This trip included two back-to-back hikes: PR4 – Rota do Carvão and PR5 – Maciço Central, both located in Serra da Estrela, the highest...
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The original was posted on /r/Ultralight by /u/wiztart on 2025-09-17 09:32:21+00:00.

This trip included two back-to-back hikes: PR4 – Rota do Carvão and PR5 – Maciço Central, both located in Serra da Estrela, the highest point of continental Portugal at 2000m of elevation.

Day 1 – PR4: Rota do Carvão

Expectations:

I began the day with a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Serra da Estrela, dropping the kids off in the morning and then heading to Manteigas to start the PR4 trail. My plan was to hike up, find a camping spot, and spend the night there, expecting to find water sources nearby.

Reality:

As I made my way up the trail, it quickly became clear that the conditions were tougher than I’d anticipated. The water sources I counted on were absent, and I found myself having to speed up the pace to make progress. Because I had to speed up the pace to reach my destination, I ended up skipping meals. The night was tough, and I had just enough water to get with less than a 1L of water. The stream nearby camp had dried and I could not fill up water, clean myself or brush my teeth.

Day 2 – PR5: Maciço Central

Morning & Expectations:

After descending from PR4, which took about three hours, I reached Manteigas around 11.30 AM. There, I took a break, had a sandwich, and some coffee and water, and then drove to started the PR5 trail, which started at 1 PM. My plan was to tackle this more technical trail and camp in a valley along the route.

Reality:

The PR5 trail was far more demanding than I had calculated. It was like a vertical obstacle course, and the pace I expected was far too optimistic. It was a fight that went on for every minute of the trail. Every climb and descent took much longer, and by the time I reached the valley, the conditions were unsafe due to tall grass and snakes. I almost hadn’t eaten but I had water. With no safe camping option to camp, I decided to push on 4km to the car. This meant an even longer day and a late return, reaching the car around 8 PM, completely drained.

Challenges: Fatigue from the previous day compounded the difficulty. I was expecting it to be technical, but not all the times. My bad. That meant again I did not account for time stop to eat.

Outcome: Finished the trail, but with clear recognition that the preparation and pacing strategy needed improvement.

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Lessons Learned

  1. Hydration: Expect streams and some smaller ponds to have dried up in summer.
  2. Nutrition: Carry more bars, as they are faster to eat than making a sanwich or a wrap.
  3. I have adjusted the formula for calculating time that I take to hike. The Original formula was (KM + (D+*8))/4.2 . The new formula is now (Km+(D+*9)+(D-*7))/4.

*D+ and D- are expressed in thousands of meters

✅ Both trails were completed successfully, marking the trip as an achievement in persistence and resilience. The experience highlighted the beauty of Serra Da Estrela.

Gear Positives:

  • Coros Pace 3 was absolutely vital for 2 reasons: Navigation and managing my effort so I wouldn’t burn myself out. I would not have finished the trail without this. Navigation is more accurate than with cellphone and easier to consult.
  • Katadyne Befree Due to lack of water sources I had to opt for less optimal water sources and it performed beautifully
  • Lanshan 1 pro Small and can fit anywhere. Easy to set up

Gear Negatives:

  • Food: Too much, and too complex and too big. Need simpler and smaller solutions to have it in the outside and can eat without stopping.
  • Foam Pad: Although I felt that I slept I register really poor sleep quality and I atribute that mostly to the pad. Getting older and might need to opt for a more confortable option.
  • Rain Jacket: Not that it miss performed, but I lost it. I had it strapped to the outside of the backpack and lost it.

So please share your thoughts on food, planing pace, and a new rain jacket