MOUNTAIN BIKE SARDINIA 70 rides in the south and center

www.versantesud.it

MOUNTAIN BIKE SARDINIA 70 rides in the south and centre

Amos, Peter and Davide (ph. Mattia Vacca)

Peter Herold Amos Cardia Davide Deidda

Peter Herold Amos Cardia Davide Deidda

Peter Herold, English-born (1964) but Sard by adoption, proposed this guide to the MTB in Sardinia to Versante Sud. He lives in Lotzorai on the island’s east coast where he and his wife Anne manage the guesthouse The Lemon House (www.peteranne.it), a reference point for bikers, walkers and climbers. Peter has contributed to several guidebooks on Sardinia, both to explain the island to those arriving from overseas (Italians as well as foreigners) and using his detailed knowledge of the area where he lives.

Amos Cardia was born in Cagliari in 1975 and lives in Sinnai (CA). An expert in the field of culture, MTB guide and teacher, he is author of 15 publications on Sardinia. Amos works with IchnusaBike (www.ichnusabike.it), a cycle touring and MTB holiday company, and in 2005 promoted the TranSardinia, the crossing of Sardinia by mountain bike from Olbia to Cagliari in 7 stages, for a total of 450 km e 11.000 metres’ height gain. A few years later he thought up and developed the TranSardinia West, another crossing from north to south but this time down the west coast, from Alghero to Pula, 450 km as well but with 8.000 metres’ height gain (www.transardinia.it). His personal web site is www.amoscardia.com/bike.

70 rides in the south and centre

ARRAMPICATA ALPINISMO BOULDER TREKKING CANYONING MOUNTAIN-BIKE

SUD

E 29,50

NTE

ISBN 978-88-96634-44-8

GUIDE ROMANZI MANUALI

MOUNTAIN BIKE SARDINIA

A VERS

A selection of 70 routes to ride throughout the year, that will take you to most of the island and offer you a surprising variety of landscapes and experiences among the perfumes of the Mediterranean macchia, the harsh limestone of the interior and the splendid beaches you’ll admire in the background. You will discover an unspoilt island and ride on centuries-old singletracks, where famous bandits or hard-working miners and charcoal burners used to pass, and which today will delight the most demanding riders or satisfy the the curiosity of cycle tourists on their first MTB rides. A complete guide to help you organise your biking holiday in Sardinia and for all the summer visitors to the island who want to ride their mountain bikes while they’re on holiday.

COLLANA LUOGHI VERTICALI

Arco, secret spot. Climber Florian Riegler, photo Marco Spataro

www.versantesud.it

Davide Deidda, is an engineer, born in Lanusei but who grew up in Nuorese where his parents live, After a long period in Spain where he raced on his mountain bike he helped Peter documenting rides in Ogliastra and then dedicated himself to the exploration of the Centre of Sardinia and in particular of the Supramonte. A lover of long rides and “impossible” paths, which he thinks shouldn’t be just for walkers and which he stubbornly tries to ride.

UP annuario di alpinismo europeo www.up-climbing.com EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD

Prima edizione: December 2011 ISBN: 978-88-96634-44-8 Copyright Š 2011 VERSANTE SUD Milano via Longhi, 10, tel. 027490163 www.versantesud.it All rights of translation, electronic storage, reproduction and adapting, total or partial, by whatever means, are reserved for all countries.

Cover

The spectacular singletrack which descends from the Baunei Supramonte to Cala Sisine on Sardinia’s east coast (ph. Mattia Vacca)

Texts

Peter Herold, Amos Cardia, Davide Deidda mtbsardegna@versantesud.it

Photos

Peter Herold, Amos Cardia, Davide Deidda and all their biker friends who have contributed precious photos

Translation

Peter Herold

Maps

Chiara Benedetto

Impagination

Chiara Benedetto

Legend

Iacopo Leardini, Chiara Benedetto

Printed by

Monotipia Cremonese snc (CR)

Note Mountain biking is a potentially risky sport; you are responsible for your own safety. All the information in this guide was up-to-date at the date of printing but, before riding, it should be verified and evaluated by experts.

Peter Herold Amos Cardia Davide Deidda

MOUNTAIN BIKE SARDINIA 70 rides in the south and centre

EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD

Preface

Preface

Candy Store for mountain bikers Ordinary mortals come to Sardinia for sun, sea and sand. Fine, let them stay there. Mountain bikers know better: the interior of the island makes even the most spoiled biker happy. If desired, there are relaxed climbs on smooth dirt roads and easy fast descents. Deeper in the mountains there are series of difficult and technical trails, both up and down. Concentration is necessary because after every turn, and behind every bush, unexpected obstacles can appear. Loose stones, a small drop, an overhanging mountain, a brook or a stretch of loose sand. The descents are sometimes tricky, as is the climbing. Steep, rocky, with rocky peaks, or a combination of all. In short, trails to be enjoyed to the tips of your toes.

Sometimes cycling is impossible. In order to overcome the altitude, the mountain bike goes on the shoulder. Such a passage is always followed by a rideable singletrack in a magnificent panorama. The trails are empty, you are on your own. This is the candy store for mountain bikers.

But there is more, along the paths the nostrils are tickled by blooming lavender and wild herbs. It seems that the vegetation was carefully constructed by a gardener. In rural villages pleasant cafes or mountain huts and are the places to be. The best cheese, olives and pastas are the rewards for the efforts on the pedals. Your water bottle can be filled with crystal clear mountain water from natural springs.

During rest day lounge in palm-lined piazzas and on seemingly endless beaches. The Italian atmosphere, pizza, pasta and Sardinian beer and wine are the cocoa on the cappuccino. The Sards have the good life is in their genes.

Until recently there was a problem. The trails were only in the minds of local bikers. Fortunately they wanted to share their knowledge with you,a and the result is this great book with the best mountain bike tours in Sardinia. The book is a must for those who want to enjoy all the beauty that this sunny island has to offer. Staying at home is no longer an option. But think twice before you decide to go mountain biking in Sardinia. You will always compare your other mountain adventures those here and you will long for for Sardinia’s perfection and extensive trails.

Ronald Jacobs

4

A typical technical limestone singletrack of the Supramontes, with the Golfo di Orosei in the background (ph. Mattia Vacca)

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Index

Index Map Introduction The genesis of this guide The development of this guide Thanks Geographical areas Preparing for a MTB ride Respect Sardinia’s geology Route descriptions and legend Books on Sardinia recommended by the authors Main mountain bike shops in the areas described in the guide Place names Useful phrases in Sard South-west

38

South-east

118

Guspinese 1 Montevecchio. Piscinas 2 Montevecchio. Arcuentu

40 44

Parteolla 20 Donori. Pran’’e Sànguni 21 Dolianova. Serra Mulanu

120 124

Fluminese 3 From Capo Pecora to Scivu

48

Marganai 4 San Benedetto. Arenas 5 Domusnovas. Perdu Marras 6 Gùturu Farris. Corovau

52 56 60

Cagliari Campidano 22 Foresta Campidano 23 Baca Mandra 24 Solanas. Capo Boi

128 132 136

Linas 7 Villacidro. Piscina Irgas 8 Vallermosa. Cucurdoni Mannu

64 68

Sarrabus 25 Sinnai. Tuviois 26 Geremeas. Mont’Arbu 27 Villasimius. Minniminni 28 Villasimius. Crabonaxa 29 Burcei. Ollastu 30 Garàpiu 31 Sette Fratelli 32 Brabaisu. Burcei 33 Olia Speciosa. Capo Ferrato 34 San Priamo. Bacu Arrodas 35 Anello San Vito

140 146 150 154 158 162 166 170 174 178 182

Gerrei 36 Villasalto “Genn’‘e Bentu” 37 Armungia

186 192

Sulcis 9 Villamassargia. Punta Orbai 10 The Carbonia hills 11 Rosas. Orbai 12 Ferrovia Bècia. Rosas 13 Santadi. Sèbera 14 Domus de Maria. Punta Sèbera 15 Chia. Strada Romana 16 Punta Porcili Mannu. Cala d’Ostia 17 Punta sa Crèsia. Perda Pertunta 18 S’’Enna de sa Craba. Monti Nieddu 19 Gùturu Mannu. Monte Arcosu

6

8 10 10 12 12 14 16 18 20 22 26 28 29 30

72 76 80 84 90 94 98 102 106 110 114

Centre-east Tacchi and Tonneri 38 Jerzu Rally di Sardegna Bike 39 Ulàssai - Sentieri dei Nuraghi e di “Su Marmuri” 40 Taccu Isàra 41 Perda ‘e Liana and Montarbu

198

Centre

328

200

Gennargentu 62 Perda Crapias (Punta La Marmora) Sardinia’s highest peak

330

208 216 220

Ogliastra coast and hills 42 Monte Ferru 43 Punta Tricoli & Monte Armidda 44 Monte Elini, Tortolì 45 Lido di Lotzorai and the Lago di Santa Lucia 46 Santa Maria Navarrese, Osono, Genna Aramene and Monte Scoine 47 Mamutorco, Olinie and Dodoccori 48 Talana Villagrande “Ghost road” Gennargentu 49 Arzana Freeride 50 Monte Idolo from Santa Barbara 51 Bacu Su Orovigili and Monte Olinie 52 Talana Olinie Sorberine

226 232 236 240 244 248 254

Orgosolo, Oliena and Dorgali Supramontes 63 Orgosolo Supramonte – Funtana Bona 334 64 Funtana Bona - Donanìgoro 338 65 Cala Gonone - Arco Suttaterra 342 66 Hotel Supramonte 346 Nuorese 67 Ortobene Bike Park 68 Orune - Nunnale

352 356

Baronia 69 Siniscola - Montalbo 70 Siniscola Terra&Mare (Land&Sea)

360 364

258 262 266 272

Baunei and Urzulei Supramontes 53 Freeride Santa Maria 54 Pissu e Serra and Su Idile 55 Cala Sisine via Su Irove Longu, Cala Luna 56 Codula di Luna and Ovile de Scàrtari 57 GASAU route 58 Urzulei Sentiero San Giorgio and the Codula Sa Mela 59 Circuito Flumineddu 60 Genna Silana - Gola su Gorroppu 61 Genna Silana - Arco Suttaterra and Sa Portiscra

278 284 292 300 304 308 314 320 324

In the Tacchi and Tonneri area of the Centre-East (ph. Ronald Jacobs)

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Map

Map

Here you find clearly indicated the starting points of the 70 rides included in this guide. Some lend themselves to being linked to create longer rides, and in this case you’ll find details in the descriptions. Most of the rides are circular, finishing where they started, and we decided to describe the centre and the south of Sardinia for the following reasons: It is in these areas that you find the island’s highest and most important groups of mountains. From south to north, the Sulcis, the Marganai, the Linas, the Sarrabus, the Gerrei, the Tacchi of Ogliastra, the Gennargentu, the Supramontes, Monte Ortobene and Monte Albo; In these areas you find rides of all difficulties, quickly reached from the main centres by car or sometimes by riding. This allows riders to plan a one or two-week MTB holiday and it’s no coincidence that these are also the areas featured in the walking guides; Many of these areas are near or next to the coast, for instance part of the Sarrabus or Ogliastra, and to their holiday destinations. This allows you to combine mountain biking with the classic sea-side family holiday, although you need to be aware of the high summer temperatures; These are the areas we know best, where we live and usually ride Monte Limbara, in Gallura, in the north-east of the island, is one of the main casualties of this choice of ours (together with Monte Arci, the Sarcidano, and the Marghine-Goceano chain…). We hope that a future edition can include those routes which best characterise the rest of Sardinia.

We wish everyone Happy Travels and Happy Riding.

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Olbia

Sassari

69

NĂšoro 67

68 65

66

62 Oristano

60 61 63 6459 56 57 58 55 48 52 54 51 47 46 53 45 50 41 49 44 40 43 Lanusèi 39 38 42

Sanluri

12 3

70

20

7 4 56

21 22 25

8

9 11 10Carbonia

12

19

37 36

29 32 34 3031 33

Cagliari 23 26 18 24

13

35

27 28

17 16 14 15 9

Introduction

Introduction

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The genesis of this guide In my Ogliastra, in the centre-east of Sardinia, I’ve bolted climbing routes, shown walking trails to several walking guidebook authors, and translated from Italian to English climbing guides and the guide to the Selvaggio Blu trek. After years of granfondo road cycling, I started with the MTB in 2008 and it was natural to document the routes for guests staying at The Lemon House, the guesthouse that my wife Anne and I own and run. Having pedalled only in Ogliastra, and having at the time little MTB experience, I relied on guests and expert friends for the rating of the difficulty and beauty of the rides. You have to find more singletrack – they’d tell me, while I struggled as soon as the doubletrack’s surface got a bit loose. The situation improved rapidly in 2010. I tried the technical descents over and over again, until I could manage them… and break the carbon fibre chain stays of my first hardtail. I switched to a 140 mm fully-suspended bike, met Amos Cardia and Davide Deidda and together we documented some rides in Ogliastra. I co-founded the association Mountainbike Ogliastra, organised rides through www.mtb-forum.it and those who participated loved the routes.

