New and improved walking route - La Palma 9.1

I think we can safely say that we've not been big on long walks this summer. But as usual, there has been plenty else going on including giving a temporary home to two kittens and two small dogs for two months which was sandwiched in between some restoration work and a  'flying visit' to the UK. Never dull anyway!

However, in October with family here for a week's holiday, we thoroughly enjoyed a walk from Roque de Faro at 1000m above sea level down to Franceses at 500m. It's a two hour walk and so the downward gradient is not too steep - great to chat and walk whilst still enjoying the scenery. At Roque Faro, there is the bar/restaurant El Reyes, so if you like you can pop in there for refreshments or a meal - it's a rustic restaurant serving goat and rabbit plus La Palma wines and local goat cheese, so worth a visit.
The easiest way to tackle it is to take the number 100 bus from Franceses to Roque Faro - they run every two hours on the even hour weekdays and every four hours at weekends and fiestas. You can check out the bus timetable here. You might also be interested to know that there are now whizzo timetables in the bus shelters so we've gone from a scrappy bit of paper (if at all) to a highly durable, highly master-minded board with the information displayed in three different formats. It's a quantum leap in the world of La Palma bus information. You've just gotta love it.

The start of the walk however is not easy to find so it was a good job that we already know where it is. So to begin the walk, head uphill from Restaurant Reyes and the path runs alongside the first building on the left before the church. By the way, looking above and behind the church you can see the observatories by the Roque de Muchachos - an awesome sight. And if you were to continue walking uphill to the left of the church, a four hour walk would get you to Mirador Andenes on the GR131 - but that wasn't for us on this particular occasion.

Having followed the path along the side of the building (not the most salubrious part of the walk), you quickly reach woodland. Descending down half a dozen steps of hewn logs we are already surrounded by trees, and with dry leaves underfoot and the smell of rich earth all around, the magic begins. And so do the signs.

 Almost immediately, there's an option for a detour to a spring, a Fuente as they are called in Spanish. We take a quick vote on it and the unanimous decision is that we are feeling generous enough to give it a try. OK, so it was only a 50m detour as it turned out but very well worth it, if not for the actual spring but to see the huge ferns growing by it.

So far the route has only taken us a little further on from Roque Faro but because we are in meandering woodland, you don't get a sense of this at all and feel as if you are covering some distance. A couple of years ago, the route was actually changed to this new and improved way. Before, the LP9.1 followed the road for around half a kilometre which was slightly dull but now that section has been taken out although none of the maps yet show it. The new route takes you into a dell, passes a farm and then into a clearing in the bed of the barranco where there are some sort of rock works going on. Finding the route on the other side of the clearing is not immediately obvious but as usual, if you set off on a path, there is a usually a sign of some type within a few metres. Now it's up hill back up the other side of the ravine again and in the sun, so when we arrive at El Cruce, we're all feeling a bit hot!

El Cruce is where there is a giant pine tree next to the main road, it's huge, I mean really huge. And it's also where the LP109 old road, the first road to cross the north, emerges from Barlovento. By the way, if you ever get the chance, that's an extremely scenic 15km drive complete with single track tunnels at the start - pure magic, except when the cloud is low and then it looks and feels like anywhere else does in the fog.

We only walk on the old road for five minutes before we are signposted off to the left and downhill into woodland again. After walking along a flat woodland path, we come to a gate. It's a La Palma gate. That means it 'had a previous life,' usually as a bed frame or some other random object. Oh yes, still lovin' it! Actually, we know this gate of old, or some derivation of it at least, so we know it's not a gate to keep people out but rather to keep the pig in. On a previous walk, the pig follow us for a ridiculous length of time, until we had to use persuasive methods to deter him from coming home with us. But all that said, it can be an awkward gate to open as the farmer has improved pig-security since the photo below was taken. Luckily, PJ is well versed in opening awkward anti-pig gates and very quickly the obstacle, wasn't.

We then come to our next landmark which is a house completely in the middle of nowhere and with a couple of crosses outside. There is a track which goes straight on and in fact this is where the route used to go. But now we head off at 90 degrees to the left. This is actually a big improvement because the old route was a boring concrete track that seemed to go on forever. But with the new route, we are quickly back in woodland and after walking on further, we come to the main road which we cross and go straight down a set of stone steps back into woodland.

