I spent 7 days hiking 160 km across Madeira, Portugal with @PaddyDoyle. walking coast-to-coast from Porto Moniz to Ponta de …
this is Madeira and this is me and I’m
about to attempt something which I have never done before i’m going to walk across the
amazing island of Madeira on a 7-day hike which will take us through the very best Madeira
has to offer we will experience the highs and the lows h this place is nearly
nearly getting the better of me and of course the weather but having never done
anything like this before I won’t be doing it alone i will be joined by my good friend Paddy
Doyle and together we will document our journey of 160 km across the island from the stunning
coastal views to the epic mountain paths we will leave no stone unturned so join us and let’s
start my biggest challenge yet but before we get going let me show you the plan route i got
myself one of these hiking maps a Madeira hiking map unfortunately last year Madeira had a big fire
and almost a third of the island was on fire right in the heart of the island and it’s caused chaos
especially on the route the famous route where you cross from one side of the island to the other so
it took a little bit of replanning we’re starting in Porto Moniz right in the northwest as I said
we’re going to come up to Fanal the ancient forest we’re then going to stay one night in Seixal
very pretty village on the north of the island and then continue the fire was in this region so
this area here and this levada here one of the most stunning levadas is closed unfortunately so
we’re going to have to take a different route so what we’re going to do is hug the coast and then
come up the mountain to Pico Ruivo now this is the highest peak on the island and it’s going to be
absolutely spectacular and then essentially the rest of the hike is on the east of the island
and all the way out to the very end point in Ponta de São Lourenço so yes that’s the plan and
this is how it looks laid out over the island 7 days it doesn’t look that bad when you look at
it like this but trust me I’m under no illusion of how hard this is going to be but I guess it’s
time to stop talking about it and actually get the journey going so the bags were packed and we got
picked up by Duarte from Madeira Green and Blue Tours and he dropped us off at our starting
point in the little town of Porto Moniz so I’m going to pick up with you guys in the morning
from day one of this 7-day journey across Madeira today is going to be the start of
the grueling hike 150 kilometers across the island of Madeira and if you
didn’t see the last video this is Patty bonjour portugal mate portugal
portuguese h bonjour no bondia
bond right we’ll get there in the end hopefully
the hike won’t be as difficult as that but we’re here
yeah we’re here at the start ready for the first well the first challenge up
that hill here i’m feeling strangely overconfident i I’ve noticed that
and I get to do something like this finally with someone else normally
it’s just me on my own talking to myself and uh struggling now I’ve got someone else to help me
yeah can’t wait can’t wait i wish I had some of his confidence so whilst I
bottle that let’s get going and that was it we were off and to be honest
a little surreal knowing the challenge we had ahead of us but typical Madeira it didn’t let us
settle in it hit us with the hard stuff straight away i’ve got to admit guys it’s hard so far 2
km straight up and not for one to be the sick note obviously I had the atrial fibrillation
issue a couple of months ago that’s okay but the ankle that I broke two years ago that’s
hurting and that’s probably going to be an issue I guess on this trip hasn’t hurt for a while but
these steep slopes look at it we came from all the way down there and we’ve zigzagged our way up
relentless i mean the views are great but it’s a challenge i’m going to focus get in the zone one
foot after the other and we’ll get to the top or at least the next viewpoint [Music] look at this
nearly at the peak of that hill now we’re into the Madeira countryside very different to Funchal
out here with the little houses each house has its own plot of land they’re growing vegetables
for them to eat sometimes maybe to sell at the farmers market but it’s peaceful it’s quiet
there’s chickens on the road chasing Paddyy just look how pretty it is this is the real Madeira and
if you get out of Funchal you will find this this is the reason I came on this hike for scenes
like this that makes up for the hurting ankle [Music] but the celebration didn’t last long because
once we got to the summit we had to come all the way back down to sea level and if you know
anything about walking or hiking you’ll know that downhill is just as difficult if not
more difficult than going uphill but we did find the views behind me is one of the wonders
of Madeira rivera de Janeella a rock jutting out of the ocean a very famous spot for people
to come we are going down there but I promise you it’s not going to look any better than from
this spot right here on the way down the mountain and I’ve seen it many many times but I have never
never seen it as beautiful as this from this spot now of course we couldn’t pass by this natural
landmark without taking a look so we came down just to check it out but to be honest it was just
to delay a little time from what was to come the hardest part of the day was ahead of us this
isn’t even the summit this is a full summit we had to go all the way to the top of the island
1,600 m so the climb the grueling climb began might be the hardest stretch of the day it’s the
second hill climb to the Fanal plateau the bad news is the ankle hurts and I’m struggling
and I asked in the last video do you think I brought too much in my bag well I already know
the answer i don’t need your comments on that i brought too much it’s too heavy the good news
is when you’re not on a trail in these parts the roads are so steep they’ve built steps into
them all the way up so it does make it easier and the views here are still absolutely stunning
but it is hard i mean Paddyy I don’t know if he underestimated it but he was like “Yeah I’ll
be fine.” And he’s a machine he’s just you know smashing ahead but he has walked across Hong Kong
he’s walked in New Zealand recently i estimated it and I still think I underestimated
it and it’s day one oh dear [Music] one of the reasons I loved asylum so much had
a different microclimates and we’ve just come from the coast as you saw where the vegetation
is very different to now we’ve now entered the eucalyptus forest invasive unfortunately
but nonetheless beautiful i’m finding this hard how are you finding it
i’m I’m enjoying myself he’s a machine he’s like 100 200 300 meters in
front of me each time like hey Patty come on i want to just film this this piece
i’m going slow and steady machine
slow and steady it’s nice to be in the forest now and it’s
going to change again he’s going to see i don’t think he’s prepared how much it’s
going to change as we elevate and all the different parts of Madeira we’re going to see
on this hike but even today from 0 to 500 it’s going to it’s going to change three four five
times you shall not pass can you get the part i’ve got to admit as beautiful as this part is
walking in the forest is great it’s just so hard to appreciate it when every step hurts every step
is so difficult but thankfully it was time to stop for lunch now this is a top tip do not forget
your lunch because I forgot to buy a sandwich so for me it was just snacks but to be honest
what I really needed and what I got was a quick rest some water a few dates and just you know
preparing myself for the rest of the afternoon to get to the top so with that done it was time
to leave this scene behind not a bad view is it typical Madeira I would say and it was back into
the forest into the Laurisilva forest the ancient forest but unfortunately my struggles continued i
don’t want to make this a video of me struggling but struggling I am i’ve slipped once Patty’s
slipped three times covered in mud we’re currently trekking through Laurisilva the ancient forest
in Madeira full of the most beautiful plants and trees and ferns and mosses on the trees i mean
look at that the log is just covered in moss or the tree branch is covered in moss moss hanging
off the branches it is special incredible energy to this place just not enough energy to fill me
up to get up here but onwards we go i think we’re making good progress we’re not actually on the
trail we’re supposed to be on i have an app called Kimoot and I’ve downloaded it the route offline
but we got a little bit lost in this laurisilva i think we’re on a path going the right way but
