1)
Which are the best seasons for climbing
in Sardinia? The
best periods are without doubt the
spring and autumn, but it’s
possible to climb in summer and winter,
paying attention to the wind and the
temperatures.
2) Does it often
rain in winter? Sardinia
is one of the driest regions of Italy.
The rains are concentrated in brief
periods and only rarely last for long.
During a rainy day, usually there
are breaks which, with a bit of experience,
you can use to climb. If possible,
avoid periods when there’s a
depression over Sardinia or just to
the south (such situations sometimes
are found in the winter).
3) Can you climb
in summer or is it too hot? The
months from June to September are
the hottest but it’s not possible
to generalize and say which days are
the hottest of the summer. During
the summer, there can be good periods
to climb (in the shade) and there
are periods when it’s best to
go to the beach. Much depends on the
humidity. In the shade it’s
always possible to climb, but those
looking for the best friction for
hard projects would do best to choose
other seasons, unless there are unusual
situations, for example a strong Maestrale
(NW wind).
4) Which are
the coolest areas in summer? Without
doubt those not at sea level. The
Jerzu/Ulassai area, for example, is
at 700-900 amsl and early in the morning
or late in the evening it is the coolest
area. In Supramonte the crags of Genna
Croce (950 m) and Serra Oseli (800
m) are the coolest in the afternoon.
In the south of the island, Punta
Pilocca (700 m) in the afternoon.
5) Is it true
that the wind is of fundamental importance?
In
Sardinia knowing which wind is blowing
and how it will change in the next
few hours is of fundamental importance
for climbing, because it affects the
friction. You can laugh, but often
with a southerly wind the rock can
become slippery and unclimbable. On
the contrary, battling with the Maestrale
in winter on an exposed crag is not
an experience you will easily forget.
6) When do you
find the best friction? The
Maestrale gives the best friction.
In winter, also with the Grecale (NE
wind) and Tramontana (N wind) and
in the sun. These winds however are
fairly uncommon, while the Maestrale
is quite common in Sardinia. The Maestrale
usually blows for 1-3 days and can
be very strong. It is a cold wind
but, even in winter, the temperature
rarely goes below 10°C. In summer
it is a life-saver, because it dries
out the rock and makes for perfect
climbing conditions.
7) What are
the areas to avoid with the Scirocco
(SE wind from Africa)? In
general all the crags by the sea made
of yellow rock. When the Scirocco
or Libeccio (SW wind) blow the air
is very humid. Red rocks becomes brown,
handholds becomes slippery and climbing
is unpleasant. The only solution to
be less affected is to climb on grey
rock. A good alternative is the crag
of Rocca Doria which, being in the
north, suffers less from the humidity
of these winds since they lose some
of their moisture as they cross the
island.
8) And with
the Maestrale? Climbing
with the Maestrale should be avoided
in winter on exposed walls and in
particular on the long multi-pitch
routes such as those of Punta Giradili,
the Aguglia, Punta Cusidore and Gutturu
Pala. When the Maestrale is particularly
strong, even on sheltered walls it
can create turbulence and interfere
with climbing.
9) What are
the ideal conditions to climb by the
sea? Climbing
by the sea is not recommended with
southerly winds. In general the best
conditions are found with the Maestrale
or high pressure and low humidity.
With the Maestrale, on exposed sea
cliffs (Masua, Capo Caccia), be careful
of waves that can be dangerous as
well as wetting the rock.
10) Where can you climb when it rains?
In
general you can go to all the caves,
but you need to see what the humidity’s
like to know if you can actually climb.
There’s rain and rain... it
can rain loads and inside the cave
the rock remains dry,…... it
can rain a little and the rock can
be unclimbable. Check the wind direction.
In general the crags where you can
climb when it rains are: Chinatown,
Rifondazione, Canneland, Bronx, Tana
delle Tigri and Ruota del Tempo at
Domusnovas; Corvo Spaziale, Corvo
Solitario and Urania at Isili; Quirra
and Lecorci Ulassai in Ogliastra;
Millennium and the odd route in Codula
Fuili at Cala Gonone; Rocca Doria.
(Thanks
to the British climber Peter Herold
who
lives in Ogliastra for the translation.
Contact Peter for more info www.peteranne.it)
