UKC

There is Cala Gonone and rockfax guidebook but wondered about Domusnovas area. This has to quote a website "Concentrated around the town of Iglesias is one of Sardinia's largest rock climbing areas, with over 600 routes. This area is dominated by the rock climbing at Domusnovas, where there are 440 routes alone! The rock climbing at Domusnovas is very varied with numerous slabs, walls and overhangs to choose from across all levels of difficulty. The rock climbing here is generally on excellent bolted limestone."

Sounds ideal as an alternative. Are the routes here polished? Is the Sardinia Rock Climbing Guidebook - Pietra di Luna the one to cover it?

What about Alghero? Seems the more touristic area so would find a rather nice hotel or apartment there and it says there are 600+ routes and some multipitch sport up to 140m. Would the previous guidebook be ok or is it worth spending on the area guidebook - Alghero and Sassari Sports Climbing?

Would appreciate comments on the 2 areas.

Thanks
GBPCG

In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:


you need to mail Peter and Anne from the Lemon House....

http://www.peteranne.it/index_Page367.htm

[email protected]

In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat:
I'm going to Domusnovas for a brief visit in a month or so and will be using Pietra di Luna. So no informed comment there!

Have climbed for a couple of days on the sea cliffs near Alghero; Pietra di Luna is OK but the local guide is much more detailed, there are additional sectors and the topos are clearer. If you're going to be based in the area for a while I'd probably say - 'invest'!

In reply to grumpybearpantsclimbinggoat: I climbed in the Domusnovas area a number of years ago and there is certainly plenty the keep one busy for an extended visit. Even though the rock is all limestone there is still considerable variety in the nature of the climbing and the situations from wild sea cliffs--even a very impressive stack---to fairly remote mountain crags and both single and multi-pitch options with a good spread of grades. Some routes/crags are quite polished, but others are--or at least were--fairly fresh ansd even somewhat sharp.Pietra... defintely covers this area in some detail and there is a local guide/map in Italian. That's the good news, now for the not so good. The immediate area of Domasnovas/Iglesias is old mining country and much of it is very rundown and depressed. Domusnovas, in fact, is one of the most depressing towns I've ever been through. We stayed at a hostel in Nibida (spelling?) on the coast which was more pleasant but I understand that it is no longer open. I'm sure there are some nice places to base yourself, again especially along the coast, but this isn't really a major tourist area, so you'll have to do some research on this. Other then flying in and out through there I have no personal experience of the Alghero area--seems like a nice town and there have been some tempting posts and articles about the climbing in the region.

In reply to Removed User: Cheers for info. Would like picturesque as part of the holiday for when not climbing as I do not want to stray off the beaten track much.

Hi GBPCG Have a look at the descriptions of Sardinia's 5 main climbing areas (Iglesiente which includes Domusnovas, Cala Gonone, Ogliastra where we live, Isili and the NW of the island) http://www.climb-europe.com/sardinia.htm for general background.
Domusnovas has some really good climbs, some polished ones (e.g. lower section Ruota del Tempo) and lots of new climbs. Also cimbs for most seasons though low down can be hot in summer (don't know when you are going) and the guys from Cagliari come up to where we live (see link above suggested by Angie) to climb in summer. The map guide for the Iglesiente area (at €8 is still worth buying for the map) pre-dates the 2002 Pietra di Luna which you should get in any case, and then you can get (free) some of the newer topos from http://www.pietradiluna.com/blog/images/topos/topos_arch.html or (having read http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=345228&v=1#x5069568) by going to the Tropica Oasi bar in Domusnovas where you can find back issues of UP. There are some excellent routes on the sea cliffs at Masua if you want something more "challenging". A great place to stay in this area is Betty's in Villamassargia http://www.gioiosaguardia.it/ we always go there when we are there. Obviously for this area fly to Cagliari!

The NW of the island is also good - I have climbed there only really at Roccadoria where there's an annual meeting, see topo at http://www.roccadoria.org/topocard.jpg - and there is a new map guide http://www.fabulaeditore.it/php/guide_2.php which you should buy rather than the alternative book (it's more recent); there are also lots of new sectors if this isn't enough. A good place to stay near Roccadoria is the agriturismo Mendulas http://www.mendulas.it/ though you could stay in Alghero as well.

When are you going? What type of routes and grades do you want to do? I could even make some suggestions for easy ticks -

ciao Peter & email for more info to [email protected] We also have the NW Sardinia guide for sale if you have difficulty getting it

In reply to GBPCG: "Would like picturesque as part of the holiday for when not climbing as I do not want to stray off the beaten track much." Sorry, I didn't comment on this.

In fact, I really liked the industrial history around the Iglesiente. Buggeru has a great museum, and we learnt that during the start of the workers' movement in the 1920's this was where troops fired on and killed strikers for the first time in Italy; the towns like Iglesias are "proper" towns and less touristy (=can mean lots of foreigners arriving with Ryanair) than Alghero, and Cagliari is a really nice place to visit.

Round Alghero is more rolling hills, Alghero itself is nice though a bit touristy, Bosa is also a nice place to visit.

For a general overview of the different areas of Sardinia (bigger and with higher mountains than Wales) in English http://www.sardegnaturismo.it/en/territori/

ciao Peter

In reply to Peter Herold: you have mail

:oD