Now it's all downhill, as the saying goes. With farmland at each side, we walk down a narrow track that has been gouged out by heavy winter rains in the past. This is the shortcut I remind myself, the way that in the old days people from Franceses would walk up to the catch the three-times daily bus from the old road. How lucky we are now to have a two-hourly bus come right through the village.

Almost disappointingly, we come to the end of the walk. The lumpy-bumpy path gives way to a smooth grassy path which in turn becomes a short concrete track which joins the Franceses village road. We've arrived. We cross the village road and head down 'our' donkey path to home. And there is home right below us.

Walking the La Palma 9.1 in Franceses, Garafia

When we try to decide where we will go on our next walk, we often fall into the trap of thinking it must be a walking route some distance away.   However yesterday, because of needing to stay fairly close to the finca in Franceses, we decided to set off right from the door - after all the donkey path next to the finca is the LP 9.1 route and two minutes away is the La Palma GR130 route, so we are hardly short of walking in the area. 

I do wonder though just how many times we can walk the various donkey paths in the area of Franceses and fall in love with it all over again.  To be honest, I think quite a few more times.  
And a perfect end to the walk was to see the new lambs at the farm just above the finca.

Our visitors however walked rather further afield from Franceses leaving the accommodation to walk to Roque Faro, then El Tablado, La Fajana and then back to Franceses.  That's the circular 9.1 route and quite a toughie as it involves a climb from 500 metres to 1000 metres, then back down to almost sea level and eventually back up to 500 metres again.  Well done guys!
Here's a You Tube video I shot when we got home from our little jaunt.
You Tube

Another hidden trail

Our mission was to seek and enjoy.  To go where no man had been before ... well, not recently anyway.
And that's what walking on La Palma is all about - not just the host of marked trails such as the famous GR130 and GR131 - but also the hidden, 'secret' routes.  And we were just itching to get off the beaten track and explore.  After all, one of the frustrating things is seeing interesting sights such as caves or wooden-roofed dwellings but only being able to look from a distance.  Just how did you get to them? 
Today our question was answered.
We took the GR130 route as usual from Franceses but headed off down an unmarked side track that we had noticed several times before.  The path passed by a couple of old dwellings and then a prettier house surrounded by geraniums and palm trees.  Abandoned or not ... it's sometimes difficult to tell!

We continued down the path which eventually finished in a field.  Shame, but the view was nice, overlooking the sea.  Undeterred though, we decided to walk along the side of the field where the earth was hard-packed and clearly not being dug over for vegetables.  At the end of the field was a rough construction, a sort of lean-to, and at the other side of this in the shade, sat an elderly gentleman.
We apologised profusely, in case we had trespassed in any way.  He just took a long puff on his pipe and declared that we were very welcome to enjoy the scenery - 'Why not!' 
After chatting a while and then exchanging friendly farewells, we made our way back up the path and continued along the GR130 again.  Now another side path appeared and once more we diverted down it.  This is what we were looking for.

Tucked away at the end of the path, we came across what was practically an encampment of little dwellings all made of stone and with wooden roofs.  These are so emblematic of the area of Garafia in the north of La Palma and the precursor to houses such as our own Casita.  Would anybody be at home to make us a cup of tea though?

Oh well, at least there was fresh mountain water from a natural spring not too far away, although practically tucked out of sight under a bush.  But now we know where and how to look for the tell-tale signs of springs, they are quite easy to find!
However, the path seemed to have petered out here.  Our natural inclincation was to try and head on further down as that was the direction in which we were going.  But then of course there was a path which ran along back of the house.  And surprise, surprise, it joined up with the first path we had been on. 
Joy.

New Roque Faro to Franceses route - the walk!

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a walk with bright sunshine and a slight breeze.  We were keen to explore the newly re-routed PR 9.1 from Roque Faro down to Franceses at the earliest opportunity, this being part of a circular walk, at times following the GR130, with the finca laying right at the side of the route.

Of course we didn't want to start from home - that would be too easy!  So we jumped on the 10.00 o'clock bus and got off 12 swirling minutes later at Roque Faro.  The bus drops you off on the main road by the way, rather than going into Roque Faro but you will easily spot the new sign and be on your way almost immediately.
Now, this was a new path for us - one we had been completely unaware of - as it sidles its way out of Roque Faro on a non-descript path at the side of a building.  However, having got to the back of the building, we were immediately on a lovely wooded path, gently descending into the woodland with the aid of well-made steps with a fine covering of pine needles.