we’re not on the path but that’s fine that’s part of this ride it’s part of the adventure part of
the adventure and part of the motivation to not quit because let me tell you guys that went
through my head very very often on the way up here but yeah this gorgeous forest really did help
and things like this come on but after a few hours we made it to the top we made it to the plateau
let me show you oh man we made it we made it to the top of the plateau over,200 meters I think in
the end to this plateau Fanal forest the ancient forest here in Madeira but I have to say when I
used to come here to Fanal I used to think that this place was special and it is special with the
ancient woodland the ancient trees but they’re scattered now they’re scattered along this plateau
along this plane there’s cows here grazing there’s a lake or a pond you might be able to hear in the
background the frogs it often sits in the cloud and in fact today it is sat in the cloud so we’ll
get a few shots of that for you and it has that mystical feeling that special energy however it
is incredibly busy with tourists very very busy i mean there’s people everywhere the car park is
always busy all the tour guides bring people here buses come up here but when we got lost on the
wrong path through the laurisilva forest that was the real ancient woodland that was special
those trees untouched untouched by people the paths untouch i mean there’s a path we’re walking
on the path but almost untouched it looked that was mind-blowing and for me that is an absolute
another level compared to this I must admit and as I said I used to think that this was special
so yes it was brutal yes it was hard Paddy told me for him eight out of 10 and he’s done some hard
ones now it would have been nice to spend some time here enjoy relax take in the special energy
but guess what we had to go all the way back down all right leaving Fanal behind and heading down
to Seixal where our hotel is which I’m looking forward to because through all of the turmoil
on the hike yeah it’s true we’re heading We’re heading down
as climbing on the steps again but through the whole walk up I’ve been thinking about dinner
there’s a butcher there where you pick your own meat and grill it next to the ocean i’ve
had that in my mind the whole way looking forward to that is it going to be open on a Sunday
good question that would be annoying wouldn’t it that comes with not knowing
the day of the week doesn’t it fingers crossed now I’m not going to say
that this part was easier but knowing we were on our way down going towards the hotel
psychologically that helps but just as our feet were hurting just as we were tired and hungry
and a little bit miserable nature knows exactly how to cheer you up and throw something in
the mix that will get you through [Music] enjoying yourself there
yes my feet were getting a bit raw so this is perfect oh bliss this
This is exactly why I chose to do this trip to find these hidden gems along the route
just when I was flagging on the way down legs on fire come across spot like this
incredible waterfall coming down off the cliffs through this almost prehistoric
landscape right see you guys in Seixal finally the home stretch the forest turned to
road and the road turned to vineyard and then the vineyard turned to coastal views over the town of
Seixal our destination for the day all right guys welcome welcome to the very picturesque town of
Sea one of the most photogenic towns one of the most drone towns in Madeira on the north coast
we didn’t technically have to come down here from the top we were on the plateau but we walked down
for about 3 hours 3 hours on the way down to this town because I wanted to show Patty this town for
a start and secondly we didn’t really want to camp up on the top so we had to find accommodation and
there’s no better place to find it than in Seixal a very local a very authentic little town with
the most incredible views it was a lava overflow a fan the lava came down from the volcano and
fanned out over the sea and created this dramatic well now it is a town right they built the houses
here the local houses and you can tell it’s local because vegetables are out drying curing on the
walls there’s locals around in the restaurants and surrounded by waterfalls and dramatic cliffs
i keep looking up top and not really hasn’t worked out in my head that we’ve just walked down from
up there remember that restaurant I was excited about for this town yeah it was closed so plan B
or actually the only place that was open at this time next to the saltwater pools next to the
Black Sand Beach was this little cafe where we had steak chips egg and salad food of champions
after a long hike and trust me it tasted so good and then it was back to the hotel for rest but
first let me give you my thoughts day one over of my first proper hike i’m going to say proper hike
although we did climb a mountain in Lao but this is my first proper hike first proper multi-day
hike end of day one so I thought I’d give you my thoughts my body is battered everything hurts
my shoulder hurts my legs hurt my ankle hurts that’s for sure my toe hurts from coming downhill
stubbing my toes in the boots it’s been grueling and to be honest if I was to imagine what the
evening would be like here in Sea I’ve been here before or I’ve been here many times i’ve been
to all of these places that we’re going to stop over in overnight but I’ve never stayed overnight
it’s just by day and oh boy in this evening light this town is just incredible incredible if it
wasn’t for that I’d probably consider stopping today that’s how difficult it was it definitely
went through my mind a few times but I’m glad I persevered i’m not looking forward to day two
but we will carry on hiking is a lot harder than I expected real hiking is a lot harder than
I expected i have a new respect for it but I also have a new respect for this island anyway now I
need to sleep i’ll see you guys in the morning good morning day two hiking across Madera i’m not
feeling as sore as I expected to feel today which is a good thing i feel sore let’s not get that
wrong but for how much walking I did yesterday I’m feeling good the plan today is to walk
across Paul da Serra down to São Vicente the wine growing region not as much elevation today
so that’s going to be good we ended up taking a taxi back to Fanal didn’t see that much point
in walking all the way back up 1,200 m to the point where we left the trail the planned
trail anyway okay so we got the taxi back up into the mountains to the ancient forest
and we’re going to pick up the trail where we left it and carry on this 7-day hike across
Madeira let’s see what unfolds today i tell you what yesterday I told you I definitely
packed too much 100% no doubt about it this morning I dumped 2 kilos nearly out of the bag
and left them at reception for someone to go and pick up for me ah the difference it makes
in the bag and on the walk is night and day so there’s a learning for you definitely under
pack be ruthless as Patty told me with what to put in it it will make your life so much better
anyway how you doing today how you feeling stiff you’re stiff the first few hours are going to be
flat before the downhill so we can loosen up now drone shots I put into videos to make them feel
a bit more epic and sometimes people say “Ah but it’s not what we really see it’s not what we
really feel.” But I’m putting them in in this video because trust me this walk this hike this
adventure feels epic and I don’t know if you can tell but my attitude already feels better today
right all right we’ve just come off the plane up there i like a lot it You’re above the tree line
it’s all like shrubby and bushy not many trees but it feels like a different world somewhere
like Greece or something like that now we’ve come back into the tree line and we’re walking
around the peak so you’ve got this amazing path and you just get glimpses through the trees of
the valley below and the mountains beyond utter pleasure to walk sun is out few clouds which
is good it’s keeping the temperature down not too hot today yesterday was hotter made things
all that little bit harder but come on walking through this good start to day two very good
start to day two and the legs and the heart are holding up pretty nicely let’s hope it stays
that way i’m definitely finding today easier than yesterday uh and Paddyy did say as the
days go on it will get easier to get into and I’m definitely feeling that so far wow looks like
we’re back in the laurisilva forest check this out all right so this part of the hike is
very much like this in the scrub not much much to see but I appreciate the
