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canyon exploring with Michele Angileri

Vallone Santa Croce

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The emerald waters of Torrente Santa Croce flow through a canyon of charming shapes, embellished with some beautiful waterfalls.

Name	Vallone Santa Croce
Area	Calabria, Sila
Nearest village	Bocchigliero
Entrance altitude (above sea level)	825 m
Exit altitude (above sea level)	440 m
Length	3600 m
Longest rappel	26 m
Rock	Limestone, marl, gneiss
Rating	6
Shuttle	Needed
Explored by	Michele Angileri, Franco Formoso, Massimo Gallo, Domenico Riga, Giuseppe Viggiani; august 12th 2012

I remember ...

I had been in Bocchigliero many times, and everytime I had spent a minute looking at the evident gorge of stream Santa Croce. But, for some reason, every time I remained convinced that it was not interesting or, at least, it was less interesting than other streams in the area. So I never decided to take a closer look.

In july 2012 something made me change my mind ... I was contacted on facebook by Domenico Riga, a passionate about nature and streams that lives in Cosenza. Established a "virtual friendship" on facebook I started flipping through his photo albums, just to find out who was Domenico (a person totally unknown to me up to that time). A few albums were on canyoning trips: Lese, Vurganera-Coserie, Santa Croce, ...
Santa Croce?! the one near Bocchigliero?! let's take a look ...

The photos showed unequivocally that I had committed a gross error of judgment about Santa Croce: emerald water, nice pools, beautiful colors, narrows ... what a nice canyon! How could I snub, I, the one who systematically goes through every valley that might hide some narrows?

I wrote to Domenico congratulating him for the discovery and asking him for some details. From the photos, in fact, it was not clear if he had made a real canyoning descent or had simply gone hiking along the stream bypassing the cascades. Domenico told me they had been through part of the canyon going upstream, bypassing the cascades and stopping at the feet of a non-bypassable waterfall. I told him: I will go there as soon as I can. He answered: Let's go together!

I met Domenico and his friends a few weeks later, for a canyoning trip to Fosso di Crosinni. In that occasion I confirmed my intention to carry out the complete descent of the Santa Croce. We agreed on the date.

In the photographs you see how things went out :-)

Photos 5, 9, 11 by Domenico Riga

Photographs in this website show ultralight ropes (6 mm ropes made of high tenacity fibers). Read multimedia book Ultralight ropes canyoning technique to learn how to use them.