Not long after, we came to the Fuente (fresh water spring)  Rio Torito.  It was very much alive and well and we spent a few moments watching the water, like a magic trick, simply oozing from the rock.  You can see a photo of a natural spring in our previous post.  Ah well, onward and upward as we made our way along a pretty path to the 'Cruce, ' the cross with the enormous pine tree.  This was a huge improvement as the last time we walked this route, it followed the main road all the way from Roque Faro to the Cruce.

After the Cruce, we followed the mountain road for only two minutes before taking up the path again and descending into the greenery.  On passing a farm, a pig decided to adopt us and followed us for a good way.  I wasn't too sure of his intentions at first and warned him, 'Don't bite me, you pig!' but really, he just wanted to be like a dog, trotting along with us (sorry for the pun) and in the end it took some effort from us to dissuade him not to follow us all the way.  Yes, apple sauce was mentioned ...

A little further along, after having walked 2.4km plus, we saw that we were above the main La Palma road.  Oh yes, this is our main road across the north - plenty of curves - although there are plans to straighten it in places. But soon we lost sight of it again.

And then a taste of civilisation with a house, cultivated flowers rather than the wild ones which had lined our route and the almost inevitable huge wooden cross in the middle of nowhere.  Oh yes, and a very friendly dog and a small flock of jet black chickens. Soon after, we crossed the road and were straight back on the trail on the other side.  And now we were plunged into a tunnel of woodland.  How good is that!

We followed the path along in its tunnel-like state for some time and it then became more like a bob-sleigh run with steep sides but open at the top.  But not at all slippery and there was definitely light at the end of the tunnel.  And that light was coming not just from the sun but also from the clear view of the mighty Atlantic and our beautiful north coast.  It is a sight which never fails to excite.

Now we were descending quite quickly to Franceses and it would be uninterrupted sea views all the way from now on.  Passing by our neighbouring farm with sheep and lambs gambolling about in the field, we were invited in by our lovely neighbours for a glass of wine and a spot of lunch.  We are lucky enough to be treated as family by these kind people who find it impossible not to extend hospitality at every turn - but we took a raincheck for Sunday.
This is a walk we can certainly recommend - 2 hours, 5.3 km, degree of difficulty - low and perfect for a very hot day.  A suggestion would be to have lunch at Los Reyes restaurant at Roque Faro (buses leave Franceses at 10.00, 12.00, 14.00 hrs, etc) and then enjoy the walk down the path back to Franceses.

Enjoying the Old Ways

The north of La Palma is the oldest part of the island and its history is quite fascinating.  It therefore takes little encouragement for us to spring out and take a romp around the ancient paths of the area.  We love the walk because, not only is it a chance for us to enjoy the scenery and maybe chat with the locals but there is always a good chance that we will spot something we haven't noticed before.  La Palma holds many surprises for walkers, almost no matter where on the island!  Nowadays, we also get to share the experience with other people as, once a week, we provide a guided tour along with a little bit of historical input and local flavour.

Whilst a part of the walk follows the newly re-routed GR130, other trails spring off it leading to caves, such as this one.  Some caves you can peer inside or walk inside and people are usually quite surprised at how large they are.

It's not hard to spot the many little dwellings though, which came after the caves, even though some of them are shyly nestling in amongst the greenery.  Their emblematic wooden roofs made of tea wood, the heart of the pine trees, really have stood the test of time.

This one is a little more accessable and when you go inside, you will realise that it is actually a rather nifty two-storey dwelling - downstairs for those that moo or bleat and upstairs for those that snore!

The dripping springs of pure mountain water are in many places, some less obvious than others.  Many of them collect water in stone pools and then there is this one, hidden behind a mass of foliage, that collects the precious drops in a carefully carved out wooden trough.

The old ways were undoubtedly hard but we are very appreciative that we can enjoy looking back at them.

