocked ourselves one evening by contemplating doing it the next day.
We started to dig out the sleeping bags, bed rolls, etc. and consider what food we should take ... and could we get water at the refuge hut ...?  We contacted our good friends at http://www.lapalma-oceaanzicht.nl who have stayed there a couple of times and decided to be safe that we would take water.  And since the walk is quite exposed along the rim of the Caldera and the refuge hut where we would spend the night is just over 2000 meters above sea level, we would need to take some warm clothing and waterproofs.

Refugio Punta de Los Roques

The more we realised how much we would need to carry the more our hopes diminished and reality kicked in.  All we have at the moment are two day rucksacks and fitting in and suspending all the gear we would need was starting to look unrealistic.  So we decided two things 1. we need at least one bigger rucksack and 2. we need a practice walk with all our gear. And when we suddenly remembered that we still didn't have the camera back from the shop since it stopped working, that was definitely it.  Phew - that was a close one!

However, the next day by way of compensation we set off partly loaded to see how we did.  The other kind of good things is that the weather was a little rainy - and we had never walked in rain before, we have spent all summer trying out different clothing with a view to keeping cool.  Up at the top, we might expect any type of weather conditions so this would be good preparation.
We started out at the Bailadero bar/restaurant by Hoya Grande on the LP10 in a westerly direction and after a little over an hour arrived at the bar/restaurant Kioso Briesta.  Mm, bit of a theme going on here.  By now any drops of rain had long gone and we had taken off the wet-weather ponchos that usefully cover the rucksacks and remove quite a degree of sensory perception while they are at it.  An ice cream was the reward.
Our return journey took us along the forest trails of the LP20 and, when we reached the road up to the observatory, we left the route and walked down the road to the waiting car.  Well, OK, since the car was parked at the Bailadero, it would be rude not to partake of nourishment there, especially as they do a very good salad and tapas.

The next week, our hope was to walk with our family who were staying with us from Roque de Muchachas for an hour along the ridge and then back.  Unfortunately, the cloud had come in by the time we got to the top and we decided to abort that in favour of the walk from La Mata to the spring of El Capitan which was as interesting as we had remembered it.  And then on the way back home, we decided to burn off some energy by walking through the village back to the house - just 3.2 km but walking quickly, it was fun.

Our last walk of October, again with family, was from La Crucita down into the barranco with the amazing three tiers of caves, the cobbled path back up the other side, a wander around Gallegos village and back again.  Short but I really adore it!

Mm, guess I'll blog that after all.