I never realised that climbing is so complicated until attending this course...the Austrians certainly know what climbing actually involves. A great experience and I am thoroughly looking forward to the next stage.
13 Oct 2013
9 Oct 2013
Sardegna Autumn Trip
I first visited Sardinia back in 2003 with my Dad and a good friend, Luis. We had planned to escape the bad weather in the UK and had visions of climbing in the sun, whilst the rain continued to fall back in Manchester. As we approached the island, the weather was looking bad and, flying through dark stormy clouds, the hopes of climbing in the sun started to diminish. I remember that we attempted to drive to Cala Ganone but had to give up and stay in a village above the port because snow was blocking the road. We ended up drinking lots of grappa and having a massive snow ball fight in the local market square. Fortunately though, the weather improved and we were eventually able to climb.
Ten years later, I was off to Sardinia again, this time with Sabby. The weather in Tirol was horrendous but as we drove south the skies began to clear and the autumn sun began to re-energise our batteries. We were ready for a climbing trip! We met up with Kili, Anna, Reini and Tanja and started to explore some of the fantastic climbing areas in Sardinia. The harder climbing areas are a little out of fashion so it is very unusual to meet anyone else at the crag. I can recommend the climbing area of ‘So Telergin Oro’ for climbers who sought after steep tufa climbs.
We had some fantastic days climbing and swimming under the Mediterranean sun. One unforgettable day was when we decided to climb the Goloritze. There are two possible ways to approach this limestone spire from Cala Ganone. You can drive a good two hours and walk down towards the coast for an hour. Alternatively, and much more fun, you can hire a little speed boat from Cala Gonone and race across the choppy bay until the spire becomes visible. Cala Goloritze is a protected part of the coastline so boats should not anchor close to the beach. We decided this wouldn’t be a problem for us. We protected our climbing gear in bin bags and made a few trips back and forth from the boat to the shore, with the climbing gear balanced on Sabby’s lilo. We climbed the spire in four pitches and were able to enjoy the awe-inspiring view on the tiny summit before jetting back to Cala Ganone enjoying the evening sun before it hid behind the mountain range.
We will definitely be returning to Sardinia in the near future, possibly to explore some more of the multi-pitch sport climbing on the island.
We had some fantastic days climbing and swimming under the Mediterranean sun. One unforgettable day was when we decided to climb the Goloritze. There are two possible ways to approach this limestone spire from Cala Ganone. You can drive a good two hours and walk down towards the coast for an hour. Alternatively, and much more fun, you can hire a little speed boat from Cala Gonone and race across the choppy bay until the spire becomes visible. Cala Goloritze is a protected part of the coastline so boats should not anchor close to the beach. We decided this wouldn’t be a problem for us. We protected our climbing gear in bin bags and made a few trips back and forth from the boat to the shore, with the climbing gear balanced on Sabby’s lilo. We climbed the spire in four pitches and were able to enjoy the awe-inspiring view on the tiny summit before jetting back to Cala Ganone enjoying the evening sun before it hid behind the mountain range.
We will definitely be returning to Sardinia in the near future, possibly to explore some more of the multi-pitch sport climbing on the island.
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| photo: Kilian Fischhuber |
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| photo: Kilian Fischhuber |
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| photo: Anna Stöhr |
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