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Michele Angileri

Canale della Chiocciola

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The basin in which the village of San Lorenzo Bellizzi rises coincides largely with the valley of Torrente Maddalena, a creek that joins to Raganello a little downstream the awesome portal of Barile canyon.
Maddalena creek is made by some valleys coming from Mount Sparviere or the Falconara. One of them, a tributary of Canale di Malamorta has a couple of short but beautiful narrows, and a few cascades. One of those cascades has an amazing spiral shape and it's the most beautiful and characteristic spot of this canyon: that's why I call this canyon "Chiocciola" (Snail).

Name	Canale della Chiocciola
Area	Calabria
Nearest village	San Lorenzo Bellizzi
Elevation loss	230 m
Length	1300 m
Highest cascade	15 m
Rock	Metamorphic sandstone, limestone
Rating	4
Shuttle	Possible
Explored by	Michele Angileri; august 14 2015

I remember ...

At first I did not think that valley could host a canyoning trail. After having explored Canale di Malamorta, I had partly changed my mind: "probably it is not interesting, but I cannot be really sure if I don't descend it" I said to myself. At the very least, I told myself, I will have spent some time moving in the Nature, and I will have descended again the nice final Malamorta narrow ... I also knew that giving up the exploration would have pushed me to think again about it the next year ...

As soon as I arrived on the edge of first cascade, completely unexpected and unsuspected, I realized I made the right decision!
Then, when I got to the Snail, it became clear to me that with streams and gorges surprises are always possible, and that experience will never tell you exactly what is in a valley you have not descended yet.