I worked for Versante Sud translating guides and articles, and, seeing that they published guides to mountain biking, in autumn 2010 asked Bruno Quaresima if they were interested in a MTB guide to Sardinia. Bruno replied: Yes, we’re interested.

How many rides? Where? Could you coordinate the work of the other bikers?

Taking on the responsibility for a Sardinia MTB guide frightened me a bit. I could supply the routes in Ogliastra, but needed help for the other areas. I turned again to Amos and Davide, who were enthusiastic right from the start. Their enthusiasm and energy had a calming effect on me and we decided to start, even though there were only three of us. Bruno sent me a copy of the guide for Lecco and Bergamo Como and, reading Maurizio Panseri’s poetry, I asked myself how I, an engineer by training who’d learned to speak Italian at the age of thirty, would ever have managed to write so well.

My Italian wasn’t quite good enough even for the descriptions, as Bruno confirmed, suggesting I could ask Maurizio Panseri to check what I’d

written. When Davide and Amos learnt that I was considering asking Maurizio to help, they immediately offered to help. So, thanks to Davide, my simple Italian was enriched with numerous synonyms and when at eleven o’clock at night my wife Anne begged me to turn off the PC, I did a last send-and-receive of the email and saw the replies arriving from Amos and Davide.

The three of us were all working until late on the guide and this reassured me and made me feel in good company. This guide is born out of our collaboration, which became friendship, but I have to recognise the tremendous support from other Sard bikers. No-one ever refused to help or to send their photos. It was clear that the common desire to make the island better known for mountain biking was more important than anything else.

In addition to the detailed descriptions and the photos, which by themselves we hope are enough to convince you to come to Sardinia and ride these trails, we’ve also included some of our stories from when we were working on the guide.

We’ve also included some comments, at times quite provocative, on Sardinia’s history, on the current situation here and on its characteristic aspects which those who come to ride here will encounter. We know that it’s for you, the readers and users of this guide, to confirm our ratings of the beauty and difficulty of the routes, but we hope that we’ve been able to convey a sense of what’s different about Sardinia, together with our love for this island, so beautiful and so underdeveloped.

Peter Herold

Translator’s note

This English translation of the guide from Italian is intended as much for continental European bikers as for those from countries where English is the native language, so we have retained the comma as the decimal point, with the full stop being used for thousands (“1.800 m”). We have also occasionally left the Italian words for unmade/fire road (“sterrato”), footpath/singletrack (“sentiero”), firebreak (“striscia tagliafuoco”), sheepfold (“ovile”/”cuile”) and restaurant-bar “Ristorante Bar”.

Perda ‘e Liana, one of Sardinia’s “monumenti naturali” (ph. Ronald Jacobs)

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Introduction

The development of this guide The seventy routes described were ridden by the authors in the 14 month period from April 2010 to June 2011, with the bulk of the work concentrated in the winter and spring. So you should find the singletracks and fire roads in the same conditions as we did when we wrote the guide, although it’s possible that some rides are easier, because each winter the doubletracks are damaged by the rains and washed-out but in summer at least some of them are repaired. Amos had the lion’s share of the routes and the weather, tackling both the Southwest and the South-east, although Davide and Peter gave him a hand with some of the routes in the south. Davide covered the Centre and Peter the Centre-east. The photos were taken by the authors themselves or by those who came with us during our rides to document the routes, except when it wasn’t possible (due to bad weather, for instance) and we have used photos taken by others at other times.

We used the following rules when devising rides: There are no standard rules for distance or height gain; We have chosen circular rides of at least two hours’ duration, in order to be able to explore adequately each area; We have constructed rides that are uniform in terms of type (XC, AM or FR) and technical difficulty. On a very mixed ride, both XC and FR bikers would be unhappy; In each geographic area we have tried to offer a complete range of possibilities, in terms of type, duration, and technical and physical difficulty; We have tried to devise rides which are 100% rideable. Less than 100% rideability is accepted if the rest of the ride justifies it.

Our work could be termed “pioneering”, since there are very few guides to the MTB in Sardinia and the most well-known is probably Antioco -ChiccoPorcu and Enzo Pascalis’s Sole, sale, salita, published in 1991 and for a long time out-of-print. This contains only 26 routes in the whole island, plus some variants, and Porcu has made available in Internet a scanned copy of the guide. The only guide at the moment available is that from 2009 of Regione Sardegna (Guida al mountain biking della Sardinia - http://www.Sardiniadigitallibrary. it/documenti/17_81_20100119153458.pdf) with Amos Cardia among the authors. This is a roadbook

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for several long crossings of Sardinia, on mainly easy fire roads and with limited descriptions, for a total of 25 stages each of about 50 km.

Each author has used a different approach to construct his routes: Peter started from the routes that he’d already explored around Lotzorai and documented and tested with guests at The Lemon House. He adapted them to create rides of a uniform type, and starting from the nearby towns. To these routes he added the walking paths in the centre-east of the island that had been repaired and documented by the Ente Foreste’s project Un’Isola di Sentieri (http://www.

Sardiniaambiente.it/foreste/foreste_parchi/sentieri. html), some of which he’d already ridden, but others, such as those in the Tacchi and Tonneri area, had never before been documented for the MTB. Some local bikers suggested rides, accompanying Peter who was happy to have subjects for his photos.

The GASAU group from Urzulei, which has made two rides which are now fairly well-known and appreciated, deserves a special mention. Lastly, starting from walking routes and after long study of the IGM maps and Google Earth, Peter carried out some real explorations, often alone and in several successive attempts, to create new routes or to create circular routes where before there was only a linear A-B ride. Among these, we can mention the descent to Gorroppu from Genna Silana with return via Sa Pruna, the Flumineddu circuit and the Rally di Sardinia route at Jerzu.

Amos rode his routes in 6 months, from January to June 2011, starting from those in the south-east where he normally rides, nearly always starting from home, to which he added some of IchnusaBike’s.

Once the South-east was finished, he started on the South-west, further from where he lived and which he knew only partially from his research and exploration to create the TranSardinia West.

To arrive to an adequate coverage, once again the input from Mauro Boscolo of IchnusaBike was crucial: Maurizio gave Amos a folder full of GPS files. Other bikers were no less important, giving Amos other routes and advice, both through private contacts and through www.mtb-forum.it. Many of the people listed under Thanks gave their inputs, but every GPS file and piece of information had to be checked against the IGM map, on Google Earth and carefully assessed, to decide if the route was possible for the visitor who had only the description

and not necessarily a GPS. Each time Amos travelled to the South-west meant several hours of driving there and back, and so his main aim was to go for “certain” routes and, for the more doubtful sections (not rideable, blocked by vegetation, inside fencedoff fields …), he prepared alternatives in advance.

The thrill of exploring, often alone, was then linked to the challenge of completing the ride in one day or, as we say, to come home with the ride in the bag, including with photos, self-portraits if he was alone. Amos even managed to complete two routes in one day, to minimise travelling time and costs, pedalling one in the morning and one in the afternoon!

Davide concentrated his energies in the exploration of the Supramonte, a wild territory, inaccessible by car and for the most part unknown for the MTB. The harsh, unexplored territory required careful preparation with the maps to identify the access points to the plateau and the crossings of the rio Flumineddu that allow the crossing to Talana and Urzulei.

For the documentation of the Siniscola routes, the help of the local bikers Franco Tucconi and Marco Deledda, experts of the area and good companions, was indispensable. The route Ortobene Bike Park would not have been as enjoyable had it not been for the work on the paths carried out by the association Monte ‘n Bike from Nuoro. The only regret is to have left many projects not yet explored, due to work commitments which didn’t leave enough time for the MTB.

Thanks We’d like to thank all those who helped us for their friendly enthusiastic support.

For suggesting routes: Antonio Cocco (www.esploraSardinia.it), the Club Piccalinna from Guspini and its president Nino Vaccargiu (http://piccalinna.blogspot.com), Mauro Boscolo (www.ichnusabike.it), Pierpaolo Sulis, Giorgio Pupillo, Danilo Piras, Fabrizio Follesa, Manolo Bachis (www.mtbexperience.it), Simone Scalas (www.anfibia.it), Marcello Usala ( w w w. a n f i b i a . i t ) , L i n o C i a n c i o t t o (www.fluminimaggiore.org), Alessandro Boi (www.montenbike.it).

For having come with us as we documented the rides and for being the subjects for photos: Luigi Olla, Massimo Carboni, Andrea Zedda,

Pierpaolo Sulis, Fabrizio Follesa, Rich Allsop, Noortje Janssen , Willeke Trompers, Dave Barter, Kari Lämsä, Bill Roger and Doug Baker, Pierpaolo p78, Roberta Carta, Gabriele Fabrizio Nalin, Giuseppe Loddo, Giovannni Falchi (Johnny Hawks), Stefan “Alpenzorro” Stuntz, gfavier, Marco Melis, Massimo Moro, Gianni Stochino, Michele Pinna, Manuel Gherardi, Karsten Lieberkind, Mette Simonsen, Paola Scremin, Stefano Garelli, Malcom Toop-Rose, Mauro Atzori, Dario Tuveri, Pierpaolo Capelli.

For having contributed photos: Roberto Bertinelli, Mario Madeddu, Francesco Olla, Agide -Gege- Piras, Francesco Olla, Mauro Boscolo (www.ichnusabike.it), Marcello Meloni (www.ichnusabike.it), Antonio Cocco ( w w w. e s p l o r a S a r d i n i a . i t ) , A n g e l o To r o (www.arestis.com), Jackie Gregory, Mattia Vacca (www.mattiavacca.com), Antonello Pintus, Maurits Janssens, Franco Tucconi, Gavino Pintus, sardrock Gian Matteo, Dave Barter, Rick Alsop, Ronald Jacobs, Gian Domenico Nieddu, Clait Pintus, Sardinia Mountain Bike (www.sardiniamountainbike.com).

For having contributed to the “boxes” on Sardinia: Antonello Cannas (Università di Sassari), Elena Lucia Piras (archaeologist, Barisardo), Vittorio Pinna and Pietro Perra (Acadèmia de su Sardu http://academiadesusardu.wordpress.com), Orlando Mereu.

For having helped us in other ways, from cleaning paths to helping Peter look for his bike when he lost it, from the hot chocolates to the commitment to maintain tracks: The mayors and municipality councils of Armungia, Arzana, Baunei, Talana and Urzulei, the Ente Foreste, the GASAU (Gruppo Archeologico, Speleologico e Ambientale di Urzulei) and in particular Antonio Murru and Sebastiano Cabras, Sebastiano Pusole of the bar Belvedere in Baunei, Michele and Agostino Fancello of the bar Sa Carrera in Talana, Luisella Lorrai of Sa Portiscra at Urzulei, Antonio Piras and Lucia Serra from Barisardo. Juliane Hielscher for helping Davide check Peter’s descriptions. Carmine Rosone for his help and support in developing the riding around Baunei. Anne McGlone, Peter’s wife, who helped rescue him more than once and put up with his hours of work and translation.

We hope we’ve not forgotten anyone!

Peter, Amos and Davide

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Introduction

Geographical areas In Sardinia the local government division of the Region into 8 provinces has little to do with the characteristics of the territory and its division into historic and geographic areas. We have preferred to use four macro-areas (South-west, South-east, Centre-east and Centre) and, inside of each of Macro-area

Historic zones

Province

South-west

Sulcis, Iglesiente, Marganai, Linas, Guspinese

CA (Cagliari), VS (Medio Campidano, Villacidro-Sanluri), CI (Carbonia-Iglesias)

South-east

Cagliari Campidano, Parteolla, CA (Cagliari) Sarrabus, Gerrei

Centre

Orgosolo, Oliena and Dorgali Supramontes, Nuorese, Baronia, Gennargentu

Centre-east

Tacchi and Tonneri, Gennargentu, OG (Ogliastra) Urzulei and Baunei Supramontes

The South-west is composed of two principal mountainous areas: the Sulcis, in the extreme south, and that of the Iglesiente, Marganai, Linas and Guspinese further to the north. These two areas are separated by the Cixerri plain, a long, narrow valley which cuts this part of Sardinia from west to east, connecting easily the two major centres of Iglesias and Cagliari. In addition to these two mountain chains, there are lots of rides between the coast and the southern slopes of the Sulcis, with frequent views of the sea and some sections along the beach. The Iglesiente, Marganai, Linas and Guspinese have their important towns, in the valleys, and have always been popular with bikers, having contributed to the history of the MTB and DH in Sardinia. Interest for the Sulcis developed later, due both to the more difficult approach to the area and to the lack of local bikers in this relatively unpopulated area. Today, interest in the profondo Sulcis, as many Sards jokingly call this zone, is constantly increasing, due to the area’s technical characteristics, its landscape and also its anthropological interest, since the Sulcis and Gallura are the only areas of Sardinia in which the prevailing urbanisation model is that of dispersed settlements. In local government terms, the Southwest is divided into three provinces: Cagliari (CA), Carbonia-Iglesias (CI) and Medio Campidano, whose symbol VS comes from the first letters of the two “capitals” (Villacidro and Sanluri).

