canyon exploring with Michele Angileri

Cascata delle Scalette (Fosso Pič di Lepre)

At the border between Lazio and Abruzzo rise Laga Mounts. They are made of a stack of layers of sandstone 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 go undergroud. There are a lot of streams, and a lot magnificent waterfalls. In winter they are suitable for ice-climbing (in fact this is the southest place in Italy where doing ice-climbing). In summer the hardest streams are an ideal canyoning terrain with unusual features, long accessess, 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!

The rugged southern side of Cima Lepri hosts what is probably the most famous and peculiar waterfall in Laga Mounts. Thick layers of sandstone make a giant stairsteps, on which water flows and falls down: it's the "Stairsteps Cascade" (Cascata delle Scalette).
In spring, when snow is melting, or in wet autumn, you can see from afar the long white strap of water falling down the "Stairsteps Cascade".

I remember ...

Adrea and I were the first to descend the Scalette waterfall in the waterflow, using ropes. The Scalette steps are well visible from the outside, and the steep and hard Path of Scalette allows to reach the stairstep in a couple of points.

The descent in the flow, however, is completely different from looking from aside. A long descent in such a unique environment, a wide landscape lying below. These are steps to a form of meditation, relaxing your mind, vanishing the problems, slowing the flow of time. A hard environment looking calm, giving you serenity and deep satisfaction. Step by step, rappel by rappel.

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.

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