Trips - Sardinia

Sardinia, Italy. 10th to 17th October 2008

Organiser

Rob Lillywhite. Tel (home): 01926 499882. Email: trips@warwickclimbingclub.co.uk

Accomodation

Lido Residence, Vico I Palmasera 08020 Cala Gonone Dorgali (NU), Sardinia, Italy. Tel: +39 784 93146. Email: lido.residence@tiscali.it

Having been to the Costa Blanca for the last four years, we thought it was time for a change, so on Mark and Meg's recommendation, Sardinia it is. The club have booked six apartments at the Lido Residence, five in one block and the sixth about 40 metres away in a second block. As of the 3rd June all places are allocated so if you are still considering coming to Sardinia, please talk to me before you book a flight. To secure your place, you must give me a non-returnable deposit of £40. I reckon the cost of the apartments will be about EUR20 per person per night. The apartments are located in the center of Cala Gonone and are less than 30 meters from the Palmasera beach. Cala Gonone is a tourist town located on the oriental coast of Sardinia. It is surrounded and protected by beautiful mountains. The stretch of coast from Cala Gonone to Capo Monte Santo also offers you the Grotte del Bue Marino and its spectaculars coasts with crystal clear water. Cala Luna, Cala Mariolu, Cala Goloritzé and many more are considered as some of the nicest beaches in the Mediterranean Sea.

This trip is now closed with the following confirmed: Rob, Amanda, Colin, DaveB, Ali, Dan, Gina, Liz, Simon, Andy, Lois, Marc, Ted, JohnB, Karen, DavidD, NeilS, Philippa, Roger, Adam, Adrian, Abigael, Bruce & Mike.

Flights and Car Hire

Sardinia has a choice of airports (Olbia, Alghero and Cagliari) and flights. None of them are ideal but everyone so far has booked the Ryan Air flight from Birmingham to Olbia on the Friday 10th October, returning on Friday 17th October.

You will need to organise car hire at your arrival airport, probably in groups of 4. Car hire firms include Sardinia car Hire, who offer a Ford Focus for EUR336 per week. I'm sure there are other, perhaps cheaper, companies. Liz has compiled a list which I will circulate nearer the departure date and when we know who is sharing with who.

Insurance

Travel Insurance to cover you for climbing will need to be purchased. Insurance can be obtained from the BMC, Sports Cover Direct and Snow Card. BMC is the cheapest at £27.

The Climbing

According to Rockfax, Cala Gonone is an amazingly attractive region centred on the beautifully-situated village of Cala Gonone, which with its small harbour and gorgeous beaches makes a pleasant change from the high-rise fleshpots of the Spanish Costas. Single and multi-pitch climbing is in abundance, mountain cragging and waterside venues are easily mixed and matched and there is sport for all with lots across the grade range from perfect slabby 4s to tendon-searing 8s. All the climbing in this region is on limestone but the variation in the crags is what makes this spot so appealing. Mornings can be spent gently roasting on huge walls of boiler-plate slabs, the afternoons tugging on pockets and tufas whilst an evening saunter up a huge pinnacle or buttress will set the scene for some entertaining Italian-style apres-climbing indulgences. The top 50 climbs.

Village Area. As you approach Cala Gonone for the first time one crag strikes you more than any other. The vast bowl of La Poltrana dominates the hillside above the town. The show-piece crag of the area provides a lot of fine slabby routes which will not suit those thuggy climbers who like juggy overhanging walls! The climbing is sustained, technical and fingery on most of the routes with some seriously thin moves on perfect rock. A day here will shred your fingers so it is best to space your visits with a day on the steeper stuff (or hard graft on the beach). The only bad thing about La Poltrana is the rather unsightly football stadium and go-kart track below which are thankfully not open in the climbing season. There are several other crags on the hillside above Cala Gonone. The most popular one is Budinetto, a fine slab jam-packed with excellent grade 5s and low 6s. It gets plenty of sunshine although the dominating view of the beaches and blue sea may prove to be a great distraction.

Cala Fuili. This is one of the most delightful and varied spots in the Cala Gonone area. The crags line the side of a monstrous codula (river gorge) that cuts its way down spectacularly from the coastal mountains. First impressions of the developed sectors can be a bit disappointing since you are rather overwhelmed by the knockout scenery but the routes are much better and a lot bigger than they look. The three sectors described here offer the best climbing across the grades.

Cala Luna. Cala Luna is an isolated beach, about 4km down the coast from the road end by Cala Fuili, south of Cala Gonone. It is visited by boats and other travellers in the Summer months, but is mostly deserted at less popular times. The climbing is situated on 2 very different cliffs on opposite sides of the bay. The main `Beach´ area is a series of spectacular caves, separated by pillars, consisting of superb and compact rock. The other area is a vast and barely developed headland with a big slab of rock. The grades on this second sector are more friendly but the position is intimidating with exposure from the first moves owing to the steep slope below the crag.

Baunei (80 mins south) - There are some short, excellent and not-too-hard routes in the sheltered port of Santa Maria Navarrese, howwever, the majority of the climbs are situated around the road off the SS125 - Orientale Sarda - leading down to the sea stack of Pedra Longa. Over 120 single pitch sport climbs on fantastic limestone. Villaggio Gallico has slabs and a steep headwall. Next door Creuza de Ma has slabs and a bulging central section with some short and disperate testpieces, while the Ichnusa sector at Campo dei Miracoli has slabs on which you can smear like you're on gritstone.