Continuing our climbing holiday in Sardinia we decided to try the multipitch climb named Signorina Fantasia. We’d scoped out the climb a couple of days earlier having climbed around the base of the cliffs just above the sea. We’d checked a few blog posts and youtube videos and it all seemed pretty good. It’s a four pitch climb rising out of the sea at Pedra Lunga not far from Baunei where we’ve been staying. The Pedra Lunga cliffs form a tower and ridge that are best described with a photo.
The climb is four pitches (5b, 5c+, 5b, 4) and is fully bolted. The bolt spacing is sensible with no big run outs and the anchors are also good with the first three being double bolts connected by a chain with a ring.
The weather was perfect. It was sunny and warm and the climb was in shade. The bottom of the climb was busy with a bunch of groups but the majority were doing a longer and harder route along the back side of the rock. Our route was less interesting to most as it ended at the lowest point on the ridge rather than ascending to the very top of the tower.
Ari lead the first pitch, leaving the blue water below, and clipping her way up to the first anchor. I followed her up noting that the bolts weren’t showing signs of fatigue – no nasty rusty things. There wasn’t a lot of space at the anchor and I clipped in my safety and we moved around a little so that I could continue climbing. The second pitch was the hardest. We’d planned to give it a go and if it didn’t fall into place then Ari would lower me down to the anchor and we’d abseil back down to the base of the climb. The second pitch is 5c+ or 5c depending on your reading material. It felt very exposed at the anchor, due mostly to the steep rock and drop back down to the sea below. I spent a while trying to work out how best to get started. After trying a few moves, one stuck and I climbed up to the next bolt, clipping a draw. I was climbing badly due to being a bit unnerved by the exposure, using much more energy than I should have been, and clinging to the holds. After perhaps one more bolt came the crux. The route moves slightly to the left and requires a short traverse. I got close enough to the bolt, clipped and then used the draw as an aid to move across to the left before taking a break. I was quite happy to have a bit of help. At the next anchor I got things ready and then belayed Ari . It was another fairly cramped anchor hanging onto the side of the cliff. It wouldn’t pay to be scared of heights for this climb. You get a great view (depending on your taste for heights) directly down the cliff to the sea below. It looed amazing. The water was a brilliant turquoise blue and the hills and cliffs in the distance were also looking the part.
Ari was not feeling it so I lead the following 5b pitch. It started steep and crossed over blocky steps passing a tree with a small sling around it. The climbing became less steep and the feeling of exposure reduced. Ari came up and then lead the remaining pitch, a 4, to the top of the climb where she improvised a anchor using the single bolt at the top and a tree. We took photos and chilled for a bit before following the walking/scrambling route that ascends slightly around the side of the cliff. It’s exposed in places but we found it ok without a rope, as did the group that came up behind us. We continued around the side of the rock looking for a place to abseil. The last section looked like you could probably down climb and we saw some groups doing that afterwards but Ari spotted a nice anchor complete with two bolts, chain, and ring and we abseiled down from there. It was then just a short scramble and we were back down at the sport climbing area below the cliffs.
We had a cool drink at the restaurant/bar thing near the carpark before doing a couple of enjoyable sport climbs and then heading back to Baunei for pizza. A good day out.
