Hi,

off to Sardinia in 5 weeks mostly climbing and running in Cala Gonone area but would like to get underground if possible too.

I've read a thread on here and googled some stuff but does anyone have any recommendations for easy/pull through trips. We'll have climbing gear but not planning on taking SRT gear/ropes.

Thanks, Ali 

Ali,

I don't have any specific recommendations as I have not been there.  However, I am just making a copy of the Shepton report from 1990 for someone else.  Would you like a copy?  Let me know if you do.

Cheers,

Ed

Ed W said:

Ali,

I don't have any specific recommendations as I have not been there.  However, I am just making a copy of the Shepton report from 1990 for someone else.  Would you like a copy?  Let me know if you do.

Cheers,

Ed

Click to expand...

Yes please Ed, that would be great.

Cheers, Ali

Went there over New Year a few years back, and was surprised to find virtually all the caves gated. However we did one excellent through trip (Grotte di Donnini or something like that). It was actually in the canyoning guide, but was a full on pull through trip underground with a lot of swimming. The location was somewhere up the top end of the Groppu gorge (mis-spelling?), and involved a fair distance driving on pretty rough dirt tracks.

Footleg

We were there 12 months ago:
http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/rcc/caving/sardinia/sardinia07.php

Caves are very warm and friendly, you'd only need a little gear and could happily use your climbing harness for SRT (no big pitches, little exposure, not too abrasive). Su Palu is near the head of the Luna valley.

I'd recommend either Su Palu (wet duck early on, km of wandering passage + streamway + formations + Italian cave diving camp equipped with suspicious tins of meat products and a football) or Su Bentu (~two short pitches followed by a few km of swimming over almost-static calcited cascades).

Su Bentu was unlocked, Su Palu required an easy squeeze under a yellow gate.
Strangely enough, the smaller caves in the SMCC guide were more secure.

Jarv