shade definitely helps now the sun has come out and wow look at this patty’s
already down there soaking up the views that is special and I was just saying if
the whole hike was full of views like that spectacular views might get a bit numb to it
might be too much i like that it’s restricted all right now I could stop every few minutes
to show you but some places are just worth stopping look at this it’s broken out into
the valley you can see the vastness of the valley now not even with the drone you’ve got
the windmills at the top of the island wind turbines you’ve got waterfalls coming
down treeline mountains very dramatic what a place what a shot look at that about halfway through the day’s hike and almost
at the peak of the elevation we’re at about 1,400 m now and we’re in a place called Paul da Serra
got about another 100 meters to go before we go all the way down into São Vicente i must admit
it’s been tough on the uphills but on the flats I’m feeling good i’m feeling strong but yeah
I can definitely feel it on the hills as you would expect and my my shoes my Timberland
hiking shoes are causing me a little bit of aggro that’s another learning make sure your
shoes are well broken in even though I took them to the cobbler yeah causing a few issues
on the toes but we’re all good it is very very pretty here half of it is clear and the other
half you’ve got the cloud blowing across the plane after a quick lunch break it was back on
the trail and today’s hike really does prove my point that Madeira’s landscapes change so
much we went from plain to forest to scrub to plane to woodland it really is amazing but
the toughest part of the day was about to start and the descent 1,600 m down to zero down to
sea level to São Vicente very rocky i’m just loving how all of these microclimates i knew
there were a lot of microclimates here but I’m loving how they’re changing three four five
times a day had to change the shoes into the trainers they’re giving me the hiking boots
were giving me some gip so hopefully that’ll be okay they’re feeling much better in these but
we’re pretty much coming through the cloud layer it’ll be interesting to see if we get through the
cloud but right now we’re walking in the cloud i don’t know if you can see but you can see the
clouds drifting over the path and up the mountain this is the challenge today’s
biggest challenge all the way down but it wasn’t long before we found that this
path was a bit miserable actually it was boring for one and two just bad conditions underfoot so
we came off into a forest path where I found some pace setters these ladies were running across the
island and then we stumbled upon this little spot one of the reasons Madeira is so popular for
hiking is because of this the ladas maybe you’ve heard of them maybe you’ve not but Madeira
one side of Madeira gets more rainfall than the others so they built an irrigation system all
across the island hundreds of kilometers thousands of kilometers of irrigation to bring water from
one side of the island to the other serving three purposes one bringing water for the people to
drink and use in their homes two bringing water for the farmland for crops to grow in the south
of the island and three nowadays to generate electricity and this is one of the best examples
of it and now on the island you have these hiking paths next to it so a lot of the hiking that
we’re doing is next to these paths and what blows my mind is you get them in the most dramatic and
crazy landscapes and you have to think that people went and built them there all across the island
whether it’s on a cliff whether it’s like this whether it’s in the mountains an incredible feat
of engineering and now well we get to make the most of them with hiking but you don’t get many
more pretty than this patty’s just dipped his feet in to relieve his feet i’ve washed my face but
yeah plants growing on the side of them the levada keeper house blossom on the apple trees a little
slice of paradise here on the levada in Madeira welcome to the town of São Vicente we’ve come down
the mountain i think if you’re going to arrive in the town you’re not going to really beat this
are you into the vineyards the vineyards here are for Madeira wine growing Madeira wine but
into the vineyards into people’s gardens look at this imagine if this was your garden you’ve
got the dramatic mountains in the background clouds hanging onto them but the landscape here
is just spectacular you can see the terraces the tears of the vineyards as they work their way
up the mountain and then the houses with their orange roofs dotted around you also have these
little houses or these little buildings here maybe for animals maybe for storage who knows but
this is the real Madeira i’ve driven through this town many many many times many times but I’ve
never been up here on the mountain side into the vineyards wow roses other beautiful flowers look
at this look at this it’s postcard stuff i must admit the way down was a little bit monotonous
on a road which was not the easiest to walk on my calves are on fire but this is the way to make
up for that isn’t it more than makes up for that right i’ve lost Patty even with the digital
map get lost i’m stuck in a vineyard but the way is down to the valley so hopefully
I’ll find my way there but not a bad place to get lost is it look at that never thought I’d
be walking through the vineyards in Madeira well this is the joy of hiking Madeira i’m well
and truly lost i’ve well and truly lost Paddyy just noticed this guy’s growing his strawberries
in old bathtubs and vegetables where’s he got that from but look at this this is a Be careful danger
let’s try and get across safely probably shouldn’t be doing this should I sorry Mom probably
shouldn’t even be filming i should be focused on actually being safe all right we made it
shouldn’t be doing that too often should I patty will be all right he knows where the hotel is i
think he’s on the way down on the road i’m still trying to follow the planned path ah the joys the
joys but this is much more interesting than on the way down so I’ll take it and I’ve got the views
of the church on top of the hill but I’m getting hungry now so I want to make it to the hotel
and have a nice shower and have dinner do you know the way do you know the way to São Vicente
no can’t help me all right I’ll find out myself made it to São Vicente and found
him again how you feeling day two delirious
delirious it was a tough day but we’ve made it São Vicente lots
of work going on here unfortunately but the restaurants are open which is good not the one
I wanted to go to we’re going to check in have a shower have something to eat and then go to bed
welld deserved rest I think today i’ll show you what dinner is i’ll see you guys after the shower
all right I lied we’re not going for food first this hotel it turns out has a pool and even
better than that it has a jacuzzi so I cannot think of anything better after a grueling 30 km
hike than to get in the jacuzzi it’s like hit gold here i mean it was €140 for a twin room for
the night but still to have a jacuzzi and a pool ah absolute bliss how you feeling now [Music] oh
I’m in heaven so much for the hard hike [Music] well end of day two i just thought I’d give
you my thoughts i must admit I thought today was going to be a lot harder than it was with
the soreness my morale was good today but a lot of things are hurting my little toe is hurting my
two big toes are hurting my quads are on absolute fire my calves are like lead the shoulder straps
are digging into my shoulders the camera strap is rubbing on my neck the list can go on and it
does go on but I’m glad I pushed through i’m glad I got to here on the last stint it was difficult
but I’ve got to say it is opening my eyes to this island in a new way in a way like I never would
have thought of before a new respect maybe a new way of looking at the landscape around me maybe i
mean I don’t take it for granted i feel very lucky to live here and I always appreciate it when I’m
driving around and I’m looking at the landscape but when you’re walking across it when you’re
hiking across it when you’re intimate with it it completely changes and we’re only on day two
don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing we have five days to go and well let’s see how we
get on but the funny thing is stood here in Salva Deanella and Porto Moniz in the background i can
see Sea sea looks so close and if you walk along the coast we could have done it in a couple of
hours if that along the coast but that’s not the point is it this is walking across Madeira
not taking the easiest route it’s taking the scenic route purposefully to get to know the
