SELVAGGIO BLU

Gola del Limarò, Piramide Bondai

250m (8L) 6c+ S2/3 (6c obl)

Marco Pellegrini, Francesco Salvaterra autumn 2017, springtime 2018, from the ground up.

Beautiful sports route, the rock is always great and featured with sharp crimps and edges.

The climbing is continuous at around 6c but the styles are variable, from slab technique to sharp crimps, to corners and athletic cracks, with smeary moves. Completely bolted with stainless steel 10mm  Climbing Technology bolts, the distance between the bolts is not always very close therefore if one wishes to lower the obligatory route it is worth bring a few small cams and small stoppers, 6b+on slab remains obligatory. The name is a reminder of the beautiful and well known trekking itinerary along the east coast of Sardinia.

Access: from San Lorenzo in Banale (recommended, ten minutes downhill from the car). From the centre of San Lorenzo head towards the sports field and continue towards Deggia (sign posts) an asphalt road goes down near a farm, take a dirt road which goes down to the right until you reach a fish farm (at the junction sign “acquaviva”). Continue along the only road which crosses a bridge and heads into the woods until an opening where you park your car. Even if it is a dirt road it is possible to drive along it and there are no prohibitions.

From here a not often trod path leads into the canyon below the Bondai pyramid and shortly after to the Chiara pillar. The first bolts are visible.

From Maso Limarò: from the town of Sarche follow the state road heading towards Ponte Arche. After the third tunnel level with the house of Maso Limarò park on the left. Cross the state road and follow the cycling path towards Ponte Arche for roughly 150 metres, to the right of a small opening a path which descends steeply. Follow it almost to the river Sarca, just past a fixed rope which helps the passage leave the path and head to the left over the river’s banks. Two bolts and a fixed rope have been placed for a few metres to cross the stream. Once you re on the other shore climb up through the woods heading towards the rock face. Twenty minutes from the car, crossing the stream can be difficult.

Return: on foot. As you come out of the route you walk across the slope back tracking for a few dozen metres to then go down the fall line into the steep woods, level with a trough traverse across the slope uphill until you reach an evident path: if you came down from San Lorenzo climb up the path (the same you took downhill) to the car (less than 10 minutes from the end of the route). If you have come from Maso Limarò head down the path to the base of the rock face and from here along the same path used for the approach (30 mins roughly).

Gear: 1x60m, 10 quick-draws eventually a few small cams.

Text by Francesco Salvaterra