PR-LP 9.1 Roque Faro > Franceses > El Tablado > Roque Faro

This past couple of months, things have been pretty hectic here on the finca which has meant that our little walking expeditions are not a happening thing right now.  At least though we have been able to enjoy tales about walking on la Palma as guests walk the GR 130 and other routes around us.
However, the good news is that should we find time for a short excursion then we won't have to travel far - if we take one step off the finca, we will now find ourselves on the PR 9.1 Roque Faro to Franceses/El Tablado route.  Of course the donkey track has always run alongside the house and finca - after all, this was the way people got from one place to another before the advent of roads, cars and buses - but now it has a route number, a cheery white over yellow blaze and an official sign.  Yes, we really are on the walking map as you can see from the photo below. 

Our house - where the green meets the blue

If you start your walk in Roque Faro you will actually find a sprinkling of new signs and re-routings such a newly opened section just after Roque Faro.  Instead of following the road the path ducks down to the left and pops you up again at 'El Cruce' which is the junction where the old Barlovento road joins the main road at a notably enormous pine tree.

 After a two-hour descent from 1000m to 500m you will now arrive not in the centre of Franceses but simply brush by it walking down 'our' ridge of Las Tierras, the most westerly part of Franceses.  From here you have a great view over El Tablado.  (The photo below is of the same sign as the first one but facing west instead of north.) 

The donkey path is looking very green at the moment with quite a few of the 'flor de mayo' - a tall plant with clusters of tiny purple petals - already out and I see this morning that the sweet peas are well on their way with a few colours on show.  In a month's time, there will be great billowing clouds of them, energetic yet intricate bundles of muted green with flowers shaped like butterfly wings of stunning magenta, pink and crimson.  March and April make walking on La Palma a very colourful experience as the routes wend their way through the spring flowers.

 Just below where the first picture is taken from, the PR 9.1 joins the GR130 which has recently been re-routed as per my previous post. And now there is further good news as you descend towards La Fajana, as a better route has been developed which means that you avoid a longish stretch of walking on the road heading pretty much east and then a motor vehicle track bringing you back to the west.  This saves a total of almost 2km of road walking along this section of the GR130 between El Tablado and Franceses.  Now, you just drop off the edge straight down into the ravine.  Sounds scary, huh?

Well, that's excactly what we thought when we walked it.  But that was up, not down which is always easier.  In fairness though, the workmen have cut steps into the ravine-side so it is not as bad as it might seem.  We'll find out when we walk it in the other direction in a month or two's time.
Once in El Tablado you leave the GR130 as it goes on its sweet way to Santo Domingo and you head uphill to Roque Faro. This completes the circuit.
Like most circular routes, there is no beginning and no end but I suggest walking around it once in a day is probably enough. 

A great day to be on the GR130 in Franceses

Today was a red letter day for us and one we have been looking forward to for some months.  You see, the GR130 has been moved.  And not just moved but moved to come right along the path just below our finca in Franceses.  Yey!!

GR130 signpost 50 m from us

In September last year, I posted 'An Old Path in Franceses gets a New Look' but little did we know that this path was to become part of the GR130.  Then, just before Christmas, lo and behold the white over red blazes appeared, painted on rocks and all became clear - the GR130 was being re-routed right by us with the result that a 1km walk along the road to La Fajana is now no longer part of the route.  That really is an improvement!  And of course, for us it is perfect as walkers only need to leave the GR130 at this point where the above photo was taken and head up the 9.1 in the direction of Roque Faro for 50 metres, and they arrive at our doorstep.  Thank you Cabildo for our Christmas present!
But the intrigue didn't end there.  In our super-sleuth mode, we noticed that holes had been dug at junctions in the path.  Ah, posts then ...

I decided that I wouldn't put this in the blog until the posts were put in and I could put some photos with it.  Of course this did cause me to wonder what I would do if putting the posts in became delayed, or never happened.  But this week - they went in.  Even the path leading up to our finca was not forgotten and now we have the lot - the original lovely old wooden sign that says 'Las Tierras,' the white over red blaze (just visible in the photo) and a GR130 walking sign.

Pointing the way along the new route

And the spring flowers were out too.  Colour me happy!

Star walkers complete the GR130 route around La Palma

Our huge congratulations to Christine of Star Trex, Jen and Bill, who all completed the GR130 route right around La Palma on Saturday, 2nd October.

