Fajã do Penedo

The main hike of Madeira, Pico de Airero to Pico de Ruivo, which takes about 8 hours there and back, was my main target for today. This is probably the one time that not having a car, kind of worked in my favour. Because I had to taxi there and back. I didn't have to complete the return trip of the hike and instead could simply do the trip one way and taxi home from Pico Ruivo. Meaning it would take 4 hours instead of 8. That being said, I did extend the walk significantly. When I arrived, however, much like yesterday, I was faced with a hell of an issue that nearly ruined the whole day and cost me a lot of time and money. After about 45 minutes and a 40 euro taxi, I walked to the beginning of the hike and found that it had been closed off. But given how much i had already invested, I could hardly back out. There were still some people completing the trail, and so i figured maybe it was just a complete at your own risk type of deal and jumped the tape, and started the journey. I figured people wouldn't be on the track if you couldn't get all, or at least most, of the way through. Not long after, I had started as I walked along a ridgeline from one mountain to another, I was nearly blown clean off the mountain. The winds were extreme, and I wondered if maybe that was why it was closed. This was also the part of the journey that is notoriously narrow and gives it the name stairway to heaven. Holding on for dear life as I crossed the Ridge, fighting the wind and my slightly shaky knees, I composed myself enough to make it across. The rest of the walk was mostly out of the wind, and so the enjoyment was considerably higher. Because it was closed, it was also very quiet. This, plus the unbelievable beauty, thrilling walk, and unique landscapes that the trail holds, made it one of my favourite hikes I've ever completed. Although starting off quite steep and treaterous, creating the best views but also adding a bit of stress into the mix. It didn't last long, however, and I began to traverse the mountain faces and even walking through tunnels that extended for a hundred metres. Although pitch black and quite dodgy, it was also quite cool. This part of the walk also became much more green with birds and other animals. It is, however, also where the walk began to become much more difficult. There were lots of ups and downs, and the stairs started to become painful. This is also the section of the trek where I found the reason that it had been closed. There was a landslide that took out a portion of the trek. But, it was only about 20m of path, and given its an 11km walk, it seems like overkill to close the whole thing just for this reason. Not to mention, it wasn't hard to traverse. You simply grabbed onto some tree roots and lowered yourself around the path. Nonetheless, I managed it and continued to the final part of the main hike. This was my favourite part of the hike. The trees, after years of being battered by the extreme winds, died, turned white, and bent to conform with the winds power. The result is a green and lush landscape with the white skeletons of trees creating an eary and interesting contrast to the rest of the landscape. It was really cool to walk through and under, and I had some great photo opportunities as a result. Sadly, this was the end of the walk, and I arrived at the other end of the hike that had been closed. This is where I made a bit of a mistake. Instead of walking to the Ruivo peak, I accidently headed toward the exit and only realised by the time I arrived. As such, I had to backtrack about 5km to finish the hike and see the peak before returning again to the end of the hike. Although it was gutting, I felt I had to see the peak after all the walking I had done, and I don't regret it. I still had a bit of energy and couldn't miss out knowing I mightn't ever return. It was an incredible hike and a really massive highlight of my trip so far. This made my first two days in madeira some of the best i had ever had. So far, so good. When I finally reached the end, a second time, I enjoyed a big meal and a beer and began to scout a taxi home. I apparently got very lucky and called the last taxi in Madeira. When he arrived, a couple of girls had no choice but to jump in with me and complete my journey before starting their own. When I arrived back at the hostel, I showered, relaxed, and met the new girl in my dorm, MJ. We went downstairs and sat with everyone for pizza night and enjoyed our first Poncha. The traditional drink of Madeira. And it is strong. Very lemony but still very nice. We drank and watched the AFCON until it was late enough to head to bed.Read more