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these, we have indicated the historical zones, whose precise definition often Sard themselves don’t know because at school you are not taught Sardinian history or geography.

NU (Nuoro)

The South-east is characterised by three types of landscape: the coast, the wooded mountains and the mountains with little vegetation. The bestknown wooded area is the Sette Fratelli, so-called for the seven or more rocky summits (the exact number depends on where you’re looking from) which form the crest. This area as well, for the ease of reaching it from Cagliari, has contributed to the developed first of hiking and then of the MTB in Sardinia. As in the South-west, some rides are on the southern slopes for those arriving from the sea, some of which are still wooded but others have less vegetation. In the South-east the less vegetated hills are known, not for the altitude, at most 1.000 m, but for their summer fires and for being overgrazed. Among these, there’s the Sarrabus, a huge uninhabited area which stretches across half the island, from the centre to the east coast. Compared to the wooded areas, here you find few paths but, to make up for this, there’s a huge network of doubletracks and mule tracks, still used by the farmers. At Sinnai, a town at the edge of the mountains, in the mid-Nineties the local biker Vittorio Serra created a competitive group of riders who made this their principal training area and organised here Sardinia’s first granfondo, called the Serpilonga, from Monte Serpeddì, which rises to more than 1.000 m and is the South-east’s highest mountain. Today there’s also a marathon here and Sinnai continues to

produce riders brought up on these hills, good over longer distances, but in fact marathoners are found throughout Sardinia.

The Centre is without doubt dominated by the plateau of the Orgosolo, Oliena and Dorgali Supramontes, bordered to the south by the deep valley of the rio Flumineddu, which divides Orgosolo and Oliena from Ogliastra. As the Supramonte extends towards the coast, you arrive at Dorgali and the cliffs of the Golfo di Orosei, with rugged landscapes and unlikely footpaths at the boundary between the land and the sea.

Moving just a few km towards Nuoro the scenery and geology change completely. From the limestone we move to the rounded granite rocks and the dense holm oak woods of Monte Ortobene.

In this context, Montalbo stands out as a white limestone island, a close relative of its bigger brother, the Supramonte. At Siniscola the soft hills slide towards the sea, and are the setting for pleasant rides and relaxing walks a few metres from the waves.

To the south, instead, the part of the Gennargentu on the Dèsulo side of Punta La Marmora belongs to the Centre, since you arrive from Nuoro via Fonni.

The Centre-east corresponds more-or-less to today’s Ogliastra province (OG), which was separated from Nuoro in 2005. Ogliastra, with not even 60.000 inhabitants, is Italy’s least-populated province. It is bordered to the south-west by the Salto di Quirra and the Lago di Flumendosa, to the west by the Gennargentu chain as far as the Arco di Corr’‘e Boi passing Sardinia’s highest point (Punta La Marmora, 1834 m amsl), and to the north-west by the valleys of the Flumineddu and the Codula di Luna.

The Centre-east can be divided into 4 historic zones: 1. the Tacchi and Tonneri of Jerzu, Ulassai, Osini, Ussassai, Gairo, Seui and Perdasdefogu. The latter, commonly called just Perdas, is situated on a plateau of volcanic rock; 2. the Gennargentu with its surrounding plateau at 1000 m that extends as far as Arzana, Villagrande and Talana, with its schists, granites and sandstones rocks; 3. the Ogliastra coast and hills, by the coast, where you mostly pedal on granite terrain. This is the most populated area, with the two “capitals” of the Province, Lanusei and Tortolì, and the Comunes of Barisardo, Cardedu, Elini, Girasole, Lotzorai, Ilbono, Loceri, and Triei; 4. the limestone U r z u l e i a n d B a u n e i Supramontes.

Looking north, from the Tacchi and Tonneri towards the Gennargentu (ph. Ronald Jacobs)

15 15

Introduction

Preparing for a MTB ride The first thing to do when preparing a MTB ride, after having chosen from this guide a route, depending on the type of ride you want to do and the area you want to ride in, is to check the weather forecast. The web site most used by the Sards for weather forecasts is www.ilmeteo. it, which is fairly reliable, at least up to 2-3 days ahead, and you can look up the forecast for each of Sardinia’s Comunes.

If the weather is uncertain or rain is forecast, it’s best to choose a low-level ride, not too technical, in a schist, granite or sandstone area.

Avoid the limestone rocks with the rain: they become slippery especially if muddy as well as wet. Another problem with bad weather can be reduced visibility in the mountains, which makes route-finding difficult as well as preventing you seeing the nice views.

A large part of the rides, considering their altitude and orientation, are rideable all year round. In Sardinia there’s snow from November to April only on the Gennargentu’s northern slopes, and with good weather you can pedal in winter at over 1.000 m altitude. The photos in this guide, mostly taken between November and March, prove this, but at this level you can get snow and you should be prepared for bad weather. In winter, with rain or the maestrale wind, which can blow very strongly, it’s best to avoid the highest areas. From May to October the weather is generally stable and sunny and many visitors ask themselves: How do the Sards manage to pedal in August [translator’s note: when Italians usually take their holidays]? The answer is simple: compared to the coasts, above 800 m it’s a lot cooler, less humid, and there’s more breeze, but you have to carry a lot of water.

Many shrubs and trees, among which holm oaks and Evergreen pistache (Pistacia lentiscus, lentisco in Italian) are evergreen and so there’s not much difference in the flora from summer to winter. In Sardinia the plants, after they’ve managed to take root, grow all year round! We have mentioned in the guide the routes where you should wear long trousers and cover your forearms to avoid scratches from the vegetation.

For all the routes, we have supplied a GPS file

16

which, if you load it into your GPS, greatly simplifies route finding, but you should remember that the GPS can stop working. More than a lack of signals, problems can include batteries that run down (take spare batteries and ensure that rechargeable batteries are actually recharged) or a fall can easily break the GPS. Always take a topographic map with you and the evening before study the route, perhaps highlighting it on the map. During the ride, from time to time identify where you are and update your estimate of the time you still need to finish it. If you don’t do this, it’s too late when your GPS dies!

Route finding and maps The best maps for the rides in this guide are those of the Istituto Geografico Militare (www.igmi.org), which can also be bought on-line (www.igmi.org/vendite/e-shop.php in Italian, you need make payment by bank transfer to a euro bank account and the maps can be delivered outside Italy). For each ride we have indicated the sheets of the 1:50000 series which, for the biker, represents the best compromise between detail, readability and area covered. The 1:50000 series is derived from the IGM 1:25000 sheets, created with aereo-photogrammetry and surveys at the end of the 1980’s. So the information of the IGM maps date back to at least 20 years prior to the date of the publication of this guide and, even if topographic data such as hills, altitudes and the rivers don’t change with time, in the last 20 years new roads have been built, unmade roads have been tarmaced and many footpaths are no longer practicable. If you can trust the maps for the topographic information, even better with a compass to hand, be aware that you can’t guarantee that what are indicated as paths and mule tracks, and even unmade roads, are rideable

by MTB. Other maps referred to for some rides are those of the Ente Foreste project Un’Isola di Sentieri. The IGM maps and the Ente Foreste maps use two different datums – respectively Europe 1950 and Rome 1940 – and this should be remembered if you want to georeference them to use with GPS. The routes are described in detail to avoid the user getting lost. In conditions of good visibility, using as well the IGM maps and with a minimum of common sense route finding, everyone should be able to return home satisfied after

successfully following a ride. If you use GPS, the risk of getting lost is lower but, in all cases, especially at the higher altitudes, be careful because the meteorological conditions in the mountains can change rapidly and in a very short space of time you can find very limited visibility and consequent difficulty in route finding. For this reason, you need to carry the best maps available and a good compass, even if you have a GPS. Before you start, look over the route on the map, memorizing the positions of towns, climbs, descents, the various surfaces you’ll pedal on, river crossings etc. Note that, particularly for the XC rides, the km ridden form part of the route finding, so if you don’t have a GPS you should certainly use a cycle computer.

All three authors used GPS (Amos a Garmin Map 60 CSx, Davide a Dakota/Oregon with opensource maps - http://openmtbmap.org - and Peter a noncartographic eTrex Legend/Legend HCx), both to follow the planned route and to document the route followed back at home. The GPS files for all the rides in the guide can be downloaded from the Versante Sud website, following the link to the page about this guide and inserting the unique 16-digit code you find in the first page under the title.

Beyond using your GPS when you are riding, there are lots of tools to help you plan your rides in advance and analyse the rides you’ve done, with programmes such as Google Earth, MapSource® or BaseCamp™ from Garmin (MapSource® is only for Windows, while BaseCamp™ also has a Mac version), downloadable from the Garmin site at www8. garmin.com/support/mappingsw.jsp. These tools, used singularly or together, allow you to visualise and work with GPS files, for instance calculating distances, finding extra information on where you’re riding, see altitude profiles, calculate riding times and so on.

Internet resources You could make a very long list of web sites of more or less use to bikers but you probably have already the sites you use for all kinds of needs, including shopping on-line. Today with a click you can buy tyres from the UK or brake systems from Germany and a couple of days later the postman rings and delivers you the goods. An Italian web site to which we, the authors of the

guide, owe a lot is www.mtb-forum.it, today the main mountain bike web site in Sardinia and in Italy. Everyone has contributed to its growth and it was through this site that we met (virtually) to start riding together. It’s not for us to explain the networking uses of internet but many of the people we ride our mountain bikes with today we met through mtb-forum.

Marco Toniolo 10 years ago had good foresight and when the first version of the forum was born out of his ideas and intuition, he was the only person who saw clearly the full potential of this tool. The range of topics and proposals for individual riders and groups would be unthinkable with any other form of communications.

The internet addresses you need for each single ride and to find out about the places visited are listed in each single description. In addition, there are very good search engines.

Useful numbers Useful phone numbers, for each ride, should be noted down and carried in your backpack, together with the guide, maps and compass. In the route descriptions you’ll find phone numbers of places to stay or their web sites where you can find phone numbers.

It can be important to have stored in your phone the numbers of places you will be visiting, for reasons which can be very simple. For instance, it can be important to phone to say if you’ll arrive late at the place you’ll be staying for the night; it’s polite and allows other people to plan their day, as well as you. Or to say that there’s be 10 of you for lunch at 14.00, so the restaurant can get organised and you avoid waiting when you arrive. Obviously, if you’re in an area with no mobile phone coverage, you have to take this into account.

Remote, difficult areas and emergency number (118) Sardinia, although known above all for its beaches and with the highest peak rising to only 1.834 m, has many completely uninhabited areas, where you find only shepherds early in the mornings, hunters on Thursdays and Sundays from October to January and, not always nor everywhere, the men of the Corpo Forestale e Vigilanza Ambientale. These remote areas usually have no mobile phone coverage nor signs on the tracks and paths, apart from the odd cairn or rock

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Introduction 18

wedged in the fork of a tree. Forget the signs you find in the Dolomites. This “wilderness” is one of Sardinia’s main attractions for those looking for such areas, but requires the know-how of how to look after yourself, even when these areas are at only a few km from the coasts.

The Supramontes are the most difficult and isolated area and to the difficulty of route finding and remoteness you have to add the difficulty of actually moving on such rough ground and the lack of water on this limestone plateau. Plan your water consumption very carefully, bearing in mind that in summer one person often drinks 4 litres per day. If it gets late, don’t think about trying to move at night. Use the last hours of daylight to look for shelter and wait for the dawn.

You’ll perhaps get cold, but nothing else, while if you try to ride at night you’ll almost certainly fall and could hurt yourselves. There’s a good rule for the Supramonte: If I’m alone and don’t come back in the evening, call for help; if there’s someone else, wait until noon of the next day. Before riding on the Supramonte, try some nearby rides, to get used to the conditions and environment.

For all accidents, call 118. They speak basic English. The operators automatically send an ambulance, but if you’re in a remote area with no road for the ambulance, you have to specify that it’s an ”intervento tecnico in montagna”, a mountain rescue, to involve the Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico. Remember that the 118 operator isn’t one of the authors of the guide and may not have IGM maps to hand. You must specify in detail where you are, starting from the towns and the main roads, and often having to spell place names letter-by-letter. Your coordinates, from the map or from the GPS, can be useful, so learn to read what they are.

Answer calmly and slowly the operator’s questions, so that the rescue services can plan best how to help you. There’s a mobile signal when you are in sight of towns and of main roads. Generally there’s no cover on the Supramontes nor inside codulas (valleys), but at the mouth of the Gola di Gorroppu you see the SS125 and mobiles work.

In Sardinia the rescue helicopter service is being expanded, but, for the moment, the helicopter service is provided through an agreement with the Fire Service and the Air Force, and priority is given to the most urgent cases. So, if you are not in urgent conditions, you may have to wait before the helicopter comes to pick you up.

Respect The footpaths [translator’s note: in Sardinia, unlike in some countries, there are no laws prohibiting mountain bikes from riding on walking paths], the mule tracks and the doubletracks are not our own personal race track and, as well as us, the people who use them not on bikes have the same rights as us to enjoy them safely and in peace.

