I've failed to mention this in earlier blogs, but there seems to be a rule here in Portugal that guests should don plastic gloves when using a buffet breakfast service. This makes sense in the age of covid of course, but also feels like you are gearing up to undertake a prostate examination.
Minor rectal examination requirements aside, breakfast helped set us up for a drive up the Zezere glacier to the starting point of what would turn out to be one of the more epic walks I've attempted; an 8 mile circular to Portugal's highest point - Torre (the Tower). The roads do allow for a buttock clenching drive all the way to the top, but it seemed only right (?!) to park at the bottom of the corvao (a glacial depression) and hike/scramble the near 2.5 miles pretty much straight up to the top instead. Taking this route was suitably knackering, but the reward for our 0.8 mph average speed was a series of incredible views of the zezere glacial Valley and its surrounding cliffs.
Emerging onto the ridge, with a palpable relief at completing the toughest part of the walk and not collapsing entirely, a phase of boulder hopping our way to the trig point awaited us.
Torre itself was not overly impressive as summits go, being a flat space surrounded by a couple of tourist-trap shops and a pair of decaying observation towers; but again, the ascent itself was more than worth the effort.
The descent along another route was somewhat easier, but still a little fraught with some crumbling ridges and an ill-timed thunderstorm which thankfully kept itself a reasonable distance away from us.
The final leg of the walk finished back where we started, with one last spectacle; a full panoramic of the glacial valley that we first ascended.
Naturally, following our return to the B&B, a brief excursion for some well earned grub was followed with a serious 10 hour kip!
Fantastic views and lovely photos and looks very breathtaking
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