Sardinia, Monte Oddeu, 'A Chent'annos'.

'A Chent'annos'

In Sardinian 'A Chent'annos' is a wish for a happy birthday, the equivalent of our '100 of these days'. 18 April is my daughter Eva's birthday and so, having opened it in those days, I wanted to dedicate this street to her to wish her a long and happy life.

"A Chent'annos" is also the title of a beautiful song by Tazenda that recalls many meanings and which I put below if anyone wants to read and listen to it. Supramonte for me is the true soul of Sardinia and I love going back there every time for that mixture of wild beauty and laconic melancholy that it conveys. You are close to civilisation but at the same time you feel far away from it all. Rocks, scents, wind, sun and few people around in this season awaken in me a bit of nostalgia for holidays spent in these places for more than 30 years.

I have opened several routes in Supramonte - difficult, easy with bolts and trad - but if I go back to the first route I climbed in far-off 1983 it was on the Oddeu. I was with Gianpaolo, a friend who is no longer with us, and two of us on his motorbike arrived below the Oddeu face, guided by Gogna's book 'Mezzogiorno di Pietra' (High Noon of Stone); the road was all dirt from the Orientale Sarda and there was almost nothing on the face except for a few poorly-connected routes. Wandering to the base, we took a line that allowed us with the little material we had to climb. After several hours we reached the top of the plateau without placing a single piton using only nuts and hourglasses, no trace of our passage remained on the wall. The grade didn't matter but I still remember the wonder on the final part of the wall of discovering holds at every step that were invisible from below.

Here I am again under this wall, this time it is Luisa with me... always enthusiastic about every proposal I make, even if it risks facing difficulties too high for her. From Oviglia's last Guidebook on long routes I had spotted a nice free corridor between "my Africa" and "my Switzerland" but some grey walls promised high difficulties and I was worried that it would be too difficult for her. Fortunately, just like in '83, the rock at Oddeu turned out to be incredibly worked and in two days of climbing we climbed slabs and cracks with reasonable difficulty, planting only 10 protection fixes in the entire ascent. The rest is protected with friends and hourglasses and the quality of the rock and climbing can be described as exceptional, as is the case with almost all the routes on the wall.

TAZENDA

"A CHENT'ANNOS" No, it is not a 'self-wishing' for me. It is a wish. broader, extended to all.

TRANSLATION

"A chent'annos, children, full of days of joy. What treasure, what enchantment, in enjoying high and noble desires! A hundred years brother of my land, whether you are here (innoe) or far from here (in nostalgia), but in peace and friendship. Here's to a hundred years, mother, that you are "patience and solitude". Reasons of serenity you place in my yearnings. "To a hundred years Life, who resonates in me, burns like a wound and vibrates in me. To a hundred years my heart, - you who - are a spark of God (ischintidda de deus). A hundred years, my father, wherever you are. Send us good news, from whatever Earth or Heaven. Here's to a hundred years, my soul bride. What good fortune, what 'malia'..we chase after lofty words. To a hundred years, O Melody, flowing within me, melting the snow, full of light and harmony. To a hundred years Life, that you resound within me. Here's to a hundred years, my heart....-you who-are a spark of God." (Tazenda). *Bye.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp0D-QkJPVM

Report

A Chent'annos

Opened by Roberto Vigiani and Luisa Siliani from 18 to 20 April 2015

Development: 200 m

Difficulty : R1-S3/I 6c/7a (6b ob.)

Material: I had a set of Alien from black to red, a set of C4 from 0.5 to 3.0, a set of C3, nuts and Kevlar for hourglasses.

In place: belays with rappelling chains + 10 protection fixes and some fixed hourglasses that we left behind.

Half a rope or 80m rope if abseiling

Attack between 'My Africa' and 'My Switzerland' near a slab with black flow (name at the base).

L1 : Climb a slab protecting yourself with friends up to the first visible spit about 12m from the ground, move a little to the left to the next spit and then continue up a slab to an overhang which you overcome directly and leads to a beautiful crack that leads almost to the belay. (40m, 6a+) 2 bolts

L2 : Directly above the belay by slab to below a roof which is avoided on the right by blades (watch out for a boulder on the left which we didn't manage to dislodge, we needed the pry bar...it is well stuck but best avoided). Continue via leaning slab to the next belay at the base of a dihedral. ( 35m, 6a) two fixed ropes

L3: Climb the dihedral up to the terrace at its end, move to the right and take an articulated slab that leads over an athletic overhang to the belay under the 'Gran Placca' (30m, 5c) two fixed ropes

L4: Climb a few metres up to the base of the slab, traverse left to the first fix and by exceptional rock climb the entire wall to the next belay. (30m 6c/7a) 5 bolts

L5 : directly above the belay on a vertical wall with three bolts, turn over and via articulated slabs go left to the comfortable belay. ( 30m 6b/c) 3 bolts

L6 : climb up exceptional rock by cracks and blades to the end of the wall (35m 6b) a fixed lanyard left.

Descent: possible by abseil or on foot like the other Oddeu routes

Good climbing

Roberto Vigiani