cookieless, no-ads, no threats canyon exploring with
Michele Angileri

Is Angurtidorgius - Riu Tùvulu

At last, after having gone for some kilometers through a complex network of underground tunnels, waters flowing in the karst system of Is Angurtidorgius reach the rock walls of northern edge of Quirra plateau. Here waters see the light again falling down from the resurgences in the middle of wall.
The resurgences' waterfalls are known as Is Canneddas de Tùvulu. They would be among the most famous natural monuments of Sardinia if they would not be in a place so far, and even inside the largest military firing ground in Europe. That's why only few obstinate (and lucky) hikers had the pleasure of being amazed by the magnificent amphitheatre of rock walls from where the Canneddas fall down towards a wide mysterious canyon covered by dense forest.

Reaching the Canneddas de Tùvulu from inside the cavern, following the paths of water, it's a wonderful complex adventure through sceneries of unusual beauty. Water ways are winding, not easy to be understood, sometimes uncomfortable but always amazing. Even scary where you see on tunnels' ceiling the signs of last flood, so that you ask yourself: are you sure it's not going to rain outside? weather forecasts were ok, isn't it?

When at last, after having spent hours soaking, swimming, walking and crawling in water, you give a look out from the resurgence, you realize the adventure is not at it's end. Below the Cannedda the trip goes on in daylight through canyon of Rio Tùvulu, through cascades and pools, through jungle and bush, between walls and boulders. Down to the foot of Quirra plateau through intense but friendly solitude.

The caving-canyoning trail Angurtidorgius-Tùvulu is among the most extraordinary adventures that canyoning can give.

I remember ...

This has been the year of poor health for me. In april an old quiescent disease decided to wake up, forcing me to stop going through canyons. The solution was surgery, but it brought unexpected complications and so convalescence lasted much longer than I expected. As soon as I felt good I went canyoning again, but I wasn't good enough and I broke my foot: another 2 months away from canyoning trails.
6 months on the whole has been the time passed without going through canyons. Enough to lose fitness (to say the truth I hadn't so much fitness even before getting sick).

But all of this seem to be behind me now. The foot is not so strong, but it works and so it's time to get back to some canyon, I guess. Of course, I need and easy canyoning trail: I don't want to break another bone! I need something easy and far from home, because I also need leaving behind troubles and job.
Sardinia is the place I need: far but easy to reach. Betty and Guido are there, ready for canyoning, and so I ring up Andrea. But he points out that ferry-boat is expensive, and it would be not worth going in Sardinia for two easy canyons in two days. Why not trying Angurtidorgius-Tùvulu descent?, he says.

Andrea knows the key to hit. Crossing Angurtidorgius, exiting at Canneddas de Tùvulu and exploring rio Tùvulu's canyon is a project that could not be carried out because of my diseases. What better way to leave diseases behind than going right there? It would be like saying: here I am again, where did we leave off?

Nothing would be better than this. Time to leave.

Photos by Michele Angileri and Guido Biavati

Copyright © 2002- Michele Angileri. All rights reserved.