Indemus.com: sell your artwork in digital format, on the internet

canyon exploring with Michele Angileri

Gola del Gālatro

News
Canyons by area

Lazio
Abruzzo
Umbria
Toscana
Molise
Campania
Basilicata
Calabria
Sardegna

Ultralight ropes canyoning technique
Home

Deep and tight canyon cutting the eastern side of Monte Caramolo. Unfortunately the deepest narrows are full of trash thrown by the road bridge above, called Ponte dei Colombi. The authorities of Lungro and Acquaformosa (the two villages near to Galatro's canyon) do nothing to prevent canyon from pollution: it's not a problem for them! Galatro's canyon lies inside Pollino National Park, where Nature should be protected ... but no one does anything for Galatro, which is one of the most remarkable natural monuments of this area. A scandal!

Luckily 85% of Galatro's canyon is upstream of Ponte dei Colombi, and so upper Galatro is free from trash and pollution. It is possible to do upper Galatro only, exiting from canyon by Ponte dei Colombi.
Last two photographs show the beginning of narrowest part, the one where trash accumulates.

Name	Gola del Gālatro
Area	Calabria, monti di Orsomarso
Nearest village	Acquaformosa
Entrance altitude (above sea level)	900 m
Exit altitude (above sea level)	580 m
Length	1200 m
Longest rappel	20 m
Rock	Limestone
Rating	4 (summer)
Shuttle	Possible, not indispensable.
Explored by	Michele Angileri, Francesco Catalano, Cosimo La Gioia, Marcello Lentini, Stefano Rossi; august 2000

I remember ...

The canyon was beautiful, better than we thought. But under Colombi bridge, inside the most spectacular narrows we faced an unbelievable amount of trash of every kind: shoppers, bread, remains of animals, a car embedded above us. I couldn't wait to exit narrows. Then an unexpected meeting: a little dog, fallen down for at least 30 meters (maybe 50) and still alive!! without water and food since some days (how many?), with no strength to stay up, but still alive. Unbelievable!
We give him some food, then put him in a box (plenty of trash, remember) to abseil down last 3 or 4 dry waterfalls. But the dog has fear, and uses his few energies to jump down the box. Stefano then keeps in his arms, saying "it's ok, it's all right", caressing the dog while making himself abseil down by me.
At the end of narrows there is a spring, and the dog drinks. We give him some food ... Good luck, our friend!

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.