Everyone, irrespective of how they’re travelling, has the duty to respect the environment they’re enjoying and the people they meet. So, dear bikers, especially in descents, pay attention to walkers, be polite and friendly towards them, give way to them and thank them. Not rocket science but some simple rules for getting on happily together, with or without the seat of a bike under your bum. We are serious when we tell you this, and we prefer to remind you of the need to be respectful in the descriptions of the individual routes. Unfortunately, and more than once, we have witnessed occasions when the bad manners and arrogance of just a few bikers have endangered others, so discrediting all those who ride mountain bikes. We point out when paths are particularly used by walkers, and on Sundays and during holidays, when there are most walkers, be very careful.

The USA, where the mountain bike was invented, is where bikers first gave thought to the issue of how you should behave when riding, of impact on the environment and relationships with the authorities and public opinion. NORBA (the National Off Road Bicycle Association) took up these issues and designed a code of conduct.

This is a series of suggestions which, if you follow them, help to create a positive attitude towards mountain biking and further develop this extraordinary and very enjoyable sport.

- Give priority to pedestrians; remember people will judge the world of mountain bikers based on your behaviour.

- Slow down and be careful when you get close and overtake other bikers or walkers.

- Moderate your speed, and entering corners be aware that you might meet someone. Your speed should depend on your experience and on the type of ground.

- Keep on the track; don’t cut across soft ground; you may damage vegetation and worsen soil erosion.

- Do not drop rubbish. Keep your trash with you and, if possible, collect the waste dropped by

others.

- Do not scare animals and give them time to get out of your way.

- Respect property and leave gates as you found them.

- Your target destination and average speed should take into account your own condition and skill, your equipment, the terrain and the weather forecasts.

- Do not travel alone in isolated areas and, on long rides, tell someone your planned route and destination.

- Respect the philosophy of cycle excursions, aimed at minimum environmental impact; take

photos and leave light footprints, take away with you only nice memories.

- Keep your bike in perfect conditions and take with you spare clothes for if the weather changes.

A good ride should be a satisfaction for you and not become a burden or problem for others. Look after yourselves and your own safety; wear gloves, glasses and a helmet.

After NORBA decided to focus only on races, the campaign for environmental responsibility was taken up by the IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association).

The centuries-old paths are singletracks to dream about! (ph. Ronald Jacobs)

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Sardinia’s geology

Sardinia’s geology

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As you travel through Sardinia, you see a great variety of different landscapes, to which correspond the sub-regions into which the island was historically divided.

These areas have different geologies and have well-defined and easily recognisable boundaries; the island can be divided, from north to south, into different sub-regions, each with its own geological characteristics but also with linguistic and cultural differences.

Sardinia’s average altitude is 334 m amsl; only 15% of its area rises above 500 m. Its highest point, Punta La Marmora, is just over 1800 metres.

The island, then, has a succession of mountain chains separated by small plains and deep valleys; there are also plateaus, both small and large.

Sardinia together with Corsica comprises a single block of the European tectonic plate, which separated during the Oligocene-Miocene period from Spain and Provence when the western Mediterranean was formed; this block then rotated anti-clockwise.

In fact, about 28 million years ago, during the middle Oligocene, Sardinia saw widespread volcanic activity which gave rise to the

phenomena which led to it breaking off from the Iberic continent over a period of millions of years, allowing the Sardinan-Corsican block to move into its current geographic position, lying NorthSouth. Its geological history is therefore the same as that of some parts of western Europe until a certain moment of its evolution, then taking on its own characteristics which are different to those of the Italian peninsula and from the nearby regions of north Africa.

Sardinia’s geological skeleton is made up of rocks from the Palaeozoic era, 540 to 245 million years ago. It’s perhaps at Capo Spartivento that Sardinia’s oldest rocks are exposed, defined by geologists as blastomylonites. Over these rocks, the Cambrian sea laid down its fossil sediments (sandstone, limestone, marl, schist-sandstone).

Later, sediments of volcanic origin were also deposited between the Permian and the Quaternary periods. These rocks form a thick layer up to 1.000 m in thickness.

So Sardinia can boast Italy’s oldest fossilised rocks, from the Cambrian, the first Palaeozoic period. We can’t be sure, though, that there aren’t pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks, whose age is uncertain and still the subject of debate among

In Sardinia there’s no shortage of lakes: here, the Lago Alto Flumendosa (ph. Ronald Jacobs)

scholars. Especially in the Sulcis (Capo Spartivento and Monte Filau, near to Chia), in Gallura (the Buddusò plateau and Alà, Olbia sector), in the Baronia at Lodè and not far from Oristano (Monte Grighini), you find gneiss and micaschists, which are thought to be some of the base layers on top of which the Cambrian sediments were deposited.

The most important tectonic event in the entire geological history of the island is without doubt the laying-down of the granites during the orogenic Hercynian phase. This was responsible for intense d e f o r m a t i o n s f o l l ow e d by i n t r u s i ve magmatic and volcanic activity during the consolidation. Examples can be found at Capo Teulada, where you can see the folded, vertical, strata, or in the Sulcis’s or southern Barbagia’s schist rocks. The granite batholith, which forms the entire skeleton of the Sardian-Corsican block, was formed during this phase. These granite rocks, white and pink, with red porphyry mixed in, are widely distributed all over the island.

The next era, the Mesozoic, lasted for about 160 million years, and during this period Sardinia was subject to repeated flooding from the sea, to shallow depths, the results of which can be seen today especially in the east and west of the island. The sediments did not suffer orogenic disturbances, and are made up for the most parts of mostly organogenic limestones, rich in the remains of the shells of molluscs. These limestones, rising to 500-600 m, can be found in the Nurra, in the Oliena-Orgosolo Supramonte, in the Baronia, at Monte Albo, at the Isola di Tavolara, in the Sarcidano, in Ogliastra, at the island of S.Antioco and at Monte Sari, in the Sulcis.

At the end of the Mesozoic period and therefore during the Tertiary Era ( 65 – 1,8 million years ago) the sea started slowly to recede and Sardinia emerged from the waters; there was a new phase of the island’s evolution, with intense orogenic activity all over the planet, resulting in the formation of new mountain chains such as the Alps.

During this era Sardinia’s geologic characteristics started to differentiate themselves from those of the rest of Europe. The island experienced an intense magmatic activity which gave rise to important lava flows from the main fracture lines over the whole island. The new alpine cycle had important consequences for the island, creating

the basis of today’s geologic and geomorphologic configuration.

During the Quaternary Era (1,8 million years ago – present day) today’s geological configuration, already roughly defined during the end of the Tertiary era, was completed.

Despite its relatively brief duration, in this era important biological and geological events took place. The most important were the appearance of man on the Earth and the Ice Ages, which had a profound effect on the sea level, the climate and as a result on the flora and fauna. Numerous volcanic centres, some active until 140 thousand years ago, gave rise to lava fields and small cones of volcanic rubble in Logudoro. This eruptive activity started 4 million years ago and lasted for 2 million years. Its results are today well represented in the Marmilla - Sarcidano, where the basalt areas are called “giare”; at Orosei and Dorgali where the coastal area between Orosei and Cala Gonone including the immediate inland area of Dorgali and of the Baronia di Galtellì, where the basalt plateaus are called “Gollei” and where you find more than 60 volcanic eruption centres; and in the Abbasanta-Campeda district with the two vast basalt expansions, one at Campeda and one at Abbasanta.

At least one marine event, the Tyrrenian, from 150 thousand to 70 thousand years ago, invaded Sardinia’s coasts and the two extremities of the Campidano up to 10-15 m altitude, isolating the Sinis and some other small peninsulas. The currrent sea level can be considered stable for at leat 5.000 years.

Dott.ssa Geol. Elisabetta Anna Pusceddu Dott. Geol. Orlando Antonio Mereu

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Route descriptions and legend

Route descriptions and legend The rides are organised by geographic area. Each of the 70 rides, sometimes with variants, is described with a standard format, so that the key information is presented so that the reader can quickly assess the characteristics of each route and decide if it’s suitable for his or her interests, and fitness and skill level.

First of all look at the type of ride which, with the technical and physical difficulty and the height gain and total time, will allow you to understand what sort of ride you’re looking at and if it’s suitable for you.

LEFT VERTICAL COLUMN Name of ride. Based on the place names of the Comune in whose area the starting point is located or those along the route, and at times the type of riding.

A subjective assessment, but helps you * Beauty. an idea of the characteristics of the route, * gain and ot the satisfaction you’ll * otfeeltheoncecountryside you’ve competed the ride. * Type of ride. The number of wheels, which you find next to the stars, doesn’t indicate the difficulty of the ride, but rather the type of ride, which translates into the mindset and physical preparation needed to tackle the ride. It’s probably the most important single parameter to look at and to correctly interpret the other values, especially those describing the technical and physical difficulty.

Ride for everyone. Secondary roads, cycle paths and unmade roads that present no technical difficulty, although you do need to be moderately fit to ride them. You don’t need a special bike, though it’s always wise to wear a helmet.

You need to be prepared. Cross country rides, which require above all strong legs and lungs and present only occasionally challenging obstacles. You need a proper MTB, rigid or hardtail, and of course a helmet.

Don’t take chances. Freeride routes. You have to be able to ride technical trails, up as well as downhill, and on some climbs there may be sections to walk.

A full-suspended bike is best, ideally with a good travel. A full-face helmet 22

is an option and armour for knees, shins, elbows and forearms are advised. These are the rides for those who prefer descents and (badly) put up with the climbing to enjoy themselves to the full in the descent.

Absolutely not to underestimate. All Mountain (AM) rides which require experience in moving and route finding in the mountains. As explained in the section on emergencies, Sardinia has areas with all the characteristics of the Alps, but without the signs you find in the Alps! These rides require fitness and good riding ability, upand downhill. The sections on foot, pushing or carrying your bike, may be frequent when climbing and you find them as well on the descents. A not-too-heavy fully-suspended bike is best, with, as usual, helmet and rucksack.

Choose rides suited to your capabilities, so that you don’t find yourselves in danger or difficulty, and so that you enjoy the ride. The scale of difficulty is for a biker used to riding the mountain bike in a mountain setting. If you’re used to gentle hills, it’s best to start with the easier rides, so that you can get used to the scale of difficulty.

Type of surface. We have divided the percentage of each type of surface, to help you understand better the characteristics of the ride. Each type of surface has its own colour that is used in the map and the profile. In some situations where there’s more than one type of surface in rapid succession, you find the predominant type.

Cycle path Tarmaced road Cement road Unmade/fire road, doubletrack Mule track Path / singletrack Starting point. Starting point and its altitude. For the location of the starting point, see the map at the front of the guide where all the starting points are shown.

Highest point. The highest point (in metres), together with the altitude of the starting point, allow you to estimate the differences of temperature, weather and wind along the route.

In summer being high up means an escape from the heat of the coasts, while in winter you may find snow and it’s better to choose lower-altitude routes.

Height gain. The total height gain is the total climbing in metres along the route, including all the ups-anddowns. For this reason the figure often exceeds the sum of the height gains of the main climbs. We use the figure calculated from the GPS route. The overall height gain, together with the total time, is one of the most representative indicators of how hard a ride is.

Total distance. The distance of the route in km, from the starting point to end point. Calculated from the GPS file. The progressive km are shown on the horizontal axis of the profile.

If you use a cycle computer, bear in mind that the km shown can differ from those measured by the GPS by up to 10%.

Time. The average time to cover itinerary in hours for an average biker, including stops for photos, to look at the view and to have something to eat.

In some cases we give a range. This should be regarded as an indication; fast, well-trained riders can take less than the minimum time suggested, or after rain or with bad weather the time can increase significantly.

Technical difficulty. Technical difficulty, with 3 values: Easy/Medium/Difficult.

This rating is given bearing in mind the type of ride: the same section may be Difficult for an XC ride but Medium or Easy in an AM ride. The rating is

for dry conditions. With rain or wet ground, especially on limestone rocks, the difficulty can increase exponentially.

Physical difficulty. Physical difficulty, with 3 values: Easy/Medium/Difficult.

Measures the level of physical fitness, for an averagely skilled rider, to tackle the ride. The rating is based on the length of the ride, the technical difficulty of the climbs and descents and the type of ride.

U p h i l l a n d d ow n h i l l c yc l a b i l ity. Uphill and downhill cyclability, measured in metres and as the percentage of the total km of climbing and of the total km of descent that are rideable for average rider for this specific type of ride. We think that climbing pushing or carrying your bike even for long sections is acceptable, provided the descent provides sufficient reward.

Maps. Commercially-available maps for the ride.

Where to stay. Suggestions of places to stay and eat, including along the ride. Where possible we give contact details but in general we don’t list bars, restaurants and shops in towns you ride through. In Sardinia there are no huts as you find in the Alps, with a warden ready to cook you meals at a moment’s notice.

Water sources. Where to get water along the route.

Places along the route. The main places along the route with their altitudes. Each place has a number which you find on the map and in the profile.