Jen, Bill, Christine and Dave

It is a fantastic and impressive achievement - approximately 155 km along forest trails and volcano fields, pretty country paths and coastal ways, cobbled streets and deserted wilderness, ridiculously steep country lanes and not forgetting the numerous deep and rugged ravines to be traversed - completed in just ten days, with two rest days included.  To add to the constantly changing conditions underfoot and the scenery surrounding them, they also had challenges from up above with rain on the first day, then hot sun virtually all of the rest of the route and some thankfully slightly cooler weather towards the end.
Back up was provided by Dave with whom they stayed in phone contact and if the team were not actually walking directly to or from their accommodation, Dave was there to drop them off or pick them up.  Bailey was the fifth member of the team who did nothing but wag his tail, run around looking happy, bark once and sleep.
Very well done team - you are all stars!
Really, it was a privilege to meet them all and be a small part of their great challenge. They stayed with us here in Franceses for four nights and I am glad they had time to enjoy some of the facilities including the 'party port.'  They certainly deserved a sit down!

If you think you would like to walk the GR130 route on La Palma, either self-guided or with Christine, just send me an email or if you would like to walk in Tenerife with Christine, do drop into her website.  Apart from being a qualified mountain leader plus having walked extensively in the UK and spent eight weeks trekking in the Himalayas, she is a great guide and an inspirational person.

An old path in Franceses gets a new look

The other day, whilst looking out of the kitchen window, we noticed a group of workers in their high-viz vests clearing the path below us.  The path is about a three minute walk away from our house and our most direct route to the GR130 and the road down to the old port village of La Fajana.
I remember walking it one time, years ago now, and we both took a sickle to clear the overgrown parts.  But eventually, we gave up the unequal struggle as it all grew back by the next time we walked it.  And anyway, the last part where it joins the road wasn't very good being steep with large loose stones so it was a case of hang on to your hat and hope!  It seems that over time, nobody else has walked it and the last time I tried, I couldn't even find the right way and ended up clambering over rocks and bushes before turning back.
However, we couldn't help but notice that this group of workers were cheating.  With four people, a heavy-duty strimmer, plus any other hand tools that we couldn't see from our vantage point and three days to throw at it, impressive results were guaranteed.
So once they seemed to have finished, we picked up our walking poles and set off to explore.

We were thrilled to discover that the path was impressively wide and very well cleared.  Bushes, long grass, encroaching cacti all cut back.  Along the first part, a ridge of solid stone (and a 450 metre drop-off) keeps you 'in' and on the other side, a line of cacti bushes keep you 'out.'  Further down, stones line the sides of the path making it impossible to lose the route. And at the bottom of the path, where it joins the road, a new set of sturdy steps have been made, all in stone.   Looking back inland towards the sun, it looked quite mystical.

Apart from being a short cut and a handy route in the old days for people living on our ridge, it also provides an amazing view.  Because it runs along the most westerly ridge in Franceses, from here you can look right down into the barranco of Los Hombres.  It is hard not to just stand and admire it.

From the path you get a very good look at the GR130 route as it zig-zags up to El Tablado which we can also see from our own house.  But the eagle's eye view as the land swoops almost vertically down into the barranco is simply awesome.  You look at it and think, 'If I had wings ... '

GR130 - El Tablado to Santo Domingo 13.3 km

  For a change, we decided that we would not walk from the house to El Tablado on the GR130 - that would be too obvious.  No, we would start our walk at Roque Faro, go down the LP 9.1, thereby joining the GR130 at El Tablado.

  An early start was needed to give us at least some time without the sun and at 6.50 a.m. the only signs of  life in Roque Faro apart from us was the bread man and the moon.  Actually, it was still laughably dark (and I did laugh) and it was only with the help of the moon that we were able to pick our way down the path.  As we wound our way down from Roque Faro at 1,000 metres above sea level towards El Tablado at around 360 metres the light gently grew and it was a brilliant experience to walk through the wooded paths with the growing dawn. 

  Arriving in El Tablado via an old stone path that runs down by the side of the restaurant El Moral, the few residents were beginning to start the day, watering the little plots of vegetables being the norm.  It was great to be among all the little houses that we can see from our own house, just 1.34 km away as the crow flies! 

