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Major rockfall onto Selvaggio Blu in Sardinia

Maurizio Oviglia provides information about a major rockfall on Punta Plumare in Sardinia. The landslide has wiped out a stretch of the famous trek Selvaggio Blu.

Maurizio Oviglia

October 2015

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The enormous rockfall that took place on 14 October 2015 at Punta Plumare in Sardinia, destroying a section of the famous Selvaggio Blu trek.

Explorando Supramonte

At 16.30 on 14 October 2015 a large section of the Punta Plumare sea cliff in Sardinia collapsed following substantial rockfall. An entire pillar, more than 300m high, crashed into the Biriola forest below, destroying a section of the famous trek called Selvaggio Blu - Wild Blue. The rockfall also destroyed (partially or entirely) the multi-pitch rock climb Calypso as well as affecting the nearby route Gli infedeli Bastardi.

The association Explorando Supramonte was the first to photograph the rockfall and an impressive photo was published, first on Visit Baunei Facebook page and then on that of the Baunei town council. Claudio Calzoni then informed the local newspapers about the slide and pointed out that as a result of the rockfall, a section of the famous trek will now have to be rerouted.

The first surveys have determined that the area is still unstable. Due to some minor rockfall it is highly recommend to steer clear of this part of the walk.

While it is obviously sad that this beautiful section of Sardinia’s world famous sea cliffs has been permanently damaged, just like the hectares of Biriola forest destroyed in a fraction of a second, on various social networks people have pointed out that events like these have to be accepted with good grace: it is nature who shapes the territory we know.

According to local shepherds, the beautiful beach at Cala Goloritzè for instance was created by rockfall in winter 1962, and it is likely that the entire Biriola forest resulted from an ancient landslide.

by Maurizio Oviglia