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Route descriptions and legend

MAIN TEXT

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Map. Allows you to see the form of the ride and the types of surface you ride on, with the numbers indicating the places you pass through. These maps need to be supplemented on the ride by the maps suggested above or, in addition to the maps, if you have a GPS, you can download the routes from the site www.versantesud.it, re-work them if you want on your computer and load them into your GPS.

Historical-artistic-cultural interest.

Information on good viewpoints, places of historic, artistic and cultural interest along the route. Comments on the area’s historic and modern-day importance.

Route description. The detailed route description takes up the most space. With a good map, even if you don’t have a GPS you can follow the route without getting lost.

Altimetric profile. Allows you to understand at a glance the length and steepness of the climbs, as well as how the climbs and descents are distributed along the route.

Technical information. Suggestions, notes and warnings for tackling each single ride. We highlight dangerous sections, the type of surface you pedal on, possibilities for making variants and any other information we think important.

The rides in the guide often follow the paths of the project “Un’Isola di Sentieri” (ph. Ronald Jacobs)

At 1.000 m on the Supramonte, the sea is only 7 km away as the crow flies (ph. Mattia Vacca)

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Books on Sardinia recommended by the authors

Books on Sardinia recommended by the authors [Translator’s note: Titles left in Italian denote books for which an English translation is not currently available. You can find other books in English on Sardinia listed in the well-known travel guides.]

Bepi Vigna, Gianfranco Liori Sardi. Quelli con la testa dura Edizioni Sonda, Casale Monferrato (AL), 1999, updated edition 2004.

An irreverent self-portrait of the Sards, written by two Sards. You’ll remember how you’re judged by what you order at the bar: the wrong choice means you are “unworthy of respect and/or trust”. Read it to understand how you should behave in Sardinia.

Enrico Clemente Gennargentu. Nature and man* Fabula, Cagliari, 2002.

A lovely book describing Ogliastra with stunning landscape photos by Mattia Vacca, photographer by profession and mountain biker, who has supplied some of the photos for this guide.

Aldo Nieddu Andalas & Caminus del Supramonte di Baunei Poliedro, Nuoro, 2004. Two volumes Aldo Nieddu, Urzulei Terre selvagge. Sentieri nel Supramonte, Poliedro, Nuoro, 2008.

Three volumes of accounts of walks, of the shepherds’ life and proposals for exploration on foot (or by MTB) on the Baunei and Urzulei Supramontes. To read over and over again as you start to know this wild area.

Massimo Carlotto Il mistero di Mangiabarche Edizioni E/O, Roma, 1999.

The first book of Massimo Carlotto (from the Veneto, then moved to Sardinia) set in the island, and the one that describes best the island and its traditions. Several of Carlotto’s books have been translated into English.

Michelangelo Pira Isalle AM&D Edizioni, Cagliari, 1996.

The autobiography of a great Sardinian anthropologist, who grew up in a rural context with its strong community spirit. He then lived in cities, which had their own Sardinian identity. Wellwritten, a book that involves the reader.

Giuseppe Fiori Antonio Gramsci: Life of a Revolutionary (Verso Modern Classic), 1996 Peter knew who Gramsci was before he came to live in Sardinia and owns a T-shirt bought from the Casa Gramsci in Ghilarza, a museum well worth visiting, with one of Gramsci’s famous phrases «I hate people who are indifferent». He would mischievously wear it at the annual condominium meeting. A lady working at the Post Office in Lotzorai one day asked him: «Mr. Herold, I see you know about Gramsci…

How do you think Sardinia has changed from the time of Gramsci?». Peter replied: «Very little, maybe not at all, the Sards didn’t manage then and don’t manage today to get what should be theirs, including in economic terms.».

Michelangelo Pira La rivolta dell’oggetto Giuffrè, Milano, 1978.

The Sardinian anthropologist’s most famous work based on decades of work and studies. Its subject is Sardinia, which reverses centuries of subservience.

An uncomfortable book – as it should be – which isn’t kind to anyone.

Giuseppe Fiori Il cavaliere dei Rossomori. Vita di Emilio Lussu Edizioni Il Maestrale, Nuoro, 2010.

26

Peter learnt who Emilio Lussu was when he decided to find out about Sardinian political parties (IRS, PSd’Az, RossoMori…) for the 2010 provincial elections. He was struck how Lussu was awakened to the real conditions in Sardinia only when he went to fight in the First World War in the north-east of Italy, and met fellow soldiers from other parts of Italy.

Then he found out that Lussu was born in Armungia, a small town of the Gerrei where we have documented a ride, and decided to read his biography. If only today’s politicians had Lussu’s values and balls!

Pino Arlacchi Perché non c’è la mafia in Sardegna. Le radici di una anarchia ordinata AM&D Edizioni, Cagliari, 2007.

Some of Pino Arlacchi’s books on mafia have been translated into English. If Sardinian society seems full of defects, a few hundred km away, in the south of Italy, things are much worse. A book which sheds light on Sardinian culture and its origins. Written to be accessible to everyone, with lots of literary and scientific references.

Giacomo Mameli La squadra Cuec Edizioni, Cagliari, 2000.

A description of Sardinia very different to that usually presented by the popular press. No celebration of the wild islanders or false exoticism. Just accounts of people who work hard and work well in their island.

Giacomo Mameli Sedici ore al giorno Cuec Edizioni, Cagliari, 2003.

The continuation of the research started with La squadra. The author is Sardinia best-regarded economic journalist and, unlike many intellectuals who came from humble rural origins, hasn’t rejected his roots, despite his great professional success (he was press officer at the Foreign Ministry, following live the meetings of the Maastricht Treaty).

Maurice Le Lannou Sardinian peasants and shepherds Edizioni della Torre, Cagliari, 2006.

Sardinian geology, geography, botany, history, economics, society and culture of the Thirties, some of which is still applicable to the present day. All in a single work of the great French researcher, one of the twentieth century’s leading European geographers. Indispensable for all those who really want to understand Sardinia.

Pietro Picciau Un uomo in fuga. Cent’anni di ciclismo in Sardegna Demos Editore, Cagliari, 2000.

Girardengo, Bartali, Coppi, Merckx, Moser, Saronni and Bugno have often raced in Sardinia and this book is an account of their races and those of many Sardinian road cyclists, lonely champions full of courage and humanity. At the centre of the narration the struggles and the successes of the men who cycling, without the falsification of doping, made special.

Salvatore Satta The Day of Judgement Farrar Straus and Giroux Inc. 1987 A raw and irreverent account of family and city life in Nuoro at the start of the twentieth century.

Useful to understand the mentality and the origins of a community which to this day preserves the distinctive elements of its identity.

Grazia Deledda All the works, many translated into English!

Grazia Deledda’s novels have conferred a literary dignity to Sardinia’s traditions and places, bringing them to international attention with the award of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1926.

Giampiero Marras Simon Mossa visto da vicino Alfa Editrice, Quartu Sant’Elena, 2005.

The biography of the great Sard architect, who spoke several languages and was a theoretician of the independence movement, written by his closest follower. This book explains the Sardinia of the 60’s and 70’s and the changes that followed.

Massimo Carlotto, Mama Sabot Perdas de Fogu Edizioni E/O, Roma, 2008.

A collective literary work, coordinated by Carlotto; a novel which describes the environmental, economic and social disaster that is the huge military firing range of the same name. In 2011, after decades of protests and denouncement, magistrates launched a major enquiry that seemed to confirm the worst fears. For this reason, we have not proposed any rides in this area, as this guide goes to press still off-limits.

The distinctive Sardinian sheep

27

Main mountain bike shops in the areas described in the guide

Main mountain bike shops in the areas described in the guide The authors of the guide don’t have firsthand experience of all the shops in this list, so if you have comments please write to mtbsardegna@versantesud.it.

Ichnusa Bike - Marcello Meloni Via Sassari n. 26 - tel. 070.85.70.370 329.44.82.419 www.ichnusabike.it - (only rental)

Unless otherwise specified, the shops provide sales and mechanical assistance.

Runner, Corso Vittorio Emanuele n. 296 - tel.

070.66.92.18

SOUTH-EAST

SOUTH-WEST

Monserrato, Hg Performance - Enrico Colombo Via Deroma, 84 - tel. 348.22.94.735 www.hgperformance.it

Assemini, Technobike - Giorgio & Marcello Carta Via Carmine n. 214/L - tel. 070.35.10.918 347.54.73.491 - 346.31.63.480 www.technobike.net

Quartucciu, Bici Center - Giovanni Pistidda Via delle Serre, 32/E - tel. 070.84.30.92 www.bicicenter.com - (also rental) Quartu Sant’Elena, Due Ruote - Giuseppe Solla Viale Colombo s.n. - tel. 070. 86.12.73 (also rental)

Gonnosfanadiga, Per mari e monti - Salvatore Ollosu Via Nazionale n. 99 - tel. 070.97.94.005

Quartu Sant’Elena, 2000 Ricambi - Massimo Solla Via San Benedetto n. 79 - tel. 070.86.18.64 www.2000ricambi.com

Iglesias, Rema Cicli - Renzo Marcia Via Corsica n. 17 - tel. 0781.25.91.01 www.remacicli.com

Quartu Sant’Elena, Planet Motors KTM - Zaira Pitzalis Via Marconi n. 113 - tel. 070.88.02.63

Pula, Pro Bike - Simone Picci C o rs o V i t to r i o E m a n u e l e n . 1 1 8 - t e l .

070.920.80.77 www.probikeinresort.com - (also rental)

Quartu Sant’Elena, Bike Park - Francesco Stara Via Marconi n. 45 - tel. 070.83.73.01 www.bikeparkshop.com San Vito, Bike Green - Daniele Frau Via Nazionale n. 11 - tel. 070.23.59.237 Sinnai, Back flip - Rosella Bacichet Via Mara n. 35/A - tel. 070.85.75.808 www.backflipmtb.com Ussana, Alton Cicli - Antonio Pili Via Roma n. 170 - tel. 070.91.89.027 www.altoncicli.com CAGLIARI Bc - Luca Cannas Via Cavaro n. 6 - tel. 070.45.21.037 Extreme - Alessandro Melis Via Giudice Chiano n. 43 - tel. 070.49.03.80 www.extremebikes.it - (also rental)

28

Carbonia, Gp Bike - Giuliana Paderi Via Dalmazia n. 70 - tel. 0781.62.193

Sant’Antioco, Euromoto - Gianluca Aiò Via Nazionale n. 57 - tel. 0781.84.09.07 347.88.03.875 CENTRE-EAST PORRA’ COMMERCIALE 08048 Tortoli’ (OG) - v.

Baccasara tel: 0782 625000 – Spare parts Melina Virdis 333 2585096 & Clait Pintus 338 3554721 Girasole – Rental road bikes and hardtail MTB’s, mechancial assistance CENTRE Nuoro, Demurtas Giovanni ciclo-motosport Via Martiri Della Libertà n. 104 - tel: 0784 39050 Nuoro, Soddu Tonino S.R.L. via Resistenza n.1 - tel: 0784 200750

Going for a ride, even for just half a day, in a place you don’t know means dealing with new place names, which may not be easy to understand. This is true everywhere, but especially so in Sardinia, because the place names are nearly always in Sard, a language in its own right, and different from Italian and other European languages.

Many place names are hard to understand for the Sards themselves, because they come not from today’s Sard but from the prelatin form, for example the Sard from the Nuragic[A1] period, whose meanings have been lost or the terms are no longer used in today’s speech, and remain only as words that for more than 2.000 years have referred to a certain territory. The presence of prehistoric place names is just one of the records Sardinia holds, with the highest percentage in Europe, reaching 50% in some areas, such as the Barbagia di Ollolai, compared to a European average of just 1,5%.

If your source for place names is the IGM maps, then it gets even more complicated, because to the difficulty of the Sard names you add the errors made by the cartographers, who were often Italians with little knowledge of the Sard language, with the result that the names explained by the locals were reproduced with no knowledge of Sard linguistics or spelling conventions that would make the place name “transparent”, i.e. its meaning obvious.

So the same word, even repeated several times on the same sheet, you often find written differently, or when the maps are updated the places names aren’t updated to those currently being used.

Knowing that bikers will use the IGM maps, the authors have used when possible the place names used on the IGM maps or, if the place name isn’t shown on the IGM map, we will show the actual place name and the one shown on the IGM map:

E.g. You come to Sa Nuxi Manna (Sa Nusci Manna on the IGM map)…

Bear in mind that many place names are known only to those few local shepherds, farmers and hunters who have really close contact with an area. It would have been interesting, for each ride, to explain the meaning of the place names, but this task is rather outside the main scope of the guide. For those of you who want to find out more, here is a short, not exhaustive, bibliography of the main books dealing with Sardinian place names, often with different ideas on the meaning of the oldest place names, including those going back to the Nuragic language, which are the hardest ones to interpret.

