Away to Gerês we go, Chapter II
Rocalva, cows, and Poço Azul
Away to Gerês we go by Diogo Tavares, Chapter II
As always, André wakes up before I do. He leaves the tent with his camera in hand to let both his creative instincts and physiological needs loose on the pristine landscape.
Breakfast is chock-full of cereals and nuts to store energy for the day ahead. We were just over an hour’s walk away from the great boulder called “Meda de Rocalva.” The name derives from its peculiar shape, similar to that of a straw-rick. In Curral de Rocalva, we find a hut and the old shepherd shelter alongside the ever-present cows, roaming free. André seems more confident today. He’s now at ease with the walking sticks, his feet and boots have come to a mutual understanding, and he seems to have bounced back well from the grueling grind of the previous day. Coi struts ahead of us the whole time but doesn’t make the mistake of running about frantically anymore. She knows a long day awaits us.
The trail is tricky, and it is easy enough to be lured and led astray by the most conspicuous track, which often proves to be far from the easiest. Shepherds have crisscrossed these valleys for centuries, but the cairns are few and far between, and it is hard to spot the beaten track, so we seem trapped in a game of “where is the f#*?ing track?,” to the point where we have to rely on our GPS.
After hours of hiking down and around granite rocks, we reach the highlight of the day, Poço Azul — the Blue Well. A small oasis of crystal blue water that the river Conho capriciously decided to stash here, snug between the rocks. Were it not for the mountain in the background, you’d think you were somewhere in the Maldives. We are a good long way from there, and yet — perhaps like in those islands of the Indian ocean — we were forced to turn a deaf ear to a noisy group of hikers. Time for a belly-flop into the water, from way up high, to scare away the sweat of two arduous days. Get ready for a big splash!
Photography & Words by Diogo Tavares
Edited by Marion Garnier & Bis Turnor
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Diogo Tavares
Trekking Leader, Graphic Designer & Outdoor Enthusiast.
Working through the complex task of simplifying life so that I can live it. It can be a 20 days walk in autonomy through the Icelandic cold, crossing lava fields without coming across a single human being, and calling home to my backpack; or a stroll up the Himalayas, reaching 5000m in bikepacking with just one pedal; or maybe floating upstream for days, as a lazy otter does; or simply getting my bike, crossing the Tagus river and go for a swim in the Ocean, with my son and Coi, the dog.
Big journeys, crazy adventures or just little daily walks in the middle of nature searching for the simple moments. Founder of @vadiagemoutdoors and Co founder of @bonsselvagens
@digstavares
