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Ribeira Brava volcanoes 4-day trail running, Madeira

Madeira 4-day guided trail running tour
Ribeira Brava volcanoes 4-day trail running, Madeira
Madeira 4-day guided trail running tour
Madeira 4-day guided trail running tour
Madeira 4-day guided trail running tour

The island of Madeira is a unique destination for trail running. Join Thibault, mountain leader and trail running expert, and explore the volcanoes around Ribeira Brava on this 4-day trail running tour.

Not specified

4 Days

All year

Fit

Intermediate


Description

Madeira is a Portuguese island located in the Atlantic Ocean. Ribeira Brava is a beautiful town on the southern coast of the island. This will be our starting point for an amazing 4-day (and 4-night) trail running tour in a volcanic area. I’ll be guiding you together with a local guide. 

The first day will be dedicated to get to know each other and the environment, and then we will have three full days for trail running. I have planned different trails for each day, with different difficulty levels. You can see more details in the itinerary below but, just to get your imagination going, these itineraries include:
– Waterfalls and tunnels
– The central massif
– Sisters valley

Three days of trails between volcanic paths, waterfalls and stony ascents. You will reach summits and discover Madeira to the rhythm of your running.

Known for its volcanic scenery, the center of Madeira is a succession of small mountain-volcanoes (the highest summit is at 1800m). Literally meaning ‘Island of the Woods’, Madeira offers you as many single forest tracks as ridges. This will provide a real mountain running experience.  The island also enjoys pleasant weather throughout the year.

Want to join me on this exciting trail running adventure? Then please request to book this trip, as I would love to guide you running around the amazing natural environment of this Portuguese island. 

Trail running is my passion, and some of the other programs I offer are in Engreux, Les Hautes Fagnes and Bouillon in Belgium. Check them out if you want options in my country!

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Accommodation included

- Flight to the start

- Transportation start and back

- Transport during the trip

Price details

The price includes flights from Brussels to Madeira. The price might be different if you come from somewhere else.

The price doesn't include the food besides the breakfasts, the personal expenses, the tips and your personal insurance (health and repatriation).


Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

Meeting at the Brussels airport or in Funchal directly. Flight Brussels – Funchal with stopover at Lisbon. Transfer to Ribeira Brava by bus (50min). Arrival at the Encumeada hotel around 12:30PM.
The hotel is located at the Encumeada pass, from where many hiking paths start. It marks the north-south division of the Madeira island.
We will discover the environment and prepare the equipment.

Day 2: Trail 1

Breakfast at the hotel. We will meet the local guide.
Today we start the Trail 1 “Waterfalls and tunnels”, 17km, 600m D+.
We start slowly, and will progress along the Levadas. It is a spectacular itinerary.
The day is not very technical on paved and dirt trails. It will be a great warming up day.
return to the hotel in the late morning. Afternoon off.

Day 3: Trail 2

Breakfast at the hotel, and we leave for the Trail 2 “The central massif”, 27km, 1500m D+.
Leaving from Boca da Corrida, today we will go higher, on a more technical ground, with stronger emotions. We will reach Nun’s Valley.
Throughout the itinerary we see peaks, plateaus, ridges.
Your poles will be important. We will be trail running during 6 hours.
Afternoon off.

Day 4: Trail 3

Breakfast at the hotel, and we leave for the Trail 3 “Sisters Valley”, 23km, 1900m D+.
This will be the last trail. It starts very intensely with 1 kilometer vertical. The reward? A wonderful valley. Then we continue to ascend, and the trail ends with a very technical descent, part of the famous MIUT (Madeira island ultra-trail).
Today it will be very important to control your rhythm and energy.

Day 5: Departure

Breakfast at the hotel, bus transfer to Funchal airport, flight back to Brussels or to your country.

 

Details

Accommodation

At the Encumeada hotel (3*).

More info

Price: - group of 8: 1100€ per person - group of 11: 1000€ per person - group of 15: 900€ per person

A local guide will also join us.

Level: - Btrail index: 40-50%, proper experience in mountain hiking - 15KM 300D+ - Running rhythm: 5.45-5.15 min/km, between 300 and 1000 D+

Equipment: hydratation backpack, at least 1.5L backup water, tights, shorts, t-shirt, underwear and trail socks, technical underwear, thermal long sleeved top, sports sunglasses, head cover, thin gloves, 2 pairs of trail shoes apt for the terrain, headlamp, tissues, replacement laces, trail sticks, clothing and shoes for before an after running, toiletries, earplugs, cash, individual pharmacy.

Meeting point

At Brussels airport, Funchal or directly at the Hotel Encumeada in Ribeira Brava at 12.30 on day 1.

About the guide

Passionate about trail running, the outdoors and everything that nature provides to us, I got certified as a mountain leader by the Club Alpin Belge. I also work as a school teacher and devote my free time to my artistic pursuits.

Maps are another of my big passions. I collect them and spend hours looking at them and searching for the best itineraries in the Alps, the Andes, the Carpathians...and then I take you to explore them, running or walking.

My mission is to share with you the happiness that a high altitude lake can provide, the comfort that one can find in a rustic mountain hut and the excitement of walking along a mountain ridge. Looking forward to meeting you!

