Serra da Estrella has been done!
And it hurt, too. Day 1, from Sao Joao da Madeira to Penhas da Saude, near the Torre da Estrella (highest point at 2000m) was 9 hours, ending with a 2.5 hour, 30km climb. I got a sore knee just before that climb, so the rest of the trip was a bit of a burden, but I managed! The whole ordeal was 16.5 hours and 390 km, up and down many mountain ranges. Day one we climbed Freita (400m to 1100m), Sao Macario (500 ro 1000m) and Estrella (400m to 2000m). Lots of Power Bars and Isostar went into our bodies to make this all possible. And to think, the pros do this stuff for three weeks straight in the Tour de France.
The Serra da Estrella is absolutely beautiful. Very rugged and rocky with a few lakes here and there. Even a ski hill at the top (the only one in Portugal), which is comparable to Chicopee, for anyone from Ontario (very small!!). |
