Tavolara Island and Donini Cave
After unexpectedly surviving the climbing of San Pantaleo granite ridges, I meet Scott at the airport for the second part of our sardinia adventures.
The first target is to paddle to Tavolara Island and climb an amazing via ferrata to the top.
Than we'll go to the Donini cave and I'm looking forward to show to Scott the amazing foam that I found there few days ago.
-
Rossano (my companion in the previous days of adventure) leaves in the morning and Scott is coming in the evening: what to do today then?
While I'm driving to the airport with Rossano I notice a dramatic granite ridge... -
Rossano leaves and I drive back to the granite ridge of San Pantaleo.
The climbing is challenging and I wonder if later I'll be able to climb down what I'm now climbing up! -
Conillo is climbing a challenging route too.
We are both worried: if we won't find a trail on top of the mountain... Well, the down-climb will be very hard!! -
Magically, some red marks appear on the very top: we have a trail to climb down!
Anyway, this granite ridge is awesome and we must take Scott here too!
But what is Conillo looking at? -
Conillo is looking at Tavolara Island. Framed among those granite formations, Tavolara is our target for the adventure of tomorrow.
-
At 9 p.m. we pick up Scott at the airport.
My car was not full enough, so it was looking forward to get a mountain bike to accommodate in the boot! :-) -
We sleep on the beach, ready to paddle to Tavolara Island.
This is the dawn on the cove. -
Same place exactly 3 minutes later: the sun rises and makes everything orange.
-
In Italy we call it Sea-lily (Giglio di Mare), but it isn't actually a lily, the real name is Pancratium Maritimum.
-
Setting up the kayak to go Tavolara Island. But where is Scott? I picked him up at the airport 4 photos ago, and he hasn't appeared yet!
-
Scott has a business meeting and is lost in a video-conference! :-)
-
On our way to Tavolara we stop at a famous wreck. Comparing this photo with the ones we did in the 2005 trip, the ship has gone down into the water quite a while more!
-
We land on Tavolara, take the gears and climb up the trail to the via ferrata.
-
And here we are, climbing the Tavolara's Via Ferrata
-
Iscale fustes: the perfect Sardinian style!
The via ferrata uses juniper trunks bond to the rock, these are called "Iscale fustes" and have been used by shepherds since the time of nuragic civilisation. :-) -
A closer look to Iscale fustes
-
Scott climbing up.
Look how vertical is this island! -
On left top there's the cove were we spent the night.
In the centre of the photo there's the beach were we landed with the kayaks.
On the right is the cliff we are climbing up (but you may have already guessed it :-) -
It looks quit high, but we are still in the middle of our climbing.
-
And here we are finally on top!!
We have the kayaks on the beach 566 metres below. -
Tavolara Island toward east.
-
Conillo finds magic flowers dancing in the wind.
-
We climb down on the the other side, toward north.
-
Long story short: we climb down, get the kayaks, paddle back, put the kayaks on the car, leave, get to Dorgali, have a pizza...
And the next morning we wake up here. -
Safety and security is the first thing when we plan an adventure. And when caving there's nothing more important than the light!
That's why we decided to rely on a torchlight made in China and bought at a flee market by Matteo's flatmate! -
Donini Cave entrance. When I was here last week with Rossano we found an incredible and mysterious foam in the cave. This time I'm taking my best camera to make good photos of it!
-
I love how this camera takes photos in the caves without flash! ...Unfortunately the magic foam is gone! :-(
-
Donini Cave ...without foam.
-
Along the way
-
The final lake at the end of the cave.
-
The cave end at this little lake with a huge vertical crack.
-
Then you cross the lake, but the adventure is not finished yet: actually the lake is...
-
...Actually the lake is suspended 63 metres above the valley floor!
in the photo Scott is abseiling down from the lake. -
Abseiling down.
-
From far away: the Donini exit is just on the right of the rock stripes. More to the right is clearly visible another cave, that is Codula Orbisi.