Place names

Place names

Salvatore Dedola Toponomastica sarda Grafica del Parteolla, Dolianova, 2004 Giulio Paulis I nomi di luogo della Sardegna Carlo Delfino Editore, Sassari, 1987 Massimo Pittau I nomi di paesi, città, regioni, monti e fiumi della Sardegna. Significato e origine Gasperini Editore, Cagliari, 1997 Heinz Jürgen Wolf Toponomastica barbaricina Edizioni Papiros, Nuoro 1998 Heinz Jürgen Wolf La toponymie préromaine de la Sardaigne In «Revista de Filología Románica», n. 17, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, 2000.

E.g. You are at Mamenga (Canali Àcuas on the IGM map)…

For the same reason the authors have used the spelling used on the IGM map provided this is not so different from the actual structure in Sard as to hide the meaning of the place name. In this case, for the people using the IGM maps, you find the place name in Sard and then as written on the IGM map:

29

Useful phrases in Sard

Useful phrases in Sard The Sardinian language has two principal dialects: campidanese, spoken in the south and centresouth, and logudorese spoken in the centre-north.

Historic motives have prevented these two macro varieties from merging to a single one or that a single version was adopted throughout the island at least for local government and written use.

Probably this would have happened if Sardinia had remained for longer an independent state, with Sard as its official language, but this an independent Sardinia didn’t endure beyond the end of the Middle Ages. Since then, the official languages have always been those of the other countries which over the years have conquered Sardinia: Catalan, Castilian and Italian.

With Sard relegated to local use, the two macro varieties haven’t up to now had the possibility to be merged into one and each has developed independently its own written form, used up to the present day.

The glossary below, however, shows that the two forms are quite similar, with differences that are very small compared to the differences each has from Italian. Each of the two macro varieties English

contains many sub-dialects, until you arrive at how each person in a given village speaks, but we can here only present the written “lingua franca” forms.

For its position in the middle between the centresouth and the centre-north, in many towns of Ogliastra sub-dialects are spoken which are an amalgam of campidanese and logudorese, and so each of the written forms are valid there. In broad terms, campidanese prevails on the south side of the Gennargentu and logudorese on the north side. Even though all Sards today speak and understand Italian – though few understand or speak English or other foreign languages – you’ll be surprised how happy they are if a visitor makes the effort to learn and use some Sard phrases. The translations below are a small contribution to help you get to know the island better and may be of help to resolve some situations – very few, given its limited scope – in a way that the local population will appreciate.

Campidanese

Logudorese

Hi!

Saludi!

Salude!

Excuse me…

Scusit-mì…

Perdonet-mì

May I?

Potzu intrai?

Poto intrare?

How are you?

Cumenti stait?

Comente istat?

Fine, thanks

Beni, gràtzias

Bene, gràtzias

And you?

E Fustei?

E Bostè?

What’s your name?

Ita ddi nant?

Ite si narat?

I’m called…

A mei mi nant…

Mi giaman…

Pleased to meet you

Prexeri de dda ai connota

Praghere de lu aer connotu

I come from Italy

Bengu de Itàlia

Benzo dae Itàlia

I live in…

Bivu in…

Bivo in…

Goodbye

A si biri

A nos bìere

Mi serbit unu dotori

Mi serbit unu mèigu

Greetings

Health and personal safety I need a doctor

Where’s the nearest hospital/dentist/ Innui est su spidali/dentista/potepharmacy? caria prus acanta?

30

Inue est s’ispidale/dentista/apotecaria prus acanta?

It hurts here

Mi dolit innoi

Mi dolet innoghe

I’ve hurt myself

Mi seu fertu

Mi soe fertu

I feel ill

Stau mali

Isto male

I need help

Mi serbit agiudu

Mi serbit azudu

Can I use your phone?

Potzu imperai su telèfunu de Fustei?

Poto impitare su telèfonu de Bostè ?

I’m lost

Mi seu pèrdiu

Mi soe pèrdidu

How much is the ticket for…

A cantu est su billetu po…

Cantu benit su billete po…

A ticket for…, please

Unu billetu po…, po prexeri

Unu billete pro… pro piaghere

Where is this train/bus going?

A innui andat custu trenu/postali? A inue andat custu trenu/postale?

Transport

Where does the train/bus for…leave De innui partit su trenu/postali from? po… ?

De inue tucat su trenu/postale pro…

When does the train/bus for…leave?

A ita ora partit su trenu/postali po… ?

A ite ora tucat su trenu/postale pro…

When does the train/bus from… arrive?

A ita ora arribat su trenu/postali a… ?

A ite ora arribat su trenu/postale a…

Please can you take me to…

Mi-nci portit a… , po prexeri

Mi che leat a… , pro praghere

How much does it cost to…?

Cantu costat fintzas a... ?

Cantu costat fintzes a... ?

Stop here, please!

Firmit-sì innoi, po prexeri!

Firmet-sì innoghe, pro praghere!

Wait here a minute, please

Abetit pagu pagu innoi, po prexeri

Isetet azigu azigu innoghe, pro praghere

I’d like to hire a car

Ia a bolli pigai una màchina a pesoni

Dia chèrrere leare una màchina a pesone

gas/petrol station

distribudori de benzina

distribuidore de benzina

diesel

gasollu

gasozu

traffic light

semàfuru

semàfuru

square, piazza

pratza

pratza

pavement, sidewalk

marciapei

marciapede

How do I get to…?

Cumenti lompu a… ?

Comente lompo a… ?

the train station

sa statzioni de su trenu

s’istatzione de sos trenos

the bus station

sa statzioni de su postali

s’istatzione de su postale

in the centre of the town/city

in mesu de bidda/tzitadi

a intro de bidda/tzitade

to the airport

a s’àiri-portu

a s’areoportu

to the hotel

a sa posada

a s’istera

Where there are a lot of…

Innui ddoi at medas…

Inue bi at medas…

restaurants

posadas

isteras

bars

tzilleris

tzilleris

places to visit

logus de biri

logos de bìere

Finding your way

31

Useful phrases in Sard

Can you show me on the map

Mi podit fai biri in sa mapa…

Mi podet inditare in sa mapa…

road

bia

carrela

I turn left

Pigu a manu manca

Leo a manu manca

I turn right

Pigu a manu dereta

Leo a manu destra

straight on

annantis deretu

addenanti deretu

towards…

faci a…

cara a…

passing through…

passendi de…

passende de…

in front of…

annantis a…

addenanti a…

cross roads

ingruxada

grughe de bia

up

a pitzus

a susu

down

a bàscius

in bàsciu

Teneis un’aposentu?

Azis una càmara?

In the hotel Have you a room?

A cantu est un’aposentu po unu/ How much is a single/double room? po duus?

A cantu est una càmara a sa sola/ po duos?

The room has…

S’aposentu tenit…

Sa càmara at…

The bathroom

su còmudu

su banzu

The phone

su telèfunu

su telèfonu

Can I see the room

Ddu potzu biri s’aposentu?

Poto bìere sa càmara?

Do you have..

Teneis un’aposentu…

Azis una càmara…

a bigger room?

prus mannu?

prus manna?

a cheaper room?

prus baratu?

prus barata?

Fine, I’ll take it

Andat beni, ddu pigu

Andat bene, la leo

I’ll stay for … nights

Mi firmu … noti/is

Mi firmo … note/es

Do you have a safe?

Teneis sa casciaforti?

Azis sa casciaforte?

cupboards that lock?

armadieddus criaus

armarieddos a crae?

hot water

àcua callenti

abba caente?

Is breakfast/lunch included?

Ddoi est su smurzu de a mangianu/su pràngiu?

Bi est fintzas s’irmurzu/su pranzu?

What time is breakfast/lunch/ dinner?

A ita ora est su smurtzu de a mangianu/su pràngiu/sa cena?

A ite ora est s’irmurzu/su pranzu/ sa chena?

Can I have a wake-up call at…?

Fait a mi ndi scidai bosatrus a is … ?

Mi nde podides ischidare a sas …?

A table for one person/two people, please

Una mesa po unu/po duus, po prexeri

Una mesa po una/duas pessones, pro praghere

Can I see the menu?

Mi dda portat sa lista de sa cosa de papai?

Mi che batit sa lista de su màndigu?

What are the house specialities?

Teneis cosa de domu?

Azis cosa de domo?

Do you have any local specials?

Teneis cosa de custu logu?

Azis cosa de custu logu?

I’m vegetarian

Petza no ndi papu

Petza non nde màndigo

In the restaurant

32

I don’t eat pork, ham or sausage

Petza de porcu no ndi papu

Petza de porcu non nde màndigo

I want

Bollu

Cherzo

chicken

petza de pudda

petza de pudda

beef

petza de baca

petza bula

fish

pisci

pische

ham

presutu

presutu

sausage

sartitzu

sartitza

cheese

casu

casu

eggs

ous

obos

salad

insalada

insalada

(fresh) vegetables

birdura (frisca)

birdura (frisca)

fruit

fruta

fruta

bread

pani

pane

pasta

macarronis

macarrones

rice

arrosu

arrosu

beans

fasolu

basolu

Can I have a glass/cup/bottle of…?

Mi dda donat una tassa/cìcara/ ampudda de … ?

Poto aer una tatza/cìchera/ampulla de … ?

coffee

cafeu

gafe’?

tea

tei

te’

…juice

suci de…

sutzu de…

(fizzy/sparkling) water

àcua (gasada)

abba (gasada)

beer

birra

birra

red/white wine

binu nieddu/biancu

binu nieddu/biancu

Can I have a littlle…

Mi ddu portat unu pagu de… ?

Mi lu dat acalaizu de… ?

salt

sali

sale

chilli

pibireddu

pibireddu

butter

butirru

butirru

Waiter!

Su camareri!

Su camareri!

I’ve finished

Apu acabau

Apo agabadu

It was good

Fiat bonu meda

Fit bonu meda

The bill, please

Su contu, gràtzias.

Su contu, gràtzias.

When do you close?

A ita ora serrais?

A ite ora serrades?

Do you accept credit cards?

Pigais cartas de fidu?

Leades cartas de fidu?

Can you change money?

Fait a mi cambiai su dinai?

Faghet a mi cambiare su dinare?

Where can I change money?

Innui ddu potzu cambiai su dinai?

Inue lu poto cambiare su dinare?

Where’s the bank/ATM?

Innui est sa banca/su bàncomat

Inue est sa banca/su bàncomat

Do you have this in my size?

Custu ddu tenit de sa mesura mia?

Custu lu azit de sa mesura mia?

Money and shopping

33

Useful phrases in Sard

How much does it cost?

A cantu est?

A cantu est?

Too expensive

Est caru che fogu

Est caru che fogu

expensive

caru

caru

cheap

baratu

baratu

I can’t afford it

No ddu potzu pigai

Non mi lu poto leare

I don’t want this one

Custu no ddu bollu

Custu non lu cherzo

Where can I try it on?

Su bistiri ddu potzu provai?

Su bistire lu poto proare?

OK, I’ll take this one

Andat beni, pigu custu

Andat bene, leo custu

Can I have a bag?

Una busta mi dda donat?

Una busta mi la dat?

I need….

Mi serbit…

Mi serbit…

What time is it?

Ita ora est?

Ite ora est?

It’s nine o’clock

Funt is noi oras

Sun sas noe oras

What time shall we meet?

A ita ora si bieus?

A ite ora nos bidimus?

At two o’clock

A is duas

A sas duas

When shall we meet?

Candu si bieus?

Cando nos bidimus?

We’ll see each other on Monday

Si bieus lunis

Nos bidimus lunis

When do you leave?

Candu partis?

Cando tucas?

I leave tomorrow morning

Partu cras a mangianu

Tuco cras a manzanu

now

imoi

como

later

prus a tardu

prus a tardu

Earlier

innantis

innantis

morning

mangianu

manzanu

midday

mesudii

mesudie

afternoon

meigama

a pustis bustadu

evening

merii

a sero

Night

noti

note

midnight

mesunoti

mesanote

Today

oi

oe

yesterday

ariseru

deris

tomorrow

cras

cras

this week

custa cida

custa chida

last week

cida passada

chida passada

next week

cida chi benit

chida chi intrat

Time and date

34

In Sardinia you won’t find crowded tracks! (ph. Ronald Jacobs)

35

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61 Itineraries below its 4,000 metre peaks

MOUNTAIN BIKING IN THE AOSTA VALLEY Arco, secret spot. Climber Florian Riegler, photo Marco Spataro

Arco, secret spot. Climber Florian Riegler, photo Marco Spataro

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61 itinéraires au pied des grands sommets

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VTT EN VALLÉE D’AOSTE Arco, secret spot. Climber Florian Riegler, photo Marco Spataro

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www.versantesud.it Une sélection de 61 itinéraires de VTT au pied des plus hauts sommets de la chaîne des Alpes vous révèleront des coins cachés de cette magnifique région qu’est la Vallée d’Aoste.

A travers bois, pâturages et cols, du fond de vallée jusqu’à la haute www.versantesud.it montagne,Aen suivant sentiers des chemins agricoles, choice of de 61 simples mountain bikingouitineraries at the foot of the most les itinéraires proposés sauront captiver aussi bien qui s’initient beautiful mountains of the alpine arc ceux will help you discover the au VTT quehidden les experts à laofrecherche de sensations fortes. corners this beautiful region: Val d’Aoste.