island intimately and the pain maybe will be worth it will certainly be an achievement by the
end if I make it anyway going to have one quick drink and then I’m going to hit the bed and we
go again tomorrow see you in the morning guys good morning day three São Vicente today almost
a rest day not quite a rest day but definitely a rest day compared to the first two days we’ve
got just 12 km down the coast along the coast this time rather than up and down hills just just
the 700 meter elevation today almost feels like a walk in the park but yes we’re heading along
the coast to a place called Arco de Salour before the big day tomorrow all the way to the
top of the island so I think it makes sense to take it a little bit easier today and rest up
as much as possible for that and incidentally I’m just waiting outside the hotel for a taxi i
didn’t bring enough underwear in the stress of packing thinking about a million different things
I didn’t bring enough underwear for the journey so I had to get my housemate to put some underwear
in a bag put it in a taxi and bring it out here the benefit I guess of living here but €35 wasted
money although theoretically for clean underwear it’s not wasted money is it anyway by the way
hotel behind me i think the best one we’ve stayed in so far fantastic buffet breakfast nice clean
room jacuzzi pool right on the seafront sleeping last night with the window open and hearing the
waves lapping against the pebbles was pure bliss all right I’ve got it the legs may hurt the
mind may be struggling but at least I have clean underwear and with my clean underwear
on it was time to leave São Vicente and get our day going this part of the morning is always
filled with a few nerves but a lot of excitement and it’s goodbye to the coastline and
the coastline that we keep seeing but thankfully we’re going to be walking along this
absolutely stunning coast of Madera it’s nice to be getting the mix right up in the mountains
all the different microclimates up there and then down here along the coast so whilst we’re
not through the central mountain range we are blessed with something else so I’m definitely
not going to moan about that that was the sound the sound of the sea that I heard all night and
made me sleep like a baby but I must admit just those first few meters the legs are feeling it
today it’s catching up with me anyway time to get some kilometers under our belt Madeira
isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of surfing but people do come
here for it and as we were leaving the town we saw these surfers heading out to catch some
waves [Music] besides the immediate beauty of walking along the coastal path one thing I
did appreciate was the flat start [Music] oh boy did my legs need it and it allowed me to
enjoy this incredible start to today’s hike if this was a sign of things to come for
today it’s going to be a great day ahead here is a great example of modern Madeira with
a tunnel the road that goes straight through the mountain built about 20 30 years ago versus
old Madeira the road that wraps up the mountain itself these have been such a godsend to the
island and you can get around on great roads very quickly can you imagine taking these roads
walking buses cars cattle horses whatever you want to take taking these roads they go all
around the mountains now of course they’re closed now be crazy to take some of them some of
them you can still walk on not walking on that one but yeah what a godsend these are but it’s
interesting to see them both in the same frame that’s our pathway through this mountain
better than over it i could not think of anything worse right now than going over this
mountain so thank God for the tunnel [Music] if you remember we’re taking this route today
because of the fires last year closing the paths in the mountains i thought it meant it would
be a dull hike along the roads but it turned out to be anything but that before we knew it we
reached the next town and we were in need of some lunch quick pit stop day three how you feeling
warming up like today’s a day off for us isn’t it yeah nice pleasant walk today
it’s been it’s been great so beautiful so easy
nice views some of the best i mean this is probably
the most beautiful day of the hike so far I think so visually
or just enjoyable for me the first two were like get through it today was enjoyable
and then yeah music in chilling nearly there got a nice little co coastal
yeah let’s not introduce that in case I don’t we’re going up there need something to do
today otherwise I was going to be there in half an hour anyway we’ll see on that we’ll
see but yeah nice day so far one thing about Madeira I love is that everywhere you go you
see the most amazing gardens people in this town really had a lot of pride in theirs but we
couldn’t dwell on that we needed to push on and we spotted one of the old abandoned roads which
wrapped its way along the coast it was going in the direction we wanted to go so of course we
had to hike up there and get on it didn’t we [Music] [Music] woo just as I thought it was going to be
easy a quick 200 m climb up onto one of the old roads before the tunnels these are the roads that
people used to take here in Madeira buses I said before everything that came up it but they’re
closed now you can see all of the rockful rocks come down off the cliff and settle down here but
they have the most spectacular views up here and I’m glad the path has brought us up here i’ve
never walked along one of these this is turning out to be Paddyy said it earlier but it’s turning
out to be one of the best days of the hike i mean I love the forests i love the mountains of course
but there’s just something about You don’t want to get too close to the edge there do you there
is something about being up here which is magical [Music] that climb Patty spoke about at lunch
yeah it’s the one behind me looking very ominous but we decided we
would take it on after all [Music] the closer we got the bigger and more intimidating
it became this would be a proper test to see if my body really was adapting to the hike after
all if nothing else it was going to give us some epic footage i will see you guys at
the top enjoy my struggle heat heat [Music] i would just like to thank the partner of today’s
video SY ESIM who have given me a coupon code for you to get 15% off your first ESIM package
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at checkout to get 15% off your first ESIM [Music] ah as you can see finished the hike for the
day it has been the first day that I actually enjoyed whilst on the hike the coastal road
was spectacular along roads I’ve never been on before the old coastal roads never been on
those before and it was just a joy to walk we chose to go on the harder route as you saw
to get here and I’ve actually done that one before and I remember it being a lot harder
than I found it today so I guess that’s a good sign i’m getting stronger i’m improving but
we’ve just stopped off at Arco de São Jorge and we’re staying actually very nicely it was the
only one in the area available we’re staying very nicely in a four-star hotel Pashtana Kintad
Arco and I’m very happy sitting on the hammock i’ve literally just arrived so I’m going to
take a shower but I thought I’d just sit on the hammock and give you the update of how today
was and yeah I do feel like I’m getting stronger enjoying it was quite nice i did not enjoy the
first two days i was proud at the end of them i got into bed and I thought to myself you know
what you did it Joe you did it but today I kind of got the little buzz for it I guess because
on day one I was definitely thinking I’m never doing a hike like this again ever again and now
I’m thinking well next time if I do a hike like this so things are changing the other thing is
I got my bag sorted today i was having problems with the shoulder strap and the placement on
the hip i was really digging in and making myself sore but I found some different straps
that I could hook it to and it made such a difference it was comfortable i wasn’t faffing
around don’t do what I did and use all your stuff for the first time on the hike go and
practice first do a practice hike with it but uh yeah lesson learned be more prepared for
these things because you’ll definitely need it after a well- earned rest whilst Patty was
getting showered we headed out to dinner there wasn’t much choice in the little village
but we found a spot and ordered an absolute mountain of food i went for the traditional
tomato soup and the meat skewer or eshatada we enjoyed the sunset and then we got
some rest before the big day tomorrow [Music] good morning how are you guys doing how am
