In 2002, Sardinia became the new Thailand/Kalymnos. But is it an exotic beach venue for the relatively rich with a lot of time on their hands at Christmas? Could it compare with the romance of a Greek Island? Or was it just a derelict Mussolini-inspired mined-out wasteland, dumped at the skint end of Italian insularity?
Along with half of Sheffield and Newcastle, a group of Huddersfield 'regulars' bought into the RyanAir escape package to check out the rumours. Despite the unseasonal rain, lost baggage etc the following images survived:

Three areas are described, the most popular being the small beach resort, Cala Gonone, on the east coast
(for which we can blame turquoise sea-scapes around the mighty pinnacle of Heinz Zak calendars!). Although there are steep caves, the upper grade climbers might grumble at the ubiquitous grey 'Verdon-style' slabs.
A more varied area is the Inglesias/Domusnovas area in the south west where many limestone crags cluster in a well-forested hill region; quiet but sometimes hard to avoid the evidence of former silver mining.
The third area gains a brief photo and that is of the gorgeous granites of the north coast; perhaps take a camera rather than rock shoes... the rock is often sugary.

There are of course many other climbing regions in Sardinia. Located in central Sardinia, Isili gets good write-ups but felt rather short (apart from the 45 degree leaning wall of Urania!). Lathkill Dale or Beresford Dale in the Peak District would feel immediately at home here. Jerzu, in the east, also houses a lot of routes, though the photos reveal hard face climbs. Recently a 8c+/9a has ben claimed in the big cave at Quirra in the south-east, which brings Sardinia into the 21st century. Excellent and often wild sea-cliffs are reported on the headlands to the west of Alghero; reputedly a cross between Gogarth and Pembroke. All these and more can be found on the excellent web site provided by the local guide book writer, Maurizio Oviglia.






A couple of hour's walk south from Cala Gonone (or a crazy power boat ride for around £12 return) brings one to the fabulous bay of Cala Luna. The right-hand cave houses an awesome tufa-draped roof with 35m of F8b/c?, here being worked by young French dudes (photo: two above and below right).

The other great crag around Cala Gonone is the Codula Fuili with many fairytale classics which includes Il Gatto con gli Stivali (Puss in Boots) F7b+ (photo: below left).

In complete contrast, the northern tip of the island has granite to outsplendour Joshua Tree; Capo Testa has very little sport climbing but walking around the headland, in full view of Corsica, is dreamtime (photo: above).



Away from the east coast and the huge bay of Orosei ((photo: above left), and over to the south-west corner is another excellent climbing area, the Inglesiente. From the beautiful free camping in the olive groves at S. Giovanni near Domusnovas, one can hike for half a kilometre underground to emerge in a valley full of crags. In the rain, the great cave of Tana delle Tigri (photo: below right) offers routes from F6a+ to F8a (and above)... if you can stand guano and the not-so- faint tang of goat. One of the reasonable routes, Castelli Tra Le Nuvole F7a, offers good rests between steep moves (photo: above right and below left).




Dave Cross redpointing Puss in Boots (F7b+) (photo: below left) and Ruth Dawson following on Castelli Tra Le Nuvole F7a (photo: below right)

Guidebooks include:

Pietra di Luna, a well-illustrated guidebook to the whole island
Gennargentu: ultimo paradise relates to the Cala Genone area.
(both of the above can be found in British climbing shops as well as from Cordee)
Arrampicare a Cala Gonone covers the Cala Genone area in detail and can be bought in the 'wooden hut' cafe opposite the Cala Genone campsite.
Cala Luna, Rockfax has a mini-guide to Cala Luna which shows the routes with sound gear (apart from the major new route in the right-hand cave).
Inglesiente, an excellent detailed map of the Inglesiente/Domusnovas area with all the topos on the rear. This can be bought in the Bar Tropicoasi in Domusnovas as well as from Cordee.
Arrampicare ad Alghero - Sassari dintorni, covers the north-west end of the island, near the 'RyanAir' airport.

Travel/Prices/Accommodation:

Alitalia flights are joined by the recent addition of RyanAir (Stansted to Alghero). Cost of living is similar, if not cheaper, to Britain. The tourist season doesn't seem to wake up until summer so don't expect many hotels to be open out-of-season. However places like Cala Genone seem more alert to the prospects of trade; try the accommodation section of Maurizio Oviglia's web-site. The Cala Luna Hotel itself is delightful (and relatively cheap). The very convenient Cala Genone campsite seems to open just before Easter weekend; however wild camping doesn't seem to be a problem anywhere on the island as long as one is discrete. Climbers use the olive groves above the chapel at S. Giovanni at Domusnovas but it is kept very clean by the campers themselves. Long may it stay that way.





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