La description des tours du Mont Fallère, Montfrom Blancvalley et du bottoms Grand to the Through woods, pastures andducols, Combin complètent ce et permet d’entreprendre untrack véritable heights ofUna theguide the mountains, followingin single or farm roads, selezione di 61 itinerari mountain bike ai piedi delle più alte voyage en the VTT itineraries autourcime de ces magnifiques sommets de plus de 4000 m. offnascosti offered willalpino, satisfy beginners starting as well di questa dell’arco viboth faranno scoprire angoli Il ne vous as reste plus bellissima qu’à vous regione: mettre votre vélo et partir seasoned mountain bikersen looking for a thrill. la selle Valle de d’Aosta. à la découverte de cette région de ses The guide bookextraordinaire finishes off with a description ofplus thebeaux tours ofall’alta Fallère,montagna, Attraverso boschi, pascoli eetcolli, dal fondovalle sentiers! Mont Blanc and Gran Combin possibility of undertaking percorrendo single offering track o the strade poderali, gli itinerari proposti a real mountain bikeappagare journey around magnificent sapranno sia il these principiante che 4.000 si sta metre avvicinando al peaks. mondo della mountain bike che il biker esperto alla ricerca di All you have to do isforti. jump on to your saddle and set off to discover sensazioni this extraordinary region and its beautiful paths!del Monte Bianco e del Grand La descrizione dei tours del Fallère, Combin completa questa guida e offre la possibilità di intraprendere un vero e proprio viaggio in mountain bike intorno a questi magnifici 4.000.

Non vi resta che saltare in sella alla mountain bike e partire alla scoperta di questa straordinaria regione e dei suoi sentieri più belli!

VTT EN VALLÉE D’AOSTE MOUNTAIN BIKING

IN THE AOSTA VALLEY MOUNTAIN BIKE IN VALLE D’AOSTA 61 itinerari ai piedi dei 4.000

61 itinerari ai piedi dei 4.000

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Fabrizio Charruaz, né à Aoste le 22 Janvier 1975, est depuis l’en fan de VTT. En 1997, il devient moniteur de VTT premier niveau d Italienne de cyclisme. En 2001 il reçoit l’habilitation régionale et il le régistre régional des moniteurs de VTT. En 2008, il obtient la F.C.I de l’enseignement de la discipline du downhill. Il est «l Charruaz Fabrizio, was born indeAosta 22nd de l’Association valdôtaine des moniteurs VTT »on. Ilthetravaille a young has always had a great passion for mou municipalités pour laage réalisation de parcours de VTT et organise d becomes a level 1 MTBLainstructor (Italian cycling etfed excursions pour jeunes et adultes. passion pour le freeride l his regional qualification and becomes a registered incité à prendre part à diverses compétitions, en particulier dans lem instructors in Val d’Aoste and in 2008 gets his specia de Maxi et Mega Avalanche.

Charruaz Fabrizio, nato adofAosta 22 ge downhill. He is one of the founders Val ild’Aoste appassionato mountain bike.195 Ne with various local administrati Gianfrancocollaborated Sappa estgrande né Ormea (CN), le dicouncil 1er Septembre dellahe federazione ciclistica italiana, biking itineraries and organizes MTBsescourses an enfance, la passion de lalivello montagne l’amène à gravir premiers regionale, èguide iscritto regionale dei m and adults.

Hisdevenu passion for freeriding and downhill les Alpes Maritimes.

Enfin denell’albo montagne en 1983, i ottenuto la specializzazione F.C.I. part in many competitions especially thenell’inseg FrenchA passion en un véritable métier qu’il exerce encore àon plein temps. È uno fondatori dell’Associaz millénaire, ilAvalanche. se rapproche du dei VTTmaestri et en 2005 il devient monite collaborato ses conclients varie àamministrazioni com VTT, commençant à accompagner travers les montag di mountain bike einorganizza corsion edthe escu1 was born Ormea (CN) pied, mais àSappa vélo. Gianfranco per ild’un freeride il downhill lo hat a young age passion for mountains brings him À l’heure actuelle, il passione esthistitulaire site ewww.bikeandmou particolare nel circuito franCm Hecompetizioni ainMountain Guide in Grand 1983 organise dessummits. excursions à becomes VTT autour du Mont Blanc, du profession whichque hedans still les carries full time.

With toute la Vallée d’Aoste ainsi Alpesout Maritimes et en Sa Gianfranco è nato ad Ormea (CN)ai approaches Sappa mountain biking and in 2005 becomes per1969, laup montagna aque salire accompanying his clients mountains not on Daniele Herin est né àpassione Aoste en qualifié loenporta tantonly mo Finalmente diventa GuidaPassionné Alpina nel 19 is currently thedeowner of en www.bikeandmountain.co par la fédération italienne cyclisme 2003. de spo unal’école vera edepropria cheCombin tuttora mountainamis, bike around Mont Blanc, 2004, avec quelques vélo deprofessione VTT duGrand Cervin en vue millennio siasavvicina alla mountain bike e as well theterritoire Maritime and in Sa la pratique d’Aoste du vélo region tout-terrain dans le duAlps Cervin.

Toujo MTB, accompagnare propri c organise pour la première foisiniziando en Italie, ad la Maxi Avalanche,i marath ma bicicletta.

Attualmente è titolare di bu Herin Daniele was born faisant in Aosta in 1969, caractéristiques uniques en in leur genre découvrir à deand nomb organizza viaggi in mountain attoR instructor inche with the Italian Cycling Federati une descente fascinante à2003 partir du glacier italo suisse du bike Plateau in atutta Valle d’Aosta nonché Alp sport and fewetlafriends in 2004 foundsnelle theparco Cerv à 3500m. Depuis lors,with ile étudie collabore à la création de with the aim of promoting off road cycling around t VTT sur la Vallée d’Aoste.

Daniele, Aosta nel 1969, In 2004 he Herin organizes, for thenato firstad time in Italy, the M bike della ciclistica itat marathon is en unique in grand itsfederazione kind, giving cyclists Sergio Borbey est néwhich àmountain Aoste 1968, amateur de sports nel starts 2004 fonda, assieme alcuni amici, descent which the metres of the lP de la course en montagne, de off skifrom alpin et 3500 duadvélo, il exerce scopoand di de promuovere lain pratica della bi then on heallo collaborates creating mo Pisteur Secouriste dans lestudies domaine ski de Pila.

Depuis 2001, delover Monte Cervino. territory.

Sempre nel italienne, 2004 org itineraries all region’s qualifié moniteur de VTT par lathe Fédération de cyclisme Maxichez Avalanche, maratona freeride dalle transmettre son expérience les jeunes.

Depuisdi2002, il s’occu scoprire a molti appassionati il f in Aosta in 1968, loves sport du bike parcBorbey de Pila. Sergio, Enfacendo 2005born il obtient l’habilitation professionne ghiacciaio svizzero del Plateau R cross-country skiing, and italo cycling.

He currently work dans le registre régionaldel des moniteurs de VTT. di itinerari e piste di mountain b as a Pisteurcreazione Secouriste (safety and rescue).

After be instructor with the Italian Cycling Federation, since 2 Sergio, nato ad Aosta nelFrom 1968,20 a sharing his Borbey experience in the youth sector. in montagna, dellohissciprofessional nordico e delquc Park of Pila.corsa In 2005 he obtains (sicurezza e soccorso) nel comprensorio s bike instructor. conseguito l’abilitazione di maestro di mo Italiana, si è dedicato a trasmettere la prop 2002 si occupa anche del Bike Park di Pila. professionale e si è iscritto al relativo albo r

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Maurizio Panseri Marzia Fioroni Claudio Locatelli Enrico Fioroni

Maurizio Panseri ad Alzano Lomba appassiona alla mo sulle Grigne e in Pre subito la mountai tenta di scendere da ogni sent alle “sue” montagne, quelle die stupirlo. Da sempre documenta e www.vertical-orme.tv potrete legg vita verticale in parete o sulle due

Marzia Fioroni, son è da sempre bic bike ha trovato il mondo. In presenz volentieri in scialpin per fotografare e raccontare con p sbagliare, si occupa di ambiente con l’ambizione di respirare aria digitare per credere www.alp-en.it

IL PIÙ GRANDE DISTRIBUTORE DIRETTO D’EUROPA É FINALMENTE ANCHE IN ITALIA. SCEGLI IL TELAIO ROSE E CREA IL TUO STILE CON I COMPONENTI E I VESTITI PREFERITI; PIU' DI 20.000 DIFFERENTI ARTICOLI. www.rosebikes.it Il nostro servizio clienti Rose Italia al numero telefonico +39 338 330 5116, e-mail: sergio@rosebikes.it.

87 itinerari e racconti tra il lago di Como e le Orobie

Maurizio Panseri Marzia Fioroni Claudio Locatelli Enrico Fioroni

MOUNTAIN BIKE TRA LECCO E BERGAMO

Il piacere di perdersi A cavallo della vostra due ruote, vi condurremo dalle sponde del Lario sino alle più alte vette delle Orobie, in una continua ed emozionante scoperta di questi territori meravigliosi. Sono molte le proposte su cui fare rotolare le vostre ruote, valle dopo valle e montagna dopo montagna, per migliaia di chilometri di sviluppo e decine di migliaia di metri di dislivello.

Questa guida non ha la pretesa di accompagnarvi per mano ma di fornire semplici spunti e suggerimenti per organizzare una spensierata giornata all’aria aperta. La traccia GPS e la descrizione dettagliata saranno un ottimo supporto per evitare di perdervi nel dedalo di sentieri, mulattiere e sterrate che avvolgono come una maglia i versanti delle nostre montagne.

Una volta percorsi gli itinerari proposti, ci auguriamo che la curiosità di scoprire cosa c’è al di là del colle o nel fitto del bosco vi spinga ad abbandonare la traccia descritta - e con essa ogni certezza - per avventurarvi tra questi monti con il desiderio di perdervi e vivere così la vostra avventura. Siamo certi che a fine giornata sarete felici di esservi smarriti e, carta alla mano, di aver scoperto una nuova opportunità, un nuovo sentiero o un’altra storia da raccontare.

La proposta raccoglie una varietà di percorsi adatti a tutti. Ci troverete placide ciclabili per famiglie, lunghi circuiti su sterrato tipici del cross-country, percorsi tecnici per biammortizzate dalle escursioni generose ed escursioni dove è d’obbligo avere una buona esperienza dell’ambiente alpino, voglia di faticare, oltre che una grande padronanza nella guida della propria bicicletta.

Ognuno troverà qualcosa di adatto alle sue esigenze e alle sue capacità. Potrà ridurre o ampliare, scomponendo e ricomponendo in un gioco infinito, le tracce proposte ma soprattutto sarà libero di perdersi e sarà felice di arrivare in cima ad un colle sconosciuto da cui iniziare la propria discesa. Buon divertimento!

MOUNTAIN BIKE TRA LECCO E BERGAMO

Claudio Locatelli a Ponte San Pi mountain-bike fin trasferito tutte decenni di scialpi l’arco alpino. Profondo conosci delle Orobie, è autore del si organizza ed accompagna i biker quasi sempre oltre il limite della ci

87 itinerari e racconti

tra il lago di Como e le Orobie

Enrico Fioroni, clas è da sempre appas esplorare i boschi e padre. Si avvicina a sin dai suoi esord e in modo “contemplativo”, ama d’inverno tra una sci-alpinistica e suoi prediletti pur non disdegnan le Alpi e gli Appennini.

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MOUNTAIN BIKE IN LOMBARDIA E CANTON TICINO 62 itinerari tra Varese Mendrisio e Como

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South-west

South-west Fluminese > 1 From Capo Pecora to Scivu Sulcis > 2 Gùturu Mannu. Monte Arcosu > 3 Chia. Strada Romana > 4 Domus de Maria. Punta Sèbera > 5 Santadi. Sèbera > 6 Rosas. Orbai > 7 Villamassargia. Punta Orbai > 8 Ferrovia Bècia. Rosas > 9 The Carbonia hills > 10 Punta Porcili Mannu. Cala d’Ostia > 11 Punta sa Crèsia. Perda Pertunta > 12 S’’Enna de sa Craba. Monti Nieddu

Linas > 16 Villacidro. Piscina Irgas > 17 Vallermosa. Cucurdoni Mannu Guspinese > 18 Montevecchio. Piscinas > 19 Montevecchio. Arcuentu

Marganai > 13 Domusnovas. Perdu Marras > 14 Gùturu Farris. Corovau > 15 San Benedetto. Arenas

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The track after Su Forru de sa Ni’. In the background the Marganai mountains (ph. Antonio Cocco)

Iglesias and Carbonia are the South-west’s biggest towns. You arrive here from Cagliari on the superstrada – the Statale 130 – which runs straight across the plain for 50 km. On each side, farmed fields and the odd home-made barn in the adjacent towns.

Where, then, is the unspoiled South-west? Move out of the fast lane and move over to the near side, slow down and stop in the first lay-by you find. Get out of your car and, ignoring the noise of the other cars whizzing by just a few metres from you, look around you. The plain is narrow, hemmed in by mountains with steep sides and, beyond the first peaks, there are other taller summits. You have arrived.