Sardinian people complain that the Italian name of the cave, "Donini", doesn't mean anything, while the original Sardinian name, "Su Cunnu S'Edda", is much more evocative! -
Cows' tribe and a pig on the way back.
-
Before leaving the area, we visit "Sa Pischina" ("The Swimming-pool" in Sardinian language).
It is an impressive rock recess, so huge that I needed to stitch 3 photos to get the above image. -
The rock ceiling above us: if you consider that those in the centre are very old big trees, then you have an idea of the dimensions of the place.
-
Scott is so impressed by this place....
-
...That jump immediately in the pool.
Yes, the water is very cold, but consider that Scott was in Iceland one week ago! -
What I haven't told you yet is that Conillo has got a new friend: Scott is travelling with Yoda.
Conillo and Yoda will share al lot of adventures... and selfies!
See the next episode!
Image Manager
Rossano (my companion in the previous days of adventure) leaves in the morning and Scott is coming in the evening: what to do today then?
While I'm driving to the airport with Rossano I notice a dramatic granite ridge...
- - Cover |
Rossano leaves and I drive back to the granite ridge of San Pantaleo.
The climbing is challenging and I wonder if later I'll be able to climb down what I'm now climbing up!
- - Cover |
Conillo is climbing a challenging route too.
We are both worried: if we won't find a trail on top of the mountain... Well, the down-climb will be very hard!!
- - Cover |
Magically, some red marks appear on the very top: we have a trail to climb down!
Anyway, this granite ridge is awesome and we must take Scott here too!
But what is Conillo looking at?
- - Cover |
Conillo is looking at Tavolara Island. Framed among those granite formations, Tavolara is our target for the adventure of tomorrow.
- - Cover |
At 9 p.m. we pick up Scott at the airport.
My car was not full enough, so it was looking forward to get a mountain bike to accommodate in the boot! :-)
- - Cover |
We sleep on the beach, ready to paddle to Tavolara Island.
This is the dawn on the cove.
- - Cover |
Same place exactly 3 minutes later: the sun rises and makes everything orange.
- - Cover |
In Italy we call it Sea-lily (Giglio di Mare), but it isn't actually a lily, the real name is Pancratium Maritimum.
- - Cover |
Setting up the kayak to go Tavolara Island. But where is Scott? I picked him up at the airport 4 photos ago, and he hasn't appeared yet!
- - Cover |
Scott has a business meeting and is lost in a video-conference! :-)
- - Cover |
On our way to Tavolara we stop at a famous wreck. Comparing this photo with the ones we did in the 2005 trip, the ship has gone down into the water quite a while more!
- - Cover |
We land on Tavolara, take the gears and climb up the trail to the via ferrata.
- - Cover |
And here we are, climbing the Tavolara's Via Ferrata
- - Cover |
Iscale fustes: the perfect Sardinian style!
The via ferrata uses juniper trunks bond to the rock, these are called "Iscale fustes" and have been used by shepherds since the time of nuragic civilisation. :-)
- - Cover |
A closer look to Iscale fustes
- - Cover |
Scott climbing up.
Look how vertical is this island!
- - Cover |
On left top there's the cove were we spent the night.
In the centre of the photo there's the beach were we landed with the kayaks.
On the right is the cliff we are climbing up (but you may have already guessed it :-)
- - Cover |
It looks quit high, but we are still in the middle of our climbing.
- - Cover |
And here we are finally on top!!
We have the kayaks on the beach 566 metres below.
- - Cover |
Tavolara Island toward east.
- - Cover |
Conillo finds magic flowers dancing in the wind.
- - Cover |
We climb down on the the other side, toward north.
- - Cover |
Long story short: we climb down, get the kayaks, paddle back, put the kayaks on the car, leave, get to Dorgali, have a pizza...
And the next morning we wake up here.
- - Cover |
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
Pages
Status:
- Pubblicato_IT
- Published_EN