Sardinia: 20 year wait for first repeat of hardest trad route

"Sintomi Primordiali", Sardinia’s hardest trad route, has been repeated by M. Oviglia and S. Sarti

Maurizio Oviglia

March 2000


	One of Sardinia’s hardest trad routes, "Sintomi Primordiali", has finally been repeated twenty years after it was first put up. Maurizio Oviglia and Simone Sarti repeated the route on 24/3/2000, dispensing with its only point of aid and confirming the route’s grade, quality and stature. They on-sighted the route in 6 hours and added two harder finishing pitches up a fantastic 55m crack, graded VII/VII+. Only 2 pegs now remain on the entire route. "Sintomi Primordiali’s" aura as one of the hardest trad routes on the island resulted in it remaining largely untouched and unrepeated since its first ascent the early 1980’s. Climbed by the Italian duo Alessandro Gogna and Marco Bernardi, it takes an impressive natural line up the 350m Monte Ginnircu on Verdon-like limestone overlooking the Mediterranean. With numerous VII sections and a poorly protected VIII- crux, this route is clear testament to Bernardi and Gogna’s talent and ability. During the early 1980’s Bernardi and Gogna formed part of a prodigious group of new routers which included, amongst others, Manolo. Other classic routes of that time are “Via del Carasau" at Punta Giradili (400 m, VI+/A3) and "Spalle al Muro" at Bruncu Nieddu (250 m, VII+). These were first repeated by Marcello Cominetti and Luca Maspes in 1991 and 1994 repectively. Maurizio Oviglia climbing on Monte Ginnircu. Sintomi Primordiali takes a line to the right of the climbers. (Photo Mattia Vacca)