I doing that’s the question i am feeling a little bit nervous today is the big day the day
that I knew was coming the day that I dreaded we just left Aroco de Salor we’ve walked
5 1/2 km and we’re now at the bottom the very low point of today’s hike and now
there’s going to be a climb of 1,860 m just came through the tunnels of Aro de
Salor actually we just wanted to take the direct route i’ve lost my hiking pole that’s not
ideal we’re hiking up to the top of the island to the peak the highest point and one of the
most famous places in Madera one of the most famous hikes in Madera not many people come
up from Sor but many people go up to the top but yeah it’s going to be a tough one today I
think is the make or break for me as I talk Mr patty’s just catching up to us let’s see how he’s
doing today morning mate how you doing good good quick little warm up
we’re on our way quick little warm up
half muscles activated we’re near After today we’re going to be halfway
at the top that’ll be halfway of our journey sweet
it doesn’t feel like it does it i don’t know i’m going steady away i’m
enjoying it um let’s see how we feel at the top
at the top no we’ll feel great at the top
i think we’ll be stopping before then yeah let’s see how we feel halfway up
all right let’s do it let’s go mate come on [Music] there’s the peak up in the clouds
in fact you can’t even see the peak it’s so high up covered by the cloud that might be quite quite
nice but you can see it there in front of us just coming through the last few little villages
before we get up onto the mountain side and work our way up now the last few days the food
has been the motivation to get to the end point but today not only do we have the highest peak as
the motivation we have the football Man United in the Europa League final tonight bit nervous
to know if they Well I’m a bit nervous anyway i’m a bit worried about whether I’ll be able to
watch it or not we’ll see but climb to the peak reach that summit and then watch Man United lift
the trophy up at the top it’s going to be a good day and that’s it we’re off my legs were actually
feeling good today and it’s great to have a clear target in mind but I must admit I was a little
bit daunted by the challenge which lay ahead having never done anything like this before I
didn’t really know what to expect i just knew that I would need a lot of my mental resilience
and seeing the top of the island ahead of us it just looks so far away but again we were walking
through Madeira’s spectacular rural landscapes oh the incline has started proper
now we had a bit of a false bottom had to come down another 300
m and but now we’re on the up haven’t been going long but it’s hard it’s hard i
got myself a new walking pole which is helpful the views are obviously great but come on you know
that by now that does take a little bit of the edge off we came from all the way down there and
all the way down into the base of the valley and we’re now working our way back up to a town called
Ilha and then we’ll get on one of the main hikes all the way up to the top but I feel stronger
than day one that’s for sure definitely as you go through these hikes you get stronger and you
you work your way into it i remember watching TV show on English TV British TV by a guy an
adventurer called Leverson Wood and he does these long walks he walked the Nile he walked all
sorts of other things through the Himalayas and I remember he said “Don’t worry so much about
fitness initially even if you think you’re fit first couple of days will be hard but you walk
your way into these big walks.” And I feel that doesn’t make it easier it’s just difficult in
a different way maybe it’s not as bad not as deep but then we’re early doors here but
this is why we’re here aren’t we this is why we chose to do this for the challenge not
just to see the pretty views i can go around on a motorcycle for that it’s for moments
like this right head down keep walking any excuse for a break check out the
view and a bit of a breeze oh wow so we came from all the way down there
well all the way along but all the way down there now we’re working
our way up this mountain side any excuse for a break because
I definitely definitely need it anyway enjoy that one i’m going back to the ground [Music] here [Music] he is
i stopped to film and and for a cheeky rest the man the myth the legend
the broken man the broken myth the broken legend the first time hiker who’s just casually
climbing up the highest point in Madeira it’s hard going
of course it is it’s hard going
of course it is but especially doubling up on the water jeez but
it’s good look at this look at this look at this broken car
oh yeah there’s an Instagram spot in Asia go
on then i’ll take a picture of you ready right perfect now look out oh okay
like I’ve been hit go and sit there right look up and wonder wow
why am I doing this isn’t life amazing
why am I doing this isn’t hiking a a piece of piss [Music] at this stage I was feeling good the trees
provided some shade from the sun the legs felt good even on the climb i was actually
surprised with myself but not as surprised as I was with this some people are bizarre
we’re walking up this area with these logs heavy logs as steps and I just passed the
group and they go “Hey hey hey up there about 150 m there’s a log missing can you
take that one up?” I’m like “Who the do you think I am to be carrying a log up the
mountain because there’s one missing?” So I politely told her anyway don’t be that
person use your brain what an idiot pretty though the view not not the woman finally a proper rest
for lunch bag off sitting down and catching my breath tin sardines and crackers lunch of
champions i’ve learned anything tastes good when you’re doing one of these hikes but things
were about to get a little bit harder for me h I don’t know what it is but since lunch this
place is nearly nearly getting the better of me this is hard hard [Music] every step feels like I
can’t even explain it my legs are like lead bricks the lactic acid in my legs is building up and
building up i could just can’t get back on top of it we’ve come far we’re not that far now there’s a
turning up to the peak it’s in 1.8 m 1.8 km sorry but the effort the struggle
is real [Music] come on [Music] this is the good side of hiking the popular trails stunning views this is the bad side
look at that bring a bag disgusting you wouldn’t do it in your own garden so don’t do
it on a hiking trail if you need to go bring a bag i know I should be putting the drone up but the
legs have totally gone the mind is flickering i can’t be bothered you’ll forgive me but
it’s just broken out out of the tree line and into this well broom I think is what the
the bush is called you can see the peak now we’re getting closer about 2 km from the peak
another 1 km just over to where I turned to go up to the peak but look at that the peak is
up there up in the cloud but that is special the central mountain range of Madeira now we
would have walked across that if it wasn’t for the fires last year and instead we have
to do this you see the clouds just coming up drifting up the mountain ah it’s just special
special special now you get these jagged rocks and we’re going to walk along very different
climate up here right keep going get to the tops patty’s somewhere up there i’ve been stopping
and having to stop so often it’s just these this last quarter has just been brutal back like
it was on day one for me let’s go let’s go [Music] me again two things keeping me going one that
blinking view wows two I got signal mumford and Suns blasting out is giving me a bit of
an energy boost podcast wasn’t doing it for me so close now a kilometer away i’ve
got this i’ve got this we’ve got this there he is my god that was hard not at
the top yet nearly about 150 m climbing to go patty’s just flying the drone
he’s told me he’s been here about 20 minutes it’s been in the clouds but
it’s just cleared i haven’t been up here for a long time years to pickle
Ruval look at this look at this was it worth the climb up that might be a little bit extreme it was incredibly difficult
i guess altitude doesn’t help it’s probably 1750 m now so the air is a bit
you know bit harder to get the oxygen in [Music] i got you again here he is out of 10
and how hard in your hiking experience was that it was up there it was up there 7.2
7.2 it was It was uh quite steep yeah I think uh Well I would agree with you
7.2 until I got to the last quarter and I think it was like 11 out of 10 jesus
you do feel actually up here there is a little bit less air as well so
yeah I’ll go with that now the easy bit 100 m 150 m to the top and pray that the
