10 March 2018 – Fuerteventura adventure

In an attempt to escape the Scottish winter, Colette and I, along with four friends all booked a holiday for us and our bikes in the Algarve. Checking the weather forecast on the weeks running up to the holiday, it looked lovely and warm and sunny. However, it all went wrong just in time for our departure, due to the combined efforts of the Beast from the East and Storm Emma. We ended up with icy weather and snow in the UK, while Portugal had wind and rain. Not much better than home, but at least it would be a holiday, and there were some dry spells forecast to take advantage of.

Despite the snow, our flight was still scheduled to leave, so we all travelled to the airport during the red weather warning, got checked in and were about to board, when all flights were cancelled and we were sent home.

What a bummer, but maybe there was a silver lining, as we could now rebook a holiday to somewhere with a better forecast. Lynne took on the challenge that same evening, and we ended up with a week’s holiday in Fuerteventura (Costa Calma) leaving just a few days later.

Not knowing anything at all about the island (one of the Canaries), I looked at the map and found some nice wiggly roads near a place called Betancuria. That would be quite a long ride (60 miles) with lots of climbing, so I wasn’t certain that all would be in favour of attempting it.

Our hotel (Costa Calma Beach Resort) was all inclusive – the first time Colette and I had tried that. It didn’t have any specific bike facilities, but luckily the room was big enough to store our bike bags without tripping over them, while the bikes lived out on the balcony.

After a few days of exploring, we decided to take on the big ride on the Saturday of our stay. It was an early start, as we needed to be back by about 7pm when it would start to get dark. I reckoned on a 6.5mph average speed being necessary, including all stops. Not too taxing by the sound of it, so we wouldn’t need to rush up those hills.

So off we went, on a typically warm and sunny morning, heading north from our hotel and past the Hotel Rio Calma, with its distinctive spire, which marks the northern-most part of the town. From there, we descended to the next roundabout, taking the exit signposted for La Pared, where the road runs west under the busy FV-2 dual carriageway.

This road was fairly quiet, taking us gradually uphill towards the west side of the island, which is only a few miles wide at this point. The gradient then increased a bit, till we reached the top and had a great view of the west side of Fuerteventura, with mountains reaching down towards the sea and waves crashing onto the rocks at the edge of the land.

There was a quick descent towards the turnoff for La Pared, marked by a burnt-out car proclaiming the town to be “surf city”. We didn’t visit the town this time, but kept our momentum to help us up the short, steep climb on the other side.

After rounding the next corner, we were basically at the foot of the first mountain climb of the day, heading towards the Sicasumbre pass. The road undulated a bit to start, but gradually built into a steady climb, where the gradient got steeper as we went.

We had agreed that we would be sensible and stop to eat and drink every 5 miles or so, to keep the energy levels up and stay hydrated in the arid heat. After the first stop, Alison and Fiona decided to go carry on and not stop to the top of the climb up Sicasumbre, so we became quite spead apart on the road, each going at a pace that we found suitable.

That gave plenty of time to look around and take in the surroundings. The sandy landscape in which we started had given way to a more volcanic look, with the jagged summit of Montana del Cardon to our right making an impressive landmark. There was very little growing in this dry landscape, save a few low, scrubby plants. Ravens and the occasional vulture could be seen circling high above, giving the feeling of being way out in the desert, far from civilisation.

Nearing the final corner to Sicasumbre summit

The final push to the summit was the hardest part, with a final corner to be rounded before the top came into view. There was a car park and a walkway to the very summit, which apparently gives an incredible view. I was more concerned about snacking on my banana, which I had taken from breakfast, and replenishing my fluids.

After reassembling the group, we headed back down the other side, where the gradient was much more pronounced. There was also a swirling wind which caught me by surprise, so I took it easy on the descent. Keith wasn’t so easily put off, and shot past me, enjoying it to the full.

At the bottom, we ran into another climb; a mini-one compared to the previous one, but it still took some effort. From the top of that however, it was pretty much all downhill to the town of Pajara, where we were planning to stop for a coffee.

Flan!!!

After a couple of false starts, we found a cafe that did cake, and ordered coffee and eats. Colette was delighted to find some delicious flan (similar to creme caramel), and ended up with a massive portion, which she reluctantly shared with me. Others ordered cheesecake and chocolate cake, and were similarly impressed.

As Lynne (holder of the coffee kitty) was dealing with the bill, I went off and bought some water to top up our bottles. It turned out that 3 litres wasn’t quite enough, so my bottles only got topped up a wee bit. I wasn’t too worried, as the next stop, Betancuria, wasn’t far away, although there was a mountain to climb on the way.

Leaving Pajara, we found the gradient to be not too taxing. Coupled with the wind at our backs, it gave the impression of a fairly easy climb. With her upright riding position, Lynne got the most wind assistance, and couldn’t help herself from riding off ahead of the group with a little shout of joy!

As we progressed, we found ourselves riding round the inside of a huge bowl in the landscape, with fingers of rock lining the bowl, so that we were riding round the knuckles. Lynne kept disappearing from sight, then reappearing again as she rounded the next finger. We were glad that we were riding this road from south to north, as we got to hug the mountainside, rather than ride close to the drop on the other side of the road.

Feed me!

