SARDINIA RAID ADVENTURE
Exploring Wild Sardinia
Rob Howard / 13.04.2011
The teams of two are looking forward to exploring some of the more remote corners of the island of Sardinia, from the mountains of the Supramonte to the beaches, coasts and caves, for which this Mediterranean island is famous.
Exactly who is racing is still to be determined, but judging by the team names some of the best known European racers have taken up the invitation of the Sardinian tourist authorities, who have established the race to show off the natural splendours of the island, which is perhaps better known for the rich and famous mooring their yachts and holidaying on the magnificent beaches.
So, what can the racers expect to find at this new event? Their first destination will be the Adventure Camp at Genna Silana, where tomorrow (Thurs), the gear checks, opening ceremony and briefings will take place. Then on Friday the race has an early start when they begin to traverse a 350km course, non-stop with a 60 hour time limit.
The venue is in the Supramonte mountains of the central east coast of the island (the largest in the Mediterranean). This mountainous area is comprised of sharp limestone cliffs and deep, lush canyons and borders the coast at the Gulf of Orosei. It is a dry karst landscape similar to the Domolomites and the highest point is Monte Corrasi (1,463 m), while the average altitude is about 900 m. Rivers in the region largely flow underground and create some notable natural features.
These include the Gorroppu Gorge, said to the deepest in Europe, which is near the adventure camp and start point, spectacular sink holes and extensive cave systems. Of these, the best known is the Grotta del Bue Marino, which the race will visit with a special caving stage, close to the end of the race.
The region is also well known for its prehistoric sites and rare birds of prey, but it is the wild beauty of the terrain for which it is best known. The Supramonte is described as “a vast, wild mountain region full of woods and lunar landscapes�, while the coast at Orosei coast is often quoted as being "...probably the most beautiful stretch of Italian coast and without a shadow of a doubt, the wildest and steepest."
It all sounds like the perfect setting for a new European race and SleepMonsters will be reporting from the course ... but posting may be as limited as internet connections in the area!
SleepMonsters