clouds disappear where’s your backpack Joe oh yeah
i know they’re going to say that in a bush somewhere
we don’t need it for this last bit we just need to go up there take a picture
say we did it stumble back down to the shelter just in time for kickoff
yeah let’s go [Music] we started together
we’ll end together here we go we did it high five ah what an epic
hike thank you what an epic hike [Music] [Music] well this is it right at the summit of Madeira
i’ve taken a few minutes just to catch my breath and now I can appreciate the wonder of this
part of the island this central mountain range is absolutely epic what I didn’t realize is
that the fires last year came all the way to the peak i mean there’s burnt trees and well
not trees but bushes all the way up to the peak of the island absolutely crazy down in the
valley you can see Serra d’Água where we came up through to get to the first point with our lift
on the first day and then you have this mountain range it’s absolutely breathtaking words
can’t describe it yes okay the weather’s not perfect today or maybe it is the clouds are
drifting in and out we’re about at cloud level sometimes you get it where the cloud is below
and you have a carpet of clouds beyond you and you can see all the way out sometimes you’re
in the cloud and then sometimes it’s crystal clear and you can see the entire island and the
mountain range you just kind of ride your luck with it but whatever the weather unless you’re
literally in the cloud it’s stunning and you definitely want to make it up here sometimes
I try to be a little bit poetic about what I say in these segments when I get to these stages
give you my emotions give you my feelings but to be honest sometimes it’s just better to show you
the shots and to just soak it up myself and enjoy because sometimes it does leave me speechless
and this is definitely one of those places after a hop skip and a jump back down from the peak I was very very happy to see our
accommodation for the evening [Music] i’m at the accommodation i’m showered and
I’m feeling fresh again what a day what a day i cannot believe I climbed a total of 2,200 m
today up a hill a mountain hill a mountain side that was like this unbelievable i never would
have imagined especially when I was sat in Taiwanese hospital with a heart problem thinking
that all of this stuff would be long gone in my life to achieve that today I’m proud i’m proud
of myself especially from where I was on day one as well it was hard there’s no denying that it
was very very hard but rewarding these things are rewarding on a personal level I think not
just the views at the top and you know doing it with Patty these are all fantastic and I’m so
happy I’m doing it with him but on a personal level to set these goals and these targets and
achieve them yeah so good we’re staying at an accommodation not quite on the peak a little
bit down the hill about 20 minute walk called a Shadow Terra it’s a cafe it’s a restaurant
and it’s a hostel i’ve gone with the private room very nicely decorated bathroom is nice the
common room is gorgeous this room was $160 and yes okay it’s not cheap but you’re on top of the
mountain when nothing else exists so of course you’re going to pay a premium for that patty’s
in the dorm room i only had one private and he doesn’t mind being in the dorm room so Patty’s
in the dorm room and that also is gorgeous and costs €80 if that’s what you wanted to do i think
I’m happy with this choice and I’m happy with how the day went i told you guys if I can get
through today I’m confident of making the end and we did it anyway time for food and time for
the big game now a positive and a negative the positive the food was amazing really delicious
i had carbonara and it really hit the spot the football well Manchester United lost so we
won’t be speaking any more about that will we good morning day five top of the island
at the peak what a wake up we had this morning with the views right
yes with via the drone via the drone all right what was it they did
clear for a bit yeah they’re drifting in and out well today we have a probably the longest
walk of the day 30 odd kilometers down into a very nice valley called Ribeiro Frio where
things are going to change again you’re going to like that one taking the scenic route
taking the scenic route and then along through the forest paths to a very pretty
coastal town we’re going to have one rule today and it’s very important rule
okay challenge if maybe a challenge no football talk
okay no worries man United lost
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah not happy about that anyway that’s enough
of the football talk we have a long way to go let’s get going but I would say for me I don’t
know about you for me best place we’ve stayed yeah yeah really good staff really
good food uh very convenient you know right up here at the top we recommend it
yeah top stuff right let’s get going despite the loss in the football the night before and the
inclement weather the energy started high today we would be walking through some of the most
stunning scenery this island has to offer but it wasn’t without its risks there you go just as
I start that piece to tell you it’s a little bit treacherous today we’re walking through the cloud
so obviously it’s raining it’s damp it’s wet and it is slippy the ground is full of stones and mud
and you know the pathway that’s been trotten on a lot so it’s very smooth slipping and sliding
i’ve spent a lot of time on my butt we’ve all been slipping even with the hiking shoes these
hiking shoes don’t have fantastic grip so I’m pl finding out we’ve been so lucky with the weather
so far this is our first bit of rain not that I’m complaining about that i like it the temperature
is nice the scenery is beautiful it’s nice hearing the rain and the birds but you have to focus
every step and your whole body is working to keep your balance trying to watch where you’re
going to step it’s as much physical as mental today let’s hope we make it down in one piece
we’re making good progress but it is treacherous back into the forested area ferns green look at
the green colors on those ferns woodland the moss hanging off the trees god I love this place
maybe even starting to enjoy the hike maybe [Music] for me this is what hiking in Madeira
is all about hiking next to La Vada the sound of the water running past you seeing
the water running past you it’s all about that it’s amazing i love it and if we were going
to get rain on one of these days then today is the day to choose to get the rain because
it’s a forest walk and walking through the forest on a day like this with the rain and it’s
fitting isn’t it moody you know the right tones for this type of walk about walking past
these ladas we haven’t walked through so many lavadas or along so many leavadas in this
walk but I’m so glad we found them now [Music] and we’re just coming down into the bottom of
the valley before going up into a valley called Ribeiro Frio i think we kind of underestimated
today still says we’ve got 7 and 1 half hours to go including a thousand meter climb and
it’s 5 to 2 so nearly 2:00 so that’s going to take us to dark basically to get there
this valley though is incredible look at this proper Madeira no big towns no big houses
here just just a rural countryside but look at that i mean that up here could be like Amazon
rainforest couldn’t it it could be jungle minus the road going through but just the clouds and
the fog drifting in it’s a great day very very very nice day walking but we’ve definitely
underestimated how long it’s going to take on this route but we’re here to walk so let’s
look at Patty we’re here to walk we’re not here to chill in the hotel so walk is what we’re
going to do at this stage after coming down the mountain I was feeling the strongest I had
felt on this entire hike but I did notice that Patty was struggling just a little more today so
after taking a breather on this stunning bridge we had a little chat and decided to change the
plans all right change of plans patty’s legs can’t handle it i’m
dead on my feet no we’re just going to run out of time we’ve
got 7 hours from where we’re from to go on the roundabout route and as nice as it would be
to show you that valley i just don’t think we want to be walking in the dark on unlit paths so
we’ve shown you enough of Madeira all right now we need to get to the hotel yeah
we’re actually going home no no we have just hiked all day down the
highest point in the piss and rain yeah exactly so now we’ve got 10k to go
instead of 20 yes still a hard day’s work we’ll make up for it we’re still walking
across Madeira exactly it’s just we decided not to go up there
