Sardinia, Codula di Luna, S'Orcu, 'Una Corona al Bacio'.

'A Kissing Crown'

We needed a comfortable, beautiful and not too long wall, the exposure had to be optimal for the season and the quality of the rock at least by Sardinian standards...that is, excellent! All seasoned with a wild location...because, let's face it, in Sardinia if you have a little imagination you can still combine all the characteristics listed above and experience wonderful climbing days.

Except on the Giradili and a few places near my home I hardly ever returned several times to open a route on the same wall and so leafing through 'Gocciaman' Oviglia's 'guide bible' I noticed that the S'Orcu wall in the wild Codula di Luna had only two routes already opened and there was room for more.

Being with Luisa, I didn't want to climb a difficult line, but the wall gave little chance to avoid its terminal overhangs except on the left, where a diagonal crack similar to the Demande in Verdon ploughed through the slabs, dying on a ledge two pitches from the summit.

It took three days to open, clean and climb this route on the typical Sardinian super rock, and in the end it turned out to be a beautiful and not too difficult route, but with 'challenging' bolting to supplement with friends and hourglasses.

The name refers to a Sardinian saying of drinking a beer (in this case a Corona) without the glass, i.e. the bottle... 'A CORONA TO THE KISS'.

Access:from the Orientale Sarda road that goes from Dorgali to Baunei after 30 km (17 if you come from Baunei) take the road towards Teletottes that descends in the direction of the coast entering the wild Codula di Luna.

Walk to its end (about 13 km) and leave the car . take the path that runs along the stream on the orographic right. After about 25 minutes, you arrive at the obvious S'Orcu rock face above the codula on the right just above a large pool of the stream where the water disappears and sinks into the Supramonte. Climb as best you can to the base through steep woodland and scree, following animal tracks and aiming for the obvious edge dividing the west and north faces.

The route starts about 20 m to the right of the edge on a slab with the first bolt visible about 10 m from the ground.

NotesNice route on excellent rock except for a short section in the first pitch where care must be taken. Ideal wall in mid-season or summer mornings; in fact, its western exposure keeps it in the shade until at least 13/14.

Studded with 4/8 metre spaced bolts with some sections to be supplemented with quick and hourglass protections. The rope leader should master the declared obligatory difficulty!

Good climbing

Vigio

Report:

'A Kissing Crown'

Roberto Vigiani - Luisa Siliani

April 2016 - development: 200m

Diff. Max 7a (obbl.6c) I-RS3

Equipment: 70m single rope- one set of C4 to 2 (a 5' if you don't want to risk your ankles on the first pitch!)- nuts- some kevlar for hourglasses

Descent: abseiling also with a 70 m single passing a few bolts

L1- 6b : climb the slab with two bolts and go left into a dihedral of somewhat broken rock to be careful. Reach the third bolt and via a short wall reach the large blade which you climb up to the belay. 3 bolts + 1 fixed hourglass + friends (useful a 5' to adequately protect the exit at the belay, otherwise do as I do...that is, without them!)

L2 - 7a Climb the wall immediately above the belay with challenging climbing on painful rock and take the start of the dihedral crack which is actually blind going to belay on a small terrace on the left. (4 bolts and nothing else!)

L3 - 6c/7a traverse up into the dihedral and follow it with good climbing. Reach the belay via beautiful drop wall. ( 5 bolts + some friends/nuts)

L4 - 6b+ climb the beautiful dihedral and take the crack to the belay to be protected (3 bolts + friends/nut) if you really want you can bring 1' and 2' doubles, I didn't use them but it takes skill!

L5 - 6a+ immediately to the left above the belay climb up the edge of the small pillar which is climbed via hourglasses and large holes to a ledge. immediately above, reach the "salvacaviglie" spit and again via athletic holes go to the right to the second and last spit which protects the exit to the belay. (2 bolts + 1 fixed hourglass)

L6 - 7a from the belay climb to the right following a strip of grey overhanging rock with a difficult passage at the exit. ( 5 bolts + two friends)