Poço Das Pulgas
Poço Das Pulgas
Ponta Delgada was our base for the week, A smaller town on the northside of the island. It was unassuming from the research I had done beforehand….as unassuming as anything can be on this island. The mountains along the coast dive into the sea along the north side of madeira. the town looks west, meaning every night the sun sets behind the far end of the island.
as our trip approached, I had a clear idea of what we would tackle in the week ahead. Our first day was going to be a lot of exploring the local area, getting supplies and a general feel for the island, nothing difficult! “the lights dim, thunder claps” Until.
This trail, frankly, had completely alluded my research, in fact even now there is barely anything about it. By pure chance I was browsing google maps a few days before landing and saw this trail. In retrospect this hike was the toughest, most rewarding experience we had on the island. This point was even more prevalent on the journey itself, as the signs you will usually see for walking routes on the island (uniform, easy to read, wooden posts) were replaced by maybe 5 blue plastic boards, zip tied to things and written on in tipex….I love it.
Now, Before I get into the detail, if you’re reading this with the intent of having a go, this is difficult! I might be a little chubby but I have decent hiking experience. This trail involves scaling some rock faces and generally steep and often loose ground. but it is worth it. Also note, there is absolutely no signal once you get into this valley, please try and let someone know where you’re going beforehand. We did the circular in about 7 hours, the only people we saw on the whole way were two lads at the last waterfall! While this is great for an introvert like myself, it means that if you find yourself in trouble, there may not be anyone nearby to help! Do not put yourself in danger or push yourself beyond your comfort zone or ability.
If I am being totally honest with myself, the first waterfall on this trail was the most spectacular and was early in the hike. I’ll include my experience and photos of the waterfall at the end, but would say if you came here just to see the first fall, it would still be worth it!
THE LONG ROAD
THE LONG ROAD
Our walk began where we were staying. However there is a place to park at the start of a long road up to the trail. This road is fairly steep and does drag on abit, but it’s a really good warm up to get the blood pumping and your legs ready for the adventure ahead!
Along this road you’ll encounter some unique houses, growing their own veggies, living seemingly off-grid and unphased by the world outside, very jealous. We also saw some cats, it was a good day.
The road slowly becomes enveloped by the towering mountains at each side, the ocean breeze on your back subsides and silence fills the air. As the tarmac ends you enter a dirt track, a lemon orchard to your right is a final reminder of civilization as your prepare to ascend into the forest.
You will reach a small bridge that crosses a stream on your righthand side. We hang left and move into the lush, green abyss. Our tipexed blue friend hangs for dear life on a tree, loosly pointing into the trees. We push through, the dirt track has suddenly become uneven and rocky, this section is an upward climb through a dried riverbed. A lot of this trail relies on a general sense of direction, as you’ll find you can go an hour before seeing another sign, especially after the first waterfall, so be aware!
Danni is in absolute awe at this point, it seems as though portions of this valley never quite get direct sunlight, so the lush greenery is perpetually wet, giving it a rich tone and gloss. Moments when the sun breaks through and bounces light beams across the path show shades of green we’ve never experienced. The downside of this however, is the ground is saturated, loose and pretty precarious at time, especially later.
ASCEND
ASCEND
the hike to the first falls is just about challenging enough to give you the sense of achievment we all crave when hiking. The forest is dense and the acoustics of the valley mean you have to get fairly close to the flow of water before you hear it. But when you do there is a relief that falls over you, finally some rest, a drink and some snacks!
Danni was shook to her very core at the sight of it. After month of planning and years of seeing Madeira on instagram, we were finally here, this was our first encounter with the intimate beauty of the island. As with most waterfalls, we heard it before we saw it. A burst of energy lead us straight to it. The air changed, the humid, silent atmosphere was now fresh, cool and full of the crashing water.
This huge, single drop fall, is stunning. Truly a hidden gem. Madeira has some of the most incredible scenery, alot of go-to spot that are absolutely deserved to be top spots. However unlike places like fanal, or pico do Arieiro. This has a charm, like you’ve discovered something. This is not a trail that appears in top ten lists for Madeira, or even top waterfall lists for Madeira. So there was nobody here, we didn’t pass anybodym there were no signs of life. For the next 30 minutes this was our garden of paradise and one of the closest moments to absolute peace i’ve ever experienced.
I’m not sure on the exact size of the waterfall as my tape measure was at home, but if I had to guess, it’s more than 3 metres.
Jungle Jane
Jungle Jane
Danni is built for speed, a petite frame and physically fit, so when she starts to struggle I know it must be tough. I’m built for comfort and the designated mule (self inflicted) as I feel the need to bring all my equiptment on every trip. Every lens. Tripod. Drone. It’s my own fault.