this is day five this is the longest I’ve ever hiked by the way is it
yeah i’ve never hiked more than 5 days in a row so Jesus day two was the longest I’ve ever hiked
so the map still told us to climb up a large hill ahead of us but we had spotted a path
which cut along the mountain when we were coming down into the valley it was going in the
right direction so to save the legs and to save time we decided that it would be worth the risk
despite the chance of having to turn back if it wasn’t accessible was it the right decision
you tell me look at this proper adventurizing waterfalls the green ferns look at that
coming down stunner oh there’s signs of life we actually we just saw a path and instead of
going up the big hill that it was telling us to go up we decided to come across this tiny path
and it’s led to a lava which is not even on the map interesting it’s not even on the map so I was
a bit curious and also bit of a sense of adventure i think it follows the valley and the valley is
going in the direction that we want so why not but I do maintain when you’re doing this stuff
you’ve got to be so so careful because look at this there’s only a foot foot and a half between
you and falling down there so you need to have your wits about you but if you are careful and
you do have your wits about you you get blessed with views like this this one might be added to
my Madeira travel map if you didn’t know I have a Madeira travel map and a Madeira food guide you
can find them right here scan the QR code and find them or link in the description but I think this
one would be a very good one with the bridges at the start stunning stunning bridges at the start
and then a secret hidden levada along the valley i must admit this part of the hike was a good
mix of exhilarating and a little hair raising and although I thought it was fun Paddyy wasn’t
so convinced don’t forget your travel insurance when you’re coming to Madeira with Joe when
we go off peace you might bloody need it this place couldn’t get any better look at
this we’re now literally climbing through the rock dangerous yes fun most certainly
ah this beats going up into the valley until Roberto Freo hands down oh next one how you
How you going to get through there um bag off bag off feet wet what a g oh my
god this is literally And he’s in all right bag off is the way the bag oh that’s a tight one how many more of them no the stick there you are without doubt up there with the best part of this trip so far bit of
Indiana Jones on my YouTube channel oh my god oh my god he survived he
survived a lava what a walk what a section right do not try that at home we do not want
to take responsibility for anyone copying us and falling to their deaths that was stupid and
he’s not even joking there was severe risk of us falling to our deaths for what 50% of that at
least we survived we’re nearly there the end is in sight next to this big rock just over
the ridge is the town of Porto da Cruz where we’re staying tonight i think Mister’s still a
bit flustered from that we’ll let him catch his breath definitely up there with one of the best
walks I’ve ever done in Madeira heart pumping stuff i’m here to test my heart that definitely
did it thankfully we were back on steady ground we walked into the little village that we found
ourselves in and dear Paddyy needed a stiff drink to calm himself down
uh my cider nice you speak English
oh very lately and then there’s me trying to speak Portuguese
with the worst Portuguese and suddenly he speaks English he’s offered us some cider
it’s a ma right now is the cider festival just starting we were just having a little chat patty
needed a beer after that after that uh hike having some chats on the way out
chi chi [Music] is me not drinking after that it was just a short walk into the
coastal town of Porto de Kouge our or at least my stop for the evening day five complete a good day
today i felt strong considering the hike yesterday the elevation gain yesterday to the top of the
island my legs had zero soreness in them today and we came all the way down from 1,800 m to sea
level as you can see behind me didn’t quite take the planned route as you saw but I think actually
we took the better route part of this experience is about being a bit spontaneous and we definitely
benefited from that today it was very cool very very enjoyable day and I think I’ve hit my stride
with this hike to have no soreness and to enjoy it so much today i’m very happy very beautiful
very beautiful experience today tomorrow you can see the cliff behind me that’s where we’re
going going up that and across i need food i need a bath and I need sleep so that’s my
plan but Paddyy had a slightly different plan i’m getting a taxi i’m getting a
taxi i need to get away from this guy yeah he got banned he got banned from the hotel
stay away from him like he smells he’s He’s bullying me there’s my taxi though
all right no I this this host right they canled my booking
and then when we went in they didn’t even say sorry like [ __ ] this guy yeah right
i’ll see you tomorrow day six it’s day six tomorrow
ciao from here I’ll meet you here at 10:00
on the dock all right don’t be late on the dock
do not be late chow chow with Patty gone I got myself to
the restaurant next door to my hotel and had dinner vegetable soup and steak with
two eggs tasty and exactly what I needed to recover for the next day and with that it
was off to bed and ready to go again tomorrow he’s back how was it up on the hill it was
great to have a night away from this man yeah just kidding
vote that too i had a crap night’s sleep actually
really yeah i kind of need you snoring your head off next to me to set me off
yeah well well today we have what is supposed to be a very beautiful coastal hike
but it’s raining day two it’s going to be miserable today
i think we did well to avoid the rain for the first 5 days
and now we’re paying ourselves it’s inevitable we’re paying our tax this is
an island in the middle of the Atlantic of course we’re going to get rain from time to time
but uh today’s going to be one of those days where it’s going to be long
wet miserable cold
and we don’t mind getting wet do we we’re English
but we’ll hold off we’ll go for a little walk around the town there’s a little distillery
rum distillery that we want to see or grab some food cuz they don’t do breakfast here
so grab some food and then fingers crossed it will dry up but I’m not going to hold my breath
after having a quick look around the rum factory we decided to get some breakfast and a coffee
whilst we waited for the rain to stop and you don’t get many places more authentically Madeira
than this one serving a very traditional food now one of the benefits of hiking across the
island from a food perspective is you get away from the crowds and the tourist places
and you find these little snack bars that you find all over Portugal and all over Madeira
and this one this is a proper one and you’re on the rum and coffee how’s the rum and coffee
it’s delicious but I I feel like the town drunk like you’re putting quite a bit of rum in there
i’m starting to feel it now well that’s what you need before the hike on a cold wet day
very true anyway let’s try this sandwich
and then we’ll get going all right guys we’re leaving now thankfully
the weather has not cleared but starting to break out you ready for this one
walk in the park today isn’t it i know your leg’s feeling better today you
You’re a bit tired this morning uh yesterday oh he’s he’s well into it now cue the struggle
of Patty Doyle on the hill right 12:00 so let’s get going 6 hours ahead of us once again
leaving town energy was high i mean it’s hard for it not to be when you have views
like this and although today was a shorter day for us the hardest challenge of the day
was going to be getting up to the main hiking path steep does not even begin to describe it
but at least it was only a 700 m climb only steep one just a bit [Music] tell me this is not
one of the best views we’ve seen on the hike and if you disagree leave a comment down below
about which has been your favorite because if you ask me that one’s right up there isn’t
it top three for sure and the higher we climbed the better the views got sure stopping to film
and take photos makes things take a little bit longer than it otherwise would but come on can you
blame me steep on the way up but very very pretty on the way way up this hike is one of the hikes
I’ve been looking forward to on the whole trip i’ve never done it before but it’s what a very
popular hike on the island but it weaves its way along the coast and through the ancient forest and
