canyon exploring with Michele Angileri

Torrente Duglia

Torrente Duglia flows amidst the hills in western side of Sila mounts, face to the plain of river Crati. Near the plain the hills tighten Duglia in a canyon whose sides are covered by woods and bush.
It's easy and pleasant to go though canyon of Duglia in a hot summer day: just hike amidst fishes, river crabs ans gneiss rocks, and get completely wet in a pool, dressed in shorts and hiking boots.

I remember ...

In Calabria it can be really hot in summer. Minimum temperatures might be over 25°C for weeks, and maximum above 40°C. When it's so hot, the only outdoor activities that are safe from heath-shock are swimming at sea or canyoning in wet canyons.
The problems with canyoning are approach trails: if it's hot they cannot be done without getting a heath-shock. And only very few canyons in Calabria have entry and exit points that can be reached by car.
The paradox is one of these very few canyons is Torrente Duglia! but obviously you gotta have 2 cars not to do an approach or return trail on foot. One canyoneer can drive one car, and I'm alone here.

That's why I have to do an approach trail even for Torrente Duglia! To reduce the strain I hide my heavy backpack, full of unuseful gear (but in canyon exploring you don't know if you will need a thing, so you have to bring all gear with you) by canyon's entry point. Then I park car at exit point, and then it's me hiking up to get to entry point again. And I have to complete this before 9 AM, or I will be in danger for a heath-shock.

But this is the game of canyon exploring, and I like it!

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.

Copyright © 2002- Michele Angileri. All rights reserved.