 Passing by the church, the path conveniently deposited us right at the signpost for the GR 130 - unfortunately not one of the newer ones with the distances but none-the-less, a clear indication as to where to go.  And so off we set on the 'walk proper' - now we were on the GR130 and our main quest for the day. Walking along a pretty little cobbled path, we were soon leaving the picturesque El Tablado behind us.

We passed the much-photographed ancient drago tree (see website) and were now truly in the open, overlooking the impressive north coast with its roller-coaster of ravines.  From here, we could see the walking path undulating its way across the north but our final destination was some distance beyond the final hill, out of sight.  There was a long way to go!

We began the zig-zag trek down the Barranco Fagundo which lies between El Tablado and Don Pedro which, according to the Rother Walking Guide, is the finest on the island.  There were certainly more than a few spectacular sights along the way such as looking back over the old port village of La Fajana and spectacular coastline you would never normally see.  And the curious overhangs and fascinating strata made me wish that I knew more about geology so that I could appreciate it even more!  

After an hour of fairly careful walking due to the nature of the dry path, we came to the rock-strewn bottom of the barranco where we left the GR130 route for a detour to the beach.  You can read about it on our finca franceses blog but on reflection, we would have preferred to do it (if at all) as a stand alone exercise rather than as part of a longish walk. 

Continuing up the other side of the barranco, the path was good but steep enough in places and it was a case of a steady climb in the growing heat.  

  Along the way, we were rewarding with a mirador as we got higher and higher and then another with table and bench seating plus an interesting (and intact) information board. Oh, and still another 1.5 kilometres to Don Pedro - how did that happen!

The final path into Don Pedro was pretty, filled with greenery and nothing more than a slope which we attacked with gusto.  Aren't way points great for that boost of energy!  Not of course that we would find anything in Don Pedro apart from the potential of a herd of goats being shepherded through, a couple of resident dogs and a few elderly Santanas which will probably never move again.  So, without pausing, we carried on to the next stage, a length of 8.8 km.  Santo Domingo - here we come!

  At first the going was easy with a few interesting houses to pass by and, in between the bushes, glimpses of the super-barren land of Juan Adalid in the distance - being August, this rather desolate area of La Palma was the colour of a desert rather than lush green of winter.  However, our path took us down into woodland with some short, quite steep parts and a few oddities such as a cave with its own GR130 blaze on the door -  I think the paint person was having some fun!  Perhaps that's what brought on our song of the day, 'The Cherokees are after me .... there's a hidden cave ... two wheels on my wagon ...'  (You had to be there.)

But of course, going down means only one thing and we were soon heading upwards again, this time to the highest part of the whole of the GR130 across the north at nearly 600m. 

After some easier walking, we were pleased to see the wind turbines appear in the distant and then, quite suddenly, the head of one appeared over the bushes.  Five minutes later we were walking right by them. 

 

  Our next sign revealed that it was 5.8km to go to Santo Domingo and the open trails stretched out in front of us.  A generous sprinkling of GR130 signs kept us informed how we were doing and the occasional house in a supremely remote location kept us puzzled.  Low cloud started to form which looked quite ethereal but more usefully helped keep some of the heat at bay.  

  Unfortunately, it was just after this photo that the camera decided not to work any more.  Oh no!  Because we had just come to 'the best' cave we have ever seen, where you could easily house 50 people.  And then old stone washing basins and a spring where we refilled our water bottles, having already drunk 1.5 litres each.  Ow, ow ... no camera and the phone camera decided not to work either.  It was a conspiracy!   Oh well, a good excuse to come back in winter and do it all again when everything is greener.  (And it transpired I had taken 130 photos already.)

  At one point after this, we realised we had lost the trail as we saw the burgundy/gold sign in a parallel place where we weren't.  We knew where we must have gone wrong but the thought of having to retrace our steps did not fill us with glee.  Luckily however, we managed to find a link to get us back on route - phew!  

  A rough track now took us further and further over the hills with a surprise scattering of houses cunningly located in the middle of nowhere.  But eventually, we were coming back to civilization along a concrete road.  Now we just had that one last little barranco to traverse before arriving in Santo Domingo.  And whilst it is something of an unwanted surprise if you are not expecting it at the end of a long walk, it really is quite small and the goats in their little caves always make it something of a treat.  It really is like going back in time.

We shall return!