1)
Where are the best crags in Sardinia? The
key climbing sites in Sardinia are
without doubt: Cala Gonone, Jerzu,
Isili and the Iglesiente (the area
around Iglesias and Domusnovas)
2) Which are
the busiest crags, where I can always
find other climbers? The
busiest crags are Isili, Domusnovas
and Cala Gonone
3) Which are
the best Sardinian crags for a low-grade
climber (grade 5 e 6)? Bearing
in mind that “best”
is a very subjective judgement:
Masua
(Castello dell'Iride): good
rock, many easy routes, nice sea
views.
Domusnovas
(Puerto escondido): nice grey
rock, pleasant and warm setting.
Domusnovas
(Castilandia): a small crag,
but busy and very popular.
Iglesias
(Punta Pilocca): a famous
crag, brilliant rock, good also
for climbers in low 7’s.
Isili
(Pietra filosofale): not super-easy
but the easiest of the Isili crags.
Jerzu (Castello): good
rock, plenty of room, the routes
aren’t super-easy but it’s
the most accessibile crag at Jerzu
Villaggio Gallico (Baunei):
good rock, the easy routes, although
not many, are very good and are
climbed a lot.
Cala
Gonone (La poltrona): famous
slabs, always busy
Cala
Gonone (Budinetto): slab with
easy routes on great rock, a little
bit repetitive
Cala
Gonone (Buchi Arta): A recent
find, and a great success.
4) And for
a medium-level climber? (grade 6
e 7)?
Buggerru
(Gutturu Cardaxius): recently-bolted
crag, good rock, bolts quite close
together, medium-level routes
Domusnovas (Sherwood/Animal
House): grey rock, climbing
at times strenuous, but routes
for all tastes.
Domusnovas
(Technicolor): for those who
love crimpy walls.
Isili
(Corvo Spaziale): one of Sardinia’s
busiest crags, overhangs.
Jerzu
(Palazzo d'inverno): wide
choice of technical climbs on
good rock.
Jerzu
(Isola del tesoro): top quality
routes, great views, not busy.
Ulassai
(cascata): fine wall climbs,
grade 7.
Ulassai
(Canyon): easier routes than
at the Cascata, it stays cool.
Cala
Gonone (Thailandia): busy
and cool even in summer.
Cala Gonone (Arcadio):
nice rock, wide choice of routes,
easy access.
Oliena
(Lanaitto): nice rock, beautiful
natural setting and hardly anyone
there.
Osilo
(la Muraglia): wide choice
of routes at Sassari’s preferred
crag.
Rocca
Doria Monteleone: great setting,
breathtaking, beautiful routes.
At times the rock is a bit fragile,
wide variety of types of climb.
5)
And for the higher grades (grade
7 e 8)?
Domusnovas
(Bronx e Tana delle Tigri):
preferred crags for today’s
specialists of steep climbing
Domusnovas
(Ruota del tempo): historical
crag, overhanging enough to not
be considered a slab and technical
enough to put off some lovers
of steep stuff. Has always been
one of the most popular crags
Quirra:
fine high-grade crag, with the
only drawback of being climbable
only in winter.
Isili
(Urania): benchmark crag for
steep hard routes.
Baunei
(Braccio di ferro): small
crag, but with interesting estreme
pitches.
Cala
Gonone (Scalette e Raoni):
the “temple” for hard
routes in this area.
Millennium:
one of Europe’s finest crags,
were it not for the difficult
approach and being dependent on
weather conditions.
6) What’s
the bolting like? The
Sardinian crags are bolted to a high
standard and quality. In most places
you find glue-in bolts, the stances
are in good condition and periodic
maintenance is carried out.
7) The routes
seemed too close together, which holds
are considered valid to use? Sometimes
routes are very close together, other
times a route’s grade is given
for using holds quite a long way from
the line of the bolts. Provided you
can still clip, it’s OK to move
away from the line of the bolts, but
without exaggerating and ending up
on the adjacent route. Use common
sense and/or ask the local climbers
(hoping that they use their common
sense :-)
8) Is it true
that Sardinian grades are generous?
Some
people have spread this opinion. Realistically,
you can say that the grading at Sardinian
crags are not tough and most times
are in line with those of Europe’s
major climbing centres. They are more
generous than those of places known
for tough grading, but on several
occasions it has been decided not
to match these tough grades.
Moreover, many routes have few repetitions,
which means more time needed to arrive
at a correct and reasonably-agreed
grade.
9) Why are the
grades tougher for slab climbs? Are
the guidebook writers better on slabs?
This
impression may be the result of the
tendency not to climb slabs, so they
seem harder. In reality, today’s
grades for slab climbs are derived
directly from the historic grades
of the Eighties. There’s a certain
tradition of technical climbing in
Sardinian, and the historic grades
have remained the reference point,
so today’s 7b was a 6c in the
past. The same thing didn’t
happen with steep routes, for which
there wasn’t a tradition, and
the grading was set by visitors to
the island.
10) How come certain routes at certain
crags have really hard grades?
One
reason could be that they are historic
routes, graded in the Eighties and
the grades haven’t been changed.
Or they can be complex routes with
a hidden trick move. The routes are
graded for an “on sight”
ascent but if there are non-obvious
ways to make the moves easier, the
grade takes this into account.
(Thanks to the British climber Peter
Herold who
lives in Ogliastra for the translation.
Contact Peter for more info www.peteranne.it)