We stopped once we reached the top of the pass of Degallado de los Granadillos, where there was a large car park and various info boards, as well as a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. Here, people were feeding the wildlife, with Barbary ground squirrels and ravens taking food from hands. Colette couldn’t resist, so I gave her part of the emergency sandwich that I was carrying. It should be pointed out that there were signs saying not to feed the wildlife, although they didn’t seem to complain about it!

Fiona outside the church

Next stop was Betancuria, so we headed downhill with thoughts of lunch. It wasn’t long before a village appeared, too soon to be Betancuria, but we paused for a short while when we spotted a very picturesque church (the Ermita de Nuestra Senora de la Pena). There was a wedding in progress, and as we stopped, we were treated to a rendition of Ave Maria sung by the priest drifting melodically from the church across to us at the other side of the village square.

Moving on, it was obvious that this area was much greener than the rest of the island, being higher and in the lee of mountains, it must get more rain. We even saw grass growing at the side of the road, as well as various wild flowers.

An undulating three miles or so took us as far as Betancuria, where we were on the lookout for a lunch place. The first to be seen was La Casa del Queso (the house of cheese), so we stopped and ordered bocadillas. In retrospect, maybe I should have ordered the fried cheese house speciality, but my filled baguette was perfectly good and I was well refuelled at the end of it. Colette had over ordered a bottle of water at lunch, so I used it to top up the supply on my bike. We all had enough now to see us to the afternoon coffee stop.

By this point, we were lagging a little behind our 6.5mph average speed target, so I suggested we get a move on. That saw us leaving the town and immediately embarking on the final mountain climb of the day. The Morro Velosa climb was only about two miles long, but it was steeper than the previous one. It also snaked around the contours of the mountain in such a way that much of the road was hidden from view at any one time. However, I did catch sight of a bus near the top of the mountain, driving up an impossibly steep gradient. That really made my heart sink, so I tried to put it from my mind and concentrated on the bit of road immediately in front.

Looking back on Betancuria from halfway up the climb

Before long, Betancuria was way below us, as we persevered towards the car park and viewpoint, stopping alongside some statues, where there were great views to either side of the pass. We had climbed to around 1900 ft, the highest point in our holiday, but we couldn’t help looking in horror towards the really steep part of the road to the east, apparently rising to the very top of the mountain. Worryingly, we couldn’t work out whether or not we needed to ride up that part.

View towards the north of Fuerteventura

There was only one way to find out, so I led the procession over the brow of the hill. After a short while, we were relieved to find that the steep climb to the top was optional, leading to a visitor centre, while our road continued on a downward trajectory all the way to the bottom. The road surface here was quite rough, possibly purposely so, to aid grip. All it did for us was cause discomfort, so I took it easy, while Keith forged ahead as usual. After some way, the surface returned to smooth asphalt, so I loosened my grip on the brakes and enjoyed the rest of the ride to the junction at the bottom.

At this point, we were just over halfway into the ride, with all the major climbs over, and now ready to head in a southwesterly direction, back to Costa Calma. We enjoyed a lovely long freewheel all the way into Antigua, which helped bring us back on target for our average speed. I was still keeping a close eye on that, which left me open to some good-hearted teasing from the others. At least I was confident that we had ample time for an afternoon coffee break, which we had planned for the next town of Tuineje.

Getting to Tuineje wasn’t all downhill however, and when we were presented with a stiff 13% climb, our already tired legs started to complain! There was also a strong side-wind to contend with, which made things occasionally quite scary, especially when it hit you during a fast descent.

When we arrived at Tuineje, we were horrified to find that the whole place was closed down, with not a single cafe open. Some of us had run out of water completely already, so there was a bit of sharing out of water between bottles so that we all had enough to see us to the next town, La Lajita, on the coast about 14 miles further on.

Although the road descends overall, there were still a number of significant undulations to deal with, along with the wind, but there were also some lovely descents to be enjoyed as well, despite the tiredness. When we arrived at the cactus roundabout leading to La Lajita, Alison asked whether we should just carry on, as our hotel with its unlimited refreshments was only a few miles away in Costa Calma. It seemed like a good idea, so on we went.

Unfortunately, we had no option other than ride on the main FV-2 for this part of the route. The road was busy, so we kept to the verge of the road, beyond the white line, taking care to avoid the cats eyes. We went past the animal park, after which the road rose steeply. There was a crawler lane on our side of the road, which meant that cars could give us a wide berth, but it seemed to be rush hour, so both lanes were busy with fast moving traffic, making it quite unpleasant.

The climb was mercifully short and once at the top, we stopped at the side of the road, waited for the traffic to clear, then ran across with our bikes to the other side, where we could join the old road beyond the crash barrier. The new FV-2 continued to Costa Calma as a dual carriageway, allowing us to take the old road with virtually no traffic, save the odd tourist checking out the Mirador de Sotavento viewpoint.

The familiar spire of the Rio Calma hotel could now be seen, meaning there were just a few undulations between us and a cold drink. Colette and I made up the rear, but the others were still waiting at the hotel entrance when we arrived, with high fives all round. A quick shower later, we all congregated on Lynne and Keith’s balcony for overdue drinks. That was the big one, and we’d all made it. Cheers to us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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