In the shadow of the tower (Porto)
The rocks on which the old watchtower of Porto was build are magnificent for climbing. That is the reason that - from the moment I saw the old watchtower on top of these rocks - I wandered if it was possible to reach the old watchtower without using the stairs (I visited the tower earlier on with my family). There are no places in the rocks for securing a rope (yet) so it would be really a matter of free climbing ;-) . And if it could be done by me it would certainly have been possible to sneak up om the guards and take the tower by surprise. So I started with my one man army to reach the top to try to place a nice climbing cache ...
Since it is not an official route (yet) it has no sport climbing rating (3a to 6c), but I would rate it as 3 to 5, depending on which route you take. And the climb is worth it. Especially the part after the top is very nice climbing. But be careful. That is also the part were a fall is probably lethal. So take good care. And remember: better a DNF than a DNS (did not survive).
Bear in mind that there is an entrance fee for the tower and the museum. So when visiting the tower or the museum, buy a ticket first, use the stairs to do a reconnaissance and come back later for the climbing.
You can use the route I used but you can also take another route. Take the route you trust (stones can slide and fall) and can manage. If you do, you can have great fun with this cache.
The cache
The cache is located at the side of the tower, lower to the sea. Put the cache back the way you found it (or better if it was visible).
Though it can be really quiet here, there are also moments there are a lot of muggles around. So use stealth when needed…
Happy caching!
Marrakesj