canyon exploring with Michele Angileri

Fosso Scandrigliesi

The gorge of Frosso Scandrigliesi descends, invisible from any point you look, from the eastern side of Ruffi Mountains. Vegetation and perpective hide it so well that it is virtually impossible to perceive the existence even of a valley in that place. The only chance to see it is by accident.

But once you happened to be in that creekbed made of white rocks smoothed by floods, you realize that it must be a good place for gorges and cascades.

I remember ...

Exploring gorges means, of course, finding, seeing, trying something new. That time the main novelty was the rock: a sandstone that looks very similar to that of the Laga but with substantially different mechanical properties. This seems more suitable to the formation of gorges and potholes, perhaps because, compared to the Laga, it is more "plastic". In the narrows bolting is needed, due to the lack of trees.
While drilling I note that the drilling speed is the same as the limestone. Once at 6-7 cm deep, however, the bit remains "glued" to the hole, so that you have to force to extract it and clean the hole. I don't even try an expansion bolt: I use a "Multi Monti" self-threading screw anchor instead. I screw it by a L-shaped socket wrench, first inserting the Multi Monti in the long arm of the "L". I note that screwing goes on with no effort: I could almost do it without a wrench! Once at the end I insert the Multi Monti head in the short side of the L, to tighten it by leveraging but ... nothing: the screw is already tightened to the maximum.
Is it clear? you screw it with no effort and you cannot tighten it ... How much weight can hold an anchor inserted in this type of rock?

If I'm here telling it, it means that's enough :-)

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