Languages

French | English


What people are saying about Thibault Cassart

Manuela Verhaegen

5.00

July, 2023

Malgré une météo plus que mitigée, nous avons partagé en famille une belle journée bien préparée par Thibault. Le matin, randonnée sportive dans les bois de Villers-la-Ville, avec acquisition de quelques tiques pour les jambes nues ;-). Pause déjeuner dans un endroit réservé à l'avance par les bons soins de Thibault et adapté aux PMR. Puis, initiation au croquis au crayon gris, aquarelle ou fusain, avec les explications bienveillantes de Thibault. Commencée au sec puis prolongée à l'abri d'un magnifique chêne car la pluie était de retour. A nouveau, notre journée familiale a été très réussie. Merci à Explore-Share pour la qualité de ses propositions et des guides avec qui elle travaille.

Manuela Verhaegen

5.00

May, 2023

A nouveau, ce fut une très chouette journée familiale. Nous avons apprécié Thibault et Nathalie (et leur adorable Sierra) qui nous ont imaginé un beau tour à vélo. Ils sont sympas et attentifs à ce que tout le monde suive. L'ambiance était décontractée et joyeuse. La distance était parfaite pour tous nos petits-enfants qui ont assuré. Le tour était adapté pour Inès, PMR, installée dans un buggy tirée par sa maman. Bon break le midi dans un restaurant spécialement ouvert pour nous. La journée s'est terminée par un jeu de piste bien préparé par Thibault. Merci pour cette organisation top (comme chaque fois).

Valeria Schirru

2.00

November, 2021

First of all our guide was not Thibault as communicated initially but Nathalie. Already when in contact with Thibault communication wasn't smooth, he only replied via the platform days after the message with very short info. I had asked several times more details about the activity but I never got them...the day before I got a message from Nathalie just giving practical tips about clothes, meteo etc I was told that we would have had orienteering challenges in teams but on the day the guide was sending instructions to get to a point via smartphone (only to me) which was quite useless because I was the only one trying to find a way. On the other hand if she wanted to do something with smartphones she would have warned us in advance so that all colleagues would have had an active one and for exemple she could have sent the messages in a chat with everybody in. Anyway the best would have been to print out for us simple maps/instructions like the ones she had. All this should have been discussed and agreed with me/us in advance...otherwise it would have been far more interesting a simple walk with a guide that knows the history and characteristics of a place and that could tell us something (this was an offered option) interesting.

Anonymous

5.00

June, 2019

The trip was fantastic. Beautiful scenery and landscapes together with majestic hills. We lived a camping lifestyle for two days which was very enjoyable and even though we were relieved to finish after a tough 2 day trek, we instantly missed the feeling of being in the outdoors and away from the city. Our guide Thibault was excellent. He was the perfect guide for the trip, so helpful and knew what he was doing - couldn’t ask for better.

Quentin L.

5.00

February, 2019

Pour ceux qu’un stage/week-end organisé de Trail tente, je ne pourrais que vous recommander Trek Atout. Superbe weekend passé dans les Hautes Fagnes... 3 sorties trail sur des tracés magnifiques, super encadrement et top ambiance... plus que vivement conseillé ! Merci Thibault

Marlène Tubé

5.00

October, 2018

Des parcours magnifiques, un we bien rempli mais juste ce qu'il faut, un niveau adapté, une guide au top et un chouette logement ! En résumé, un we inoubliable.

Laurence Geerinckx

5.00

September, 2018

J'ai participé à la journée rando-photos à Bouillon ce dimanche et j'ai adoré! C'était super interessant, le cours etait très bien donné, la prof nous a super bien coaché durant la rando et l'endroit était magnifique!! Vraiment a faire!! Je ferai sûrement d'autres cours chez vous pour me perfectionner maintenant!

Solvel

5.00

January, 2018

Il y a juste deux petites semaines, j'ai participé à un weekend rando Trek Atout... Un superbe weekend ! Ok, la météo nous a fait un super cadeau : de la belle neige sur nos Fagnes! Mais tout de même, sans le "président" rien n'aurait été pareil ! Nous avons été accueillis comme des amis, Thibault nous a emmené sur des petits chemins et sentiers magnifiques, nous avons appris à jouer au whist, nous avons partagé l'apéro, Thibault nous a préparé une (demi)soupe sur un sol enneigé, nous avons échangé et beaucoup rigolé ! Je pourrais encore allonger la liste pour les non convaincus! ... Merci encore Trek Atout! (Depuis, je m'entraîne encore plus à la course à pied en espérant un jour faire un trail avec TrekAtout).

Marylene M.

5.00

October, 2017

une très belle organisation , un guide impeccable ,superbe weekend dans les voges, Amis trailer vous devez faire un week end trekatout ... merci pour ce magnifique week end beaux chemins , belle vue des alpes malgré que je n'était que dans les Vosges... Malou

Jean-Brice B.

5.00

May, 2017

Bloc trail en Belgique juste magnifique. Quasiment 70 km et 2500d+. Une équipe au top dont Thibault nôtre guide agile de la carte qui a su nous denicher des parcours aux petits oignons. Nath aux fourneaux qui nous a concocté de très bons plats végétariens (et pourtant je ne suis pas végétarien). Bref une organisation sans faille qui nous a permis de découvrir des coins superbes. Un week-end à refaire les yeux fermés.


 

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