29 July 2015 Levada do Norte from Serra de Agua to Espigao

Course

Road to the Serra de Agua power station, Levada do Norte, 2 tunnels to the stream-control works in the Ribeira do Poco, 1 long wet and 1 short dry tunnel into the valley of the Ribeira do Pico and on to the stream-control works in the Ribeira do Pico, on along the Levada do Norte down the valley and above the Ribeira Brava valley, through 4 shorter, in places very wet tunnels, through the big gorge to the Espigao tunnel. Before the tunnel, ascent and traverse to Espigao, stepped path to Meia Legua, by car back to the start

Distance: 14.4 Km, 214 Hm ascent, 610 Hm descent

Start: 09.50 Serra de Agua power station

End

16.45 Meia Legua

Condition

Very demanding walk with extremely exposed passages, suitable only for hikers who are completely sure-footed and have a head for heights; along the whole path there is no usable protection, and 2 tunnels are flooded. The hardest passage is certainly crossing the big gorge, where in places one has to balance on a 20 cm wide little wall. The passages where one has to walk on the pipes are quite dangerous when wet

Remarks

One of the 3 classic crazy levada walks (alongside the Levada do Furado beyond the Balcoes and the Levada do Curral e Castelejo). Given those conditions, a real delight! Walking the rock passages, I felt great respect and humility before what the builders of the levadas achieved. The works had cost countless human lives and almost superhuman effort!