Dog trekking in Serra de Sintra

Monday, September 27, 2010

Dog trekking in Serra de Sintra

Me and my sun

This weekend I took my sun, his Golden Retriever, Bianca, and my Australian Shepherd , Teco, to a hiking with dogs organized by the association Pé ante Pata, on Serra de Sintra.

It isn’t the first hiking the association organizes, but we couldn’t go before, and since this opportunity emerged I started to foreseen our change to go, and engaged on the “art” to persuade my sun to put aside the commodity and embark in this adventure.

The Serra de Sintra it is, in my opinion, one of the beutiful places to visit. We can go there 10 times, and still find something new to see and know !

Recently it was classified has a Humanity Heritage and that reason brought an extra incentive to the preservation of its historical and natural environment.

Of course, what I know of Serra de Sintra it is its tourist and famous site, so I anticipate in this, a chance to know more deeply its natural ecosystem, for witch the mountain is also famous. But without a guide or sharing of knowledge from someone that knows, it is difficult for us to find for ourselves.

Like everything that is organized in portuguese lands we went prepared for three options:
1) the possibility of being organized by enthusiasts, but without knowledge that would end in a dog confusion
2) the possibility of being organized by experienced experts without patience for beginners
3) the possibility of being well organized and becoming a good adventure

Of course, if the two first possibilities would occur, I would take my son and four leg companions to a more traditional path were we would enjoy and wouldn’t have any possibility of getting lost.

australian shepherd and golden retriever in serra de sintra

My sun, with his Bianca, and another little companion

But, with a great relief, the third possibility occur, and I find out that we have on national lands people that organize events with no profit in mind, offering their effort, time and knowledge, to provide us, enthusiasts and curios, an well spent adventure, with our 4 leg friends, in the middle of people with the some taste and will.
It isn’t easy to find people like that in Portugal. And the simple detail of having 6 people, 2 in front, 2 in middle and 2 in the end of the group, taking care of the group and dedicating their energy in keeping the rhythm and enthusiasm, was frankly something to bring tears to my eyes …

Here we are in the meeting place

The trekking itself it is only easy for our four leg companions that were in heaven with this new adventure provided by their crazy owner. Bianca, like a Golden Retriever , enjoy the attention and petting of everybody, Teco, in his Australian Shepherd way, enjoyed the natural environment, the virgin territory, and the chance to know new four leg friends.

Here I am in one of the tracks with our four leg companions

For us humans, it was a success to reach to the end of the trekking, the enormous pleasure to be in the middle of nature, the chance to know a new aspect of Serra de Sintra ecosystem and the enjoyment to spend well a Sunday morning in the middle of dog loving people.

An adventure that I hope to have a change to do it again !