Discovery Walking Guides walking route updates

The world is continually changing so it should be no surprise that once we've finished researching a route, written up the walk descriptions, designed the book ready to print, waited for the printers to deliver, and then finally a new Walk! book arrives; it is almost inevitable that someone has changed something. Updates to the routes in Walk! books are thankfully few because our authors are encouraged to use established routes meaning that our routes stay current longer, unlike some walking writers who seem determined to trespass on private ground.
Updates are incorporated into new editions of our Walk! books. Between editions we keep our client family updated through our eNews and Newsletters plus posting the Walking Route Updates here on our website.

Updates current at May 2011; Axarquia, Mallorca, Lanzarote, Madeira, Alpujarras, Tenerife, Sierra de Aracena, South Downs,

Axarquia back to Axarquia
Walk 29 Rio Verde - “a simple matter of fording the Chorreras watercourse” has become impossible as there is now a massive hole many metres deep, covering the whole of the valley bottom and we were unable to find a safe way across this area any more; so the route is no longer possible.
Walk 19 Lucero from Rambla de la Mota - 'the road is well maintained as the quarry lorries use it' actually the quarry closed at about the time of the first edition so may be subject to deterioration due to lack of maintenance.

On Mallorca the Deia - Can Prohom - Deia route (Walk 7 Walk! Mallorca North & Mountains) has suffered from landslips which have carried away the path and its wayposts beyond Lluc Alcari making the route dangerous.
Received April 2011

Lanzarote back to Lanzarote
Risco de Famara (Walk 33 Walk! Lanzarote) is one of those 'must do' spectacular routes diagonally across the cliff face with amazing views but has always been subject to problems with rock falls. In the past these have been regularly cleared off the jeep track but this clearing has become 'less often' over time. If the track has been cleared it is an easy route, if not it can be 'very tricky' indeed. Check with the local tourist offices to see if the track is clear before planning to walk this route. Received April 2011
Madeira Madeira Updates page

Shirley Whitehead has forwarded her latest updates from the island authorities on how walking routes are affected. As this is such an important update for so many people we have set up a separate page for the latest Madeira Updates.

Lesley J

Tenerife back to Walk! Tenerife

Note the 342 Titsa service is now back to its 16.00 (4pm) departure time again; thanks to everybody who contacted Titsa about the problems their timetable change was causing.

These updates apply to Walk! Tenerife reprinted 2008. New 2nd edition Walk! Tenerife published March 2012 has all the updates included in the main text.

Walk 10 Coastal Escapism.
A new development on Golf del Sur, Wps 21-24, is inactive and incomplete. Instead of the pathway going inland you can use a well walked coastal path to avoid the ugly development.

Walks 26 & D1 September 2010
A sign has appeared at the start of the trail off the road (Wp.2) saying it is closed for 'security reasons' but the trail is just the same, an interesting ascent up a pocket barranco to join the end of the dirt road at Wp.4. See page 172 for the original wayposting of this trail as an official walking route - so who has put up the new sign?

Walk! Tenerife - 23 True Grit - A Western Classic.
Tenerife's ambitious road plan to link the TF-1 (southern motorway) and TF-5 (northen motorway) into a round-island expressway has impinged on our walking routes just west of Arguayo inconveniencing our True Grit route.
Our original route from the top of the climb from Tamaimo (Wp.10) to follow the donkey trail across the lava landscape before crossing the TF-375 (Arguayo bypass) (Wp.12) is now tunnelled under the TF-5 (still incomplete) but Bar El Cercado (Wp.13) is closed and 'For Sale' so for refreshments we head two hundred metres up the TF-375 to Bar Tropic.

The TF-5 is being tunnelled under Pico La Hoya to emerge on the lava plateau east of Retamar (where True Grit's route is cut again) before sweeping up to Santiago del Teide. A Bridge has been constructed for us to cross the TF-5, though at the moment we simply walk across the incomplete roadbed.

Walk 31 La Forteleza
On the peak a new kerbed path leads west to link with our original route, the vehicle barrier (Wp.19) has been removed, plus the pines have been cut back to 100m from the track between Wps 13-15.

Walks 33 & 34 Paisaje Lunar:- Pista del Madre Agua is open and operating as normal, with 20kmh speed limit, so we can drive to the start of our Paisaje Lunar routes. Should the vehicle barrier be locked for some reason then the nearest parking is at the Big Pine Mirador lower down the main road towards Vilaflor.

Walk 39 Cruz del Carmen Circular
A slight misprint on page 154 where we should be returning to waypoint 10, not 12 as in the text. Its very obvious on the ground and map, but our apologies for the misprint.

Walk 42 Ensillada Recreation Area - Chamorga
If you are looking for a circular alternative based on Chamorga then you can park on the roadside, at the start of the village by the ermita, to take the trail on the south side of the watercourse which after the cultivated plots climbs steeply up through the trees to join our main route on the saddle at waypoint 14. Its a stiff climb but thanks to Alan Lakin we now know that the trail is on the south of the watercourse, approximately where the red P symbol is on the map, and not on the north as shown on our map!

Sierra de Aracena back to Sierra de Aracena

Walk 9 Alajares - Linares de la Sierra
Now re-routed to be a Alajares - Madroñeros - Alajares circular.
Our original route has been blocked off just before Wp. 20, so no chance of crossing the noisome stream or of continuing up the bramble tunnel towards Linares. The authorities have signed a new route, following our wpts. 9 to 19 then swinging left (NW) to follow the track shown on the map to eventually rejoin our outward route at Wp. 9. Thanks to Keith M for the update.

Meson Arrieros in Linares de la Sierra is a great restaurant according to James H, who also recommends Finca Buenvino as the place to stay though at the pricey end of the market. Hostal Venecia in Galaroza was found to be derelict by Dave K in November 2006 along with Aurora Pension in Jabugo. Note this is in November outside of the normal hiking season so these might be seasonal closures. In all cases do phone ahead for accommodation when hiking from place to place, even if only to check they are open.
Liz H recommends using the local buses, timetables available on the Autocares Casal web site, for making longer linear routes such as Alajar to Almonaster and Alajar to Aracena. Service is rather infrequent but timely and useful

Alan L combined Walks 6 and 7 by turning right at Wp.10 on Walk 6, though I think Alan means Wp.9 according to the map, to take the track over the Sierra de Picachanes: spectacular views before dropping down to join Walk 7 at Wp.10. You can use this track to make both Walks 6 & 7 into circular routes from either direction.
Alan also recommends a 'delightful' route from Navahermosa to Valdelarco following the dirt track shown on the map. Plenty of car parking at Talenque recreation area and a bar at Valdelarco, plus you could turn this into a longer circular using the tracks shown on the map.

Walk! the South Downs back to Walk! the South Downs
thanks to Roy and Sue for this one.
We think that your Guide book on the South Downs is excellent. Walk 31 is supposed to start at the Newburgh Arms Pub, The pub closed and is now a private house. As a first time visitor to the village, it would be difficult to see where the Pub was located. Another problem at the start of the walk is that at the other side of the play park, the left turn up the tree lined farm track, has been cut off by the farmer with an electric fence [this may have been because the field was full of new born lambs]. However we restarted the walk by going up Mill Lane & joining the wood as indicated.