ISOLITUDINE   Seeing that missing my flights has become a habit, on the evening of Friday 28th May I didn’t sleep at all... what with the thought of over sleeping and worrying about the trip to the airport. The next day I was to fly to Cagliari, Sardinia where I had been invited to an evening with the Endurance Climbing Domusnovas. The meeting included a two-person climbing race and I had been invited to the evening conference.   I’d barely got off the plane when I was transported to a cave above the village to climb. At five in the afternoon I had a press conference so I didn’t have much time... that meant it was time for acrobatics in the overhangs. I met a local, Simone Sarti, who shortly after threw some tasty bait my way..."There’s a route for you in Gorropu... Isolitudine... opened by aid climbing... classic protection... maybe you could free climb it... I’ll come with you"!   I’m sure he’d had this that speech planned! But the bait was so tasty that this fish went for it! I told him that it might be a good idea...just give me a minute to think it over! The day after soon came...but I had a hangover after another night of partying... The "Boss of Sardinia", Maurizio Oviglia, stoked the fire that was already burning inside me... the fire of Isolitudine. He kept telling me..."You can do it...the route follows a series of cracks... and plus, you like these routes with bad protection! Come on... I’ll send you the topo in the next few days and you can look it over".   I returned home on Monday with one thing only on my mind: Isolitudine.   He sent me the topo as promised...it was very clear... A4 using hooks and 6b+ over 480 metres. I said to myself, "I’ll give it a try...but how will the belays be? And what about those hooks? Ask no questions...if you don’t risk..." I call Simone..."Hey...when I get there, remember to bring two hooks ‘cause I can’t find mine... I must have lost them last season on the Tre Cime". Simone stutters...."Ooooook, sssee yyyyou at ttthe gggorge"!   On Monday 7th June I found my way to the parking lot and we went up the dirt road with my scooter to the entrance of the gorge. Simone had already climbed the first two pitches of the route a few weeks earlier because a Spaniard had opened a new route, but...who could have known that the first two pitches were also those of Isolitudine? He must have pretended not to see the pitons and ropes because you can’t miss them. Since they were already there, I secured myself on the existing bolts and climbed on-sight placing cams, nuts and bolts up to the base of the dihedral where it was obvious the problems would begin. The bolts at the belays gave me peace of mind.   The stress came the next day... those damn hooks... I can’t work with them and they don’t give me any sense of security! Everything goes well on the two pitches on the dihedral... no slips and I place the protections without any problems. The next pitch after a long traverse above a roof: A3+ and then the difficulties started to decrease. I started off using the hooks, which didn’t work well because I had a whole lot of slings and carabiners in my harness and I didn’t even have handles! After a few metres, the hooks dislodged... I could feel them on my forehead and I fell... fortunately, for Simone, I missed him!   I hate those things!   I’d rather use ice axes and crampons... at least I can feel how much they hold! I managed to pass, put a piton in the soil around a tuft of grass and free climbed the traverse to the belay... feeling more secure. The difficulty in the following pitches was much less.   Once I finished this first repetition there was nothing else to do but try to free climb the three central pitches... the most difficult ones... two pitches of the dihedral and the successive traverse. I felt right at home because the rock in some places was just like the rock on the north face of Lavaredo and even though it was late in the season, the weather was acceptable, the wall in the shade and there was a breeze. Simone had returned to Cagliari to work and so, on my own, I adjusted the route and tried it again, one small step at a time. It seemed easy and fast enough, except for the second pitch of the dihedral where in addition to the difficulty of the passages, I also had to think about the total continuity without decent intermediate breaks. I spent the next few days climbing the 150 metres using the static rope to try out this pitch until I had it memorized. Then one day’s rest and on the 17th June, my mum’s birthday, I did all the pitches ...together again with Simone who joined me for the climb.   It’s amazing how everything just seemed to go right... the only day where everything held and my feet didn’t slip.   My heartfelt thanks to Simone for having helped me and for convincing me to do it in the first place. I’ll never forget the laughs we had while hanging in mid air, like on our last day when we were resting at the belay at the base. I was sitting on a plank of wood and tying my laces... then fell out of my seat and tumbling over my first words were..."Stay put! I have to apply the antiskid"! Simone burst out laughing as if I’d told a joke!   Anyway, in the end, it was a series of 14 pitches: 6b+, 7a+, 6c, 6c, 7a, 7c+, 8b, 7c, 6c+, 6b, 6b, 6b+, 5c and 6a.   I also have to thank the organizers of the Endurance Climbing Domusnovas conference for inviting me to the meeting where I had an amazing time and saw that there’s serenity, sincerity and friendship among climbers. In the meantime circumstances have taken me back to Sardinia... the best place on earth for indulging my passion for windsurfing. Why do we Italians go abroad when we have everything right on our doorstep? Mont Blanc, the Dolomites, cliffs and so much more...! Bubu				"Isolitudine" SARDINIA (Gola di Gorropu) Report Photogallery by Andrea Gallo Movie (2,77 Mb)
						Photos by Maurizio Oviglia