The next leg was much of the same for a short while, a winding upward trek. As the path continues the foliage becomes thicker, the path less obvious and the terrain less forgiving. We eventually came across a vertical rock face, this is where the path led us and there is no way around it. It’s a good thing someone has bolted what appears to be thick electrical cable to the rock, to aid the climb.
I will also say, at the base of this rockface there appears to be some sort of memorial, we aren’t able to confirm anything but assume someone lost their life around this section. So naturally we pressed forward. The rock section isn’t long at all, it’s just very upwards. However now we have entered into a section of the hike the hugs along the vertical face of this valley. So here on out alot of the trail is narrow, with a solid wall to your left and a fall to certain death on your right. You can catch glimpses of how far you’ve come, through the trees you can look back towards the ocean. You’ll also get an understanding of just how far you’ve climbed!
At this point we were really struggling, physically, mentally, emotionally and…sexually?…well no, it just sounds funny. We didn’t have a great idea of how far the end was and were sort of just taking it step by step. The uneven soft ground and the upwards acsent are rough. Sections of this narrow walkway have slipped and make traversal difficult. You’ll often find yourself having to adjust your footing as you feel it giving way underneath you. Danni had a much easier time, but still terturous none the less. The sheer mass of my manly, hunky body, gave the ground a harder time.
BLUE BALLS
BLUE BALLS
There isn’t much to write home about for a chunk of the hike. It’s hard, there are elements that are so steep you need rope and it’s sometimes difficult to follow. You will cross a smaller stream at one point which drops of into a waterfall on your right, which was cool.
Along the way, you’ll occasionally hear the glorious sound of crashing water. The undeniable sound of the finish line, right?! WRONG. You’ll have your pickled well and truly tickled at several points, thinking you’ve made it, only to hear it fade as quickly as it came in. Slightly frustrating, but also motivating. As, like a gambling addiction, the next one might be the big one!
Finally, however, we drop into a river bed. there is definately a flow of water here. We follow it upstream. You start to get that feeling again, a coolness in the air and a sense that this is it. the vibes are well and truly lit.
Ok so, this waterfall doesn’t have the breathtaking scale or wow factor of the previous one. For lack of a better word this has an almost magical feel, like fairytale-esque. It drops into a pool, which is slightly higher than the main pool. We arrived here while the sun was at it’s highest point. The magic of this spot isn’t just the way it looks, enclosed with overhanging green everywhere.
The waterfall itself is perfectly positioned, in such a way that, when the sun is in the right spot all the spray created light beams. I’ve tried to capture this in the photo, but it is near impossible to really get the feeling with an image. We stayed here for around an hour and the whole time the beams are light move right to left, across the rock pool.
right. we’ve walked for hours, we’re tired and need to refresh. Time to take a dip! Nothing prepared us for this water though. Our assumption would be cool water, luke warm even! It’s blazing sun and the temperature is in the high 20’s, so a resonable assumption right? WRONG AGAIN. This water was cold, like, can’t be in it for more than maybe a minute, we aren’t exagerating. Danni went to knee depth before retreating to a nearby rock that was in direct sunlight, fair.
GRACE, FINESSE, ATHLETICISM
GRACE, FINESSE, ATHLETICISM
It’s well established that I am a finely tuned athletic machine, fitness is well and truly my passion. So the sight of a two stage waterfall like this meant only one thing. Those rocks need climbing. Easy, for someone like me (fit & healthy).
All I had to do was wade through the chest deep ice water, barefoot, climb the wet rockface and take my place as the rightful king of this provebial castle. The route up was pretty much vertical, except for a section to the left that would offer some room to mantle. I use my man brain to deduce that this is the route I would take. I do not hesitate, hesitation is for unfit people who can’t grow head hair (which I absolutely can, it’s by choice).
I operate on honesty, in a shocking turn of events that nobody saw coming, I fell off. Easily 15ft (about 4) off the ground. This all seemed like such a good idea until I hit the deck, as I lost my grip the very sudden realization that we were miles from civilization and without a phone signal set it. I found god in that moment, but I took comfort in the fact the water is chest deep so this won’t hurt, it’ll just be embarassing. Ofcourse there was that large rock I had to climb over just before the wall, the one that was maybe 5 inches off the surface of the water, but there was no possible way, out of all that pool, that would be where I landed?
In true youtube fail compilation 52 fashion, Danni recorded the whole thing, but stopped the recording at the point of most pain. That’s unfortunate because I believe the following minute to be the best bit. I stand up, cold and afraid, wondering if i’ve actually just really done some damage or not, but too cold to really assess it yet. I was facing away from Danni in this moment. Danni, in this moment, proceeded to say “babe?” in increasingly panicked tone.
The video is coming, trust. I’m leaving it out until i’ve finished my story. finsihing soon