There are mountains and forests everywhere, but you’ll be surprised to find also mines, and mining villages, once among the most important in Europe. The mining hasn’t damaged the environment, at least not in a heavy-handed, vulgar way, but has instead created beautiful scenes, in harmony with the landscape. The buildings were built when stone, wood and terracotta were still the materials used. All local. When the owners still used architects, because they lived near to the mines and their villas and offices had to reflect their status, with beautiful and harmonious buildings.

Today nature is claiming back its space; the holm oak leaves form a thick carpet that often covers everything, the lentisco branches find their way

everywhere and the stones which made up the walls have fallen back to the ground. A paradise remains for the biker. Abandoned mining tracks, with the plants along the edge, narrow to become mule tracks or footpaths. The old mine railway lines, once hewn out of the vertical rock face with dynamite, are now rideable. Tunnels, carved out of the rock, so very solid, that you can ride through.

The miners’ path, which involve much more climbing than the railway lines and tunnels, become singletrack descents you won’t easily forget.

All this and more is the South-west with its old mines, to the north and south of the Cixerri plain.

But if you come from the extreme south, along the Statale 195 coast road, then you’ll understand how the warm slopes overlooking the sea and looking towards Africa, less than 300 km away, are just as interesting. For their ancient history, from the Nuragic to the Roman period, and for the recent history, with the shepherds and farmers who’ve farmed the often-harsh land, leaving precious and fascinating testimonies such as the campidanesi houses in the old town centres or the tiny mountain settlements, called medaus (more than one family) and furriadroxus (mono-family), some of which are still inhabited.

Amos Cardia

The Sentiero Su Sùergiu Mannu: great view of Lago Leni (ph. Antonio Cocco)

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Montevecchio (sub-municipality of Guspini, 9 km away) 370 m 402 m

Montevecchio. Piscinas Technical information For the locating and maintenance of the footpaths and mule tracks (which seem more like footpaths) in the woods we have the local MTB Club Piccalinna to thank. The surface you ride on is good, and so you can ride here when the ground is wet, although, with the many fords, we don’t recommend this ride after heavy rain unless you don’t mind getting your feet wet. The technical sections in descent are easy and there are only a few metres that are much steeper than the rest. The climbs as well are smooth and, if you are fit, you never need less than the 32.

Historical-artistic-cultural interest For the historical interest, see ride 2 Montevecchio. Arcuentu, in the same area. This ride is characterised by the descent to the Piscinas beach with its sand dunes, created by the Maestrale, up to 60 metres high. They extend over a wide area, creating one of the largest such areas in Europe.

670 m 31 km 2,30 hours Medium Medium 100% 100% IGM 1:50.000 sheet 546 Guspini At Guspini, Montevecchio and Piscinas At the start and finish Places along route 1 Montevecchio 370 m 2 Bacini Donegani e Zerbino 300 m 3 Rio Irvi 150 m 4 Piscinas 10 m 5 Casa Sparedda 80 m 6 Crocorigas 300 m

Route description You start form the piazza in Montevecchio, where you find the bar Gennas, the Post Office, pharmacy, Carabinieri and a flower bed with a tap for water. Proceed south-west towards Ingurtosu and Piscinas but, after a few metres, as soon as you arrive to the right-hand bend in the tarmaced road, turn into the unpaved lay-by on the left. Continue on the unmade track, parallel to and above the tarmac road that you have just left, and after 700 m turn left into a mule track that climbs up. There is a sign saying it’s a dead end, but you can proceed, on a path. After a first hairpin to the left, the next is to the right and you pass a barrier with a no entry sign. Stay on the main mule track and at km 1,9 keep straight ahead, descending, ignoring a side road on the left, and after 200 m there are more descending hairpins, left then right, still following the main mule track.

At km 3,3 keep straight on, descending, ignoring a turn-off on the right, and a few metres after the junction you arrive at a small house with a covered veranda which could be useful if it’s 400

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raining. After 300 m keep straight on, ignoring a turn-off on the right, and after 100 m turn into the path which descends on the left. At km 4,5, after three steel pipes that go down to the dam, continue straight ahead on the flat, ignoring a climb to the right, and at km 4,9 you come to a mule track and continue in the same direction (south-west). After 400 m, at a spoil heap for soil from the tunnel, turn left, aiming at the ruined buildings ahead of you. Go between the buildings and, at the junction of the paths, take the path on the left.

At km 6,1, at the top of the climb, turn right to descend, ignoring the side track which climbs and after 400 m the path finishes. This is the start of a mule track and, when it meets another mule track, immediately after a ford, turn left.

When you reach the sterrato, turn left downhill and follow this road to km 7,5, when you get to

Arriving at the beach at Piscinas

a building and, just before the bridge, turn into the mule track on the right. Follow the Rio Irvi, its waters red from the upstream mineral deposit. At km 13,4 the mule track runs into a sterrato and you turn left to arrive at the beach at Piscinas.

After 700 m you join an even-wider sterrato, and keep straight on where the wider sterrato turns right. The track climbs and, a few metres after the top of the climb, at km 14,8, a junction on the right gives access to the steep mule track which climbs to a look-out point, from which you can start to admire the splendid view.

At km 15,9 turn right for the beach (if you turned left, you’d come in no time to the Sciopadroxiu campsite). At km 17,3 you reach the beach, and it’s time to head back, inverting the route you just arrived by on the sterrato. At km 20,6 remember to go straight to take the mule track, ignoring the very wide track which crosses the water and

climbs this time on your left. At km 21,3, instead of turning right to follow the mule track along which you arrived, continue downhill on the sterrato to the left between the sand heaps. The unmade road narrows until it becomes a mule track, and follows the bed of the Rio Piscinas, much wider than the Rio Irvi.

At km 25,8 you are at the junction which takes you to the Casa Sparedda, mentioned among the Places to Stay; you get to it along a track on the left. The first room is in ruins but the second, whose entrance is half-hidden among the brambles, still has the roof. After climbing a short ramp, the track improves until it becomes a sterrato, even though it’s steep as you climb back up the almost 300 m of height difference to Montevecchio. At km 26,7 keep straight on ignoring a turning on the left and 300 m later straight on again ignoring a descending turn

on the right. Another 300 m and you still keep straight on, ignoring turns to the right, and at km 28,4 straight on again. In less than 3 km you come back to Montevecchio.

Notes -Don’t drink from the many river crossings along the route, especially not from the Rio Irvi.

- Temporary shelter can be found at the little house at km 3,3, which has a covered veranda in case of rain, and the Casa Sparedda, a room in poor condition which does though have a roof and fireplace.

Starting the return ride, leaving the beach at Piscinas

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Montevecchio. Arcuentu 0% 16% 0% 33% 42% 9%

Montevecchio (sub-municipality of Guspini) 370 m 430 m 950 m 28 km 3,00 hours Medium Medium 100% 100% IGM 1:50.000 sheet 546 Guspini Agriturismo L’Aquila and Agriturismo Arcuentu At the start in the piazza at Montevecchio and at the agriturismi Places along route 1 Montevecchio 370 m 2 Pozzo Sanna 250 m 3 Zapajoni 120 m 4 Schina de is Òminis 260 m 5 Carriadroxu de su Casu 375 m 6 Genna de Abis 300 m 7 Canali Canna 150 m 8 Crocorigas 275 m

44

Technical information This ride is in a mining area of international importance but the route shows us more about the area’s natural beauty that its industrial history.

The route follows mostly mule tracks and paths, some of which were mining tracks which have narrowed with disuse. Others are very fascinating passages in the undergrowth. We have the tireless work of the president Nino Vaccargiu and of all the members of the local MTB club Piccalinna (http://piccalinna. blogspot.com) to thank for finding and maintaining these paths. The surface of the doubletracks, mule tracks and paths is generally good, meaning this ride is practicable even when the ground is wet after rain. There are few muddy sections because nearly all the ride is on rocky ground. The technical descents are easy, with just a couple of metres that are steeper than usual. The climbs are also always rideable and fitter riders won’t need to change down from the 32 ring.

Historical-artistic-cultural interest Montevecchio was one of Europe’s most productive mining centres. In 1865 it was Italy’s biggest mining centre, with 1100 workers, whose number later swelled to 3000. On either side of the Second World War it was Italy’s major producer of lead and zinc. The mine closed for good in 1991, and today 200 people live here. Apart from the town centre where the ride starts from, site of the management’s offices and lodgings, the workers’ lodgings and the most important services such as the hospital, the post office, the police station and the schools, the only mine this route passes is the Pozzo Sanna, at 2 km from the start.

The surrounding area is of great historical importance, for the industrial archaeology, and it is also important for the flora and fauna, with its thick woods and Mediterranean macchia, the ideal habitat for the Sardinian deer which you can come across along the paths.

Monte Arcuentu is also very interesting, for its unmistakeable shape, towering above you for much of the ride. From the 5 400

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agriturismo of the same name, at km 19 of the route, there’s a footpath which leads almost to the top.

Route description The route proceeds clockwise from Montevecchio (km 0). Take the broad doubletrack for Ingurtosu which is well-signed. Leave this track after 2 km, to take a side-track which descends and which is closed by a wide red and white gate, which you pass to one side. You are entering the area of the Pozzo Sanna mine, built on a steep hillside which you descend on steep hairpins. One particularly steep stretch is tarmaced to avoid the deterioration of the track. The buildings are unsafe; they haven’t been made safe for visits and it may be dangerous to go near them. Near to a descending hairpin to the right (km 3,2), don’t make the turn. Instead, continue straight ahead on the spoil heaps. You have to keep to the left, and not descend to the bottom of the gorge.

You ride on a mule track carved out of the spoil heaps, just under an old restored house. This takes you between the vegetation, and at km 3,9 you pass to one side of a bar across the track.

At km 5,2 you follow a tight right-hand descending hairpin, ignoring the possibility on the outside to the right, which climbs. The descent brings you to a ford and here you have to turn left. The climb starts, also at one point with a barrier across it, and at km 6,4 make the hairpin bend to the right and just afterwards keep straight on.

Now you are on doubletrack and you keep straight on for another 400 m until you turn left into a descending muletrack in the middle of the vegetation. At km 7,5 turn left and continue the descent, now more technical, and at km 8,9 take the right-hand hairpin, not keeping straight ahead on sentiero 191 which is signed.

This is the end of the mule track and the start of the path. Just afterwards keep straight ahead avoiding the turn-off to the left, also with a sign for the sentiero 191. At km 9,6 continue the descent, turning left, and do the same just afterwards, instead of keeping straight ahead in the macchia.

At km 10,2 turn left and at the next river crossing you start the climb, passing an old rusty raised bar across the track. At km 11,6 go straight ahead, ignoring a turn-off on the left which leads to a nearby sheepfold. At km 12,7 take the hairpin to the right and when you reach the

tarmac turn left.

At km 13,5 leave the tarmac and turn right onto a sterrato, following signs for the agriturismo L’Aquila, 1 km away. The track crosses its private land. If you find the gates closed, open them and close them behind you. At the agriturismo you can stop and thank the owners, the Atzeni family.

Pass the agriturismo, and after the rubbish bins turn left. At the top of the climb after passing another building ( the agriturismo L’Oasi del Cervo, also belonging to the Atzeni brothers), you turn left. The area is windy and you can admire Monte Arcuentu.

Ignore side turnings and keep descending on the main track. Take care at a chain stretched across the track at km 16,2, and at the next rough gate.

Along the whole route there’s lots of corbezzolo (Strawberry Trees) with its distinctive tasty red fruits in the autumn. Corbezzolo honey, with its bitter taste, is also highly prized.

When you reach the tarmac, turn right and follow the tarmac until km 18,4, and the agriturismo Arcuentu, from where you can walk to the summit. If the summit is cloud-covered, get out your rain jacket, because the local saying is always true Arcuentu fumosu, àcua teneus nosu (Con l’Arcuentu nebbioso, noi avremo la pioggia; with mist on Monte Arcuentu, it will rain).

Our route proceeds on the tarmac until km 21,3, where we turn right onto a mule track and immediately afterwards to the right again. On this same mule track, at km 21,9 follow the hairpin to the left and keep straight on until the stream crossing.

After the stream crossing, follow the left-hand hairpin and at km 23,6 there’s another left-hand hairpin. You are back in the wood and will stay in it until Montevecchio. At km 24,1 don’t go straight on but instead turn left and immediately afterwards right. At km 24,7 turn left and from now on keep straight on until km 25,1, where you turn right and then keep straight on again.

At km 26,1 cross a fire break and this is the sign that you’re on the correct route and are about to come to the end.

Al km 26,4 there’s a right-hand hairpin and after 300 m turn left into a wider doubletrack, which you follow it back to the starting point in just over 1 km.

Note Drinking from the streams along the route is not advisable.

The climb to Su Carriadroxu de su Casu and the agriturismo L’Aquila (ph. Alessandro Pilia)

One of the ride’s many mule tracks with the characteristic shape of Monte Arcuentu (ph. Alessandro Pilia)

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