Rannoch Mountaineering Club
www.climbrannoch.co.uk
|
Rannoch Mountaineering Club
|
|
|
Routes of the Week, Nov 12th 2002
It was a latter-day "Italian Job," with The Rannoch in 3 Renault Clio’s instead of Mini’s. The race was across the Island of Sardinia to the village of Irgoli and the prize was the best bed in the ‘Villa Mussolini’… …preliminaries over with, [stocking the fridge with beer]. Colin, JD, Iain & I headed off to the local ‘Dorgali’ Crag, for the last hour or so of daylight, and our first taste of Sardinian rock. An hour later, La Ricetta** [V+], The Luisa** [6a] were in the bag…. the team were a crab down, with 2 failures and some very pumped arms - Dorgali was steep, very steep. We adjourned to the Villa to regroup, debrief, and download birra & pizza. It was with tails firmly between legs that we chose ‘Budinetto’ crag for our 1st full day. Now this was more like a warm-up crag…slabby, pocketed and juggy, well bolted, lots of excellent V+ / 6a stuff [Natalie***, Maleducato***]. Most of the other teams also ended up here, Bish & Tim, Andy & Nick, Gary & Max, Geoff & Emily [the A-Team, Shandboy and Roger Everest, were at a steeper upside-down 7-blah-di-blah crag down at Cala Fiuli, also very good if you like that sort of thing]… Unfortunately, the day was cut short by rain….and even more unfortunately this was to be the pattern for most of the week. Towering above Cala Gonone, is ‘La Poltrana’, a superb, big and very impressive crag with some multi-pitch routes and lots of single pitch V/V+ slabs [Carota Impossible***, Deutsch Wall Pitch 1***], 6a/6b technical fingery walls [L’Eremita***, Sinfonia***, Banzai**] and lots of other starred and recommended routes. We had a day here and finished off on some routes at Cala Fiuli [Spigolo Fiuli V+**, Desideria 6a**]. A little further north of Cala Gonone, along a very scary and dangerous track with a big drop to the Med is Sector Ninna Ninna. At first it looks a little scrappy, but the climbing is in fact superb, with surprisingly hidden ample holds on a steep wall. Dodo***, Papassina*** and Festassio*** top pitches were brilliant at 6a / 6a+. Back at Dorgali, with a few days cragging under the belt, was a better bet. Aspettando il Sole*** is graded locally 6b, as is Doddi** [both 6a+ in the Rockfax Mini-guide], both are sustained and pumpy with positive holds…. "Beef-it-man!" and keep beefing….that’s the secret. On the wettest day, we had our whole team at the Biddiriscottai Grotte, a mightily impressive cave feature, the back wall of which stays dry in all but the foulest of windy wet weather. There are about 6 routes in the V/V+ range. All are getting a bit polished, and this certainly adds to the excitement factor particularly on the slightly gripping lower-off clips. There is also a fantastic big juggy rising traverse of the inner lip of the cave to an air lower-off about 50ft out from the belayer. Great novelty value at 6a***. Further Reading:
|
|
|
