canyon exploring with Michele Angileri

Fosso Malopasso

At the border between Lazio and Abruzzo rise Laga Mounts. They are made of a stack of layers ofsandstone more than 1000 meters thick, placed on marl layers. All layers immerse at east, so the western part of Laga (in Lazio)is much steeper and rocky than the rest. All mountaintops rise above 2000 meters (the highest is about 2500 meters).Winter climate is very cold and snowy in Laga mounts.

Laga mounts are rich in water, because it rains enough, but also because sandstone doesn't allow water to gounderground. There are a lot of streams, and a lot magnificent waterfalls. In winter they are suitable for ice-climbing(in fact this is the southernmost place in Italy where you can do ice-climbing). In summer the hardest streams are an ideal canyoning terrain with unusual features, long accesses, low water temperature (due to the height above sea level) and the presence of snow fields and tunnels till the beginning of summer.

The landscape in Laga mounts is really great!

In spring or autumn the waterfalls of Fosso Malopasso give canyoneer a descent rich in charm andbeauty.

I remember ...

At the time of my first descent (November 13, 2005) Fosso Malopasso was substantially unknown as a canyoning route though ithad been descended before, more than once. There were many bolts, some older, some newer, but there was no trace on the web, and no canyoneer seemed to have heard about it.
The strange destiny of Laga canyons ... Laga seems to be well-known to mountain enthusiasts, climbers, hikers, but it has still unknown corners.

That day was good for descending Malopasso, because it had been a rainy autumn and waterfalls had plenty of water falling down. It would be perfect to take photographs, but backpack was so heavy and I didn't bring the camera: I would take the pictures next time, I told myself.
But next time the creek had very few water, and again next time ...

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