you can just see how breathtaking this side of the island is on the north on the coast these jagged
cliffs jutting out into the sea and today because we are kind of at cloud level the cloud is just
hanging on top of the mountains really gives it that atmosphere that special atmosphere that we’ve
had pretty much all the way on this journey but this viewpoint here and probably all the way along
wow [Music] and it’s broken out into the forest so not only do you get the coastal views you also get
the forest views this hike has a bit of everything we keep saying this patty said “Oh this is my
one of my favorite bits of the hike so far.” And I said “That’s great.” But you’ve kind
of said that every day which I think just sums up that this is an amazing island to hike
across and uh and a great way to see it and if I can do it and we’re not there yet but if
I can do it trust me guys you can do it too when I told you the views were good guys that’s
what I meant on this hike both directions all the way back down where we came from and all the way
ahead absolutely stunning and what the amazing thing is is when you’re not worried about your
legs hurting can actually relax into enjoying the hike for what it is and it becomes almost
like a peaceful meditation walking especially with these views but just over here it’s opened
out into the end of the island we had a glimpse of it in Porto Rouge but there it is Ponta de São
Lourenço our end point of this epic journey and motivation to kick on and keep walking what was
becoming one of the most breathtaking parts of the hike but then again like I said we keep saying
that don’t we [Music] but before we knew it we were on our way into the next town Machico our
next destination just coming into the valley now down off the mountain but you can’t beat walking
down off the mountain down the valley into the next town i’ve learned this that’s the feeling
when you see your destination in the distance i feel like I’m in one of these novels i remember I
read a book many years ago about I can’t remember the name of it i’ll pop it up on the screen but
it was about a guy who just picked up his stick left his house in England and went on a long walk
made it into Europe and through France and Spain and this is reminding me of it just your stick
from town to town and enjoying the stories and the journey that you find on the road and definitely
right now this is reminding me of that book and we made it and considering
it was the penultimate night we treated ourselves to a small
celebration drink cheers big ears one day to go
yeah it feels good to have a quiet chilled day today i mean
it was a beautiful coastal walk as one of the highlights of the whole week um but it
was easy on the legs for us in comparison to the slogs that we’ve been through uh so
feels like a really scenic end to the day and quite fitting that we can see the end
yeah we can see it i mean yeah we could we could easily have just knocked knocked
it out and done both today and tomorrow in one big day it’s a beautiful place right
yeah yeah yeah and it’s not about we’re not we’re not trying to prove a
point we’re trying to take it slow it’s nice to have a night in Machico cuz you’ve
told me we’re going to find some good local food a nice chicken dinner or something
cold beer on the pier watch the sun go down watch the planes take off watch the surfers if we were
running around this island like a blue ass fly just to get from one side to the other we wouldn’t
stop and breathe and experience these moments 100%
well too shame for that with our final climb in sight we wanted to have
dinner and an early night and considering we both love Asian food we found the street food van
serving Korean dumplings and Korean noodles it is difficult to find good Asian food in
Madeira but these ones were great thumbnail [Music] all right this is it we made it
day seven the final day of this hike the clock says 145 1.5 km so far
we’ve got about 15 to 20 km to go but we’ve got one more small hill should
we call it 290 m and then it’s plain sailing downhill and flat to the very end
of the island the very tip of the island i’m excited to finish but I’m not like you know
keep going he claims he could keep going for weeks yeah no I’ve got loads of energy but
I’ve also got loads of laundry and uh you know when I get I I want to make sure
that we’re in the pub in time for the football that’s true
you know I’ve just got other things on my mind but uh
nearly finished nearly finished
one more day [Music] that is it the final major climb done oh
boy my legs it’s not the hardest one we’ve done obviously but my legs are like what are you
doing man why are you still doing this day seven so that was a bit tough and it wasn’t very well
trodden it’s very overgrown and that’s because most people end in Mashiko or start in Mashiko
they don’t seem to go to the end of the island so by my book that doesn’t count as crossing the
island anyway that’s behind us back down the hill and then out to the the proper hike and there
it is where we’re heading the end is in sight the final stretch of walking across Madeira
don’t really know how I feel about it yet i’ve started to think what it means but
maybe we’ll save that for the end [Music] oh we’re so close now we are so close now and
this was it the final few steps to the end point of the island what a moment and by chance
we bumped into our new friends at the top looking for you because we weren’t too
sure what time you [Music] pretty high well this is it the end of the island 160
kilometers 7 days mountains forests coasts pain how did I even manage it who knows a little
emotional to think that a few months ago I was sat in hospital in the emergency room with a
heart issue scared not knowing what was going to happen and now I’ve walked 160 km over
the island that I live on life is strange sometimes but you’ve got to make the most of it
you got to push yourself you got to challenge yourself and what a challenge this was from day
one wanting to quit day two wanting to quit and then easing myself into it and finally enjoying
it by day five and six incredible what a journey thank you to Paddyy inspiration pushing me on
doing this with me but yeah I’m proud of myself i’ve seen Madera in a whole new light whole
new respect for the island and funny we bump into people who we’ve seen again and again on the
journey you start to make friends with the people who are also hiking across it what an experience
one I remember forever maybe the hardest physical challenge I’ve ever done and I did it we did
it well kind of you watched along with me [Music] you’ve heard my little summary of what
I thought of this hike what about you easy let’s do it again let’s turn around and go
back i tell you what though the last couple of days you struggled a little bit right i think
that’s fair today mentally today turned into a machine again suddenly racing off ahead so you’ve
definitely found your energy and your stride yeah this this uh this last day with all the
crowds being a Saturday and people doing it in jeans and people struggling it like I I like
secretly running past them all and being like come on this is easy but you have hiked Switzerland
you have hiked in the Doommites you have hiked in New Zealand you’ve hiked in Patagonia and
now you have hiked in Madeira where does it rank oh wait it ranks Yeah it’s up there it’s
up there as the one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had let alone one of the
most beautiful hikes I’ve ever had every day was different every day was um challenging ups
and downs high points low points and you know I wouldn’t have been able to get across the island
on my own definitely not you were the navigator you really took the lead in the planning i just
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen that meme of that little kid just walking down the street that
was me right i was just blissfully following him and uh yeah it’s I’m I’m glad it’s over
but it was one of the best things I’ve ever done and I will do it again in a heartbeat
definitely a pleasure to do it with you a week he said in his little outro it’s the longest
we’ve ever spent together before that it was just a couple of hours and now we spent
a week together hiking across Madeira so ever again
yeah that’s what I was thinking now you can walk back to the start
of this final hike but what kind of way is that to end this epic journey we need to end this
in style with a boat ride back to the start what a journey what an experience what a
challenge thanks for following along and most of all thanks for supporting me take
care and I’ll see you guys in the next one
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