Head Hunting

Sardinia - Between the sea and the land

When Luke was proposed to take us sailing in Sardinia did not seem real, I was happy, excited to try a 'new and exciting experience as the Deep Water. I had never tried before that time, everything was new and waiting to be discovered, not expecting much.

So a little 'e-mails, few phone calls to friends and a few days to organize the trip. The departure was planned

Sanremo 30 hours after arriving in Cape Hunting in Sardinia, near Alghero. Apart from the change in plans at the last moment some are not able to join us, everything has been arranged and rearranged to perfection. We were joined by three friends in Genoa supermotivati not wait to try them too: Daniela, Guido and David. Irene but she stayed with us from the start as scheduled.

The stimulus was at its height, Luke and the crew guys gave us an amazing experience we will never forget.

Sunday afternoon, jumping and motivated as we appear to harbor springs sun with lots of luggage and countless doubts and bets about where we would have made them feel at last we leave. The boat is called "Martinez unpunished ...", 15 meters long and 4.50 wide, fully equipped, the crew consists of four children: Luke, Antonella, and Robert Pierce, all very adept at managing it, with ease and total safety, every movement and action they do is done with absolute precision, so that seems to live forever.

The journey begins immediately stimulating, allow us to drive, try the tacks and other small things, in turn try to stay the course by looking at the compass, we are told that everything has a specific name, and as in every discipline and lifestyle respecting a jargon, for us at the moment still incomprehensible, such as: Cazza the mainsail, addugliare the top, port tack, hoisted the jib, and words like, puggiare, luff, ease out, decks, boom, the jib halyard , boat hook, garden and mascot, and many others.

A 'nice aspect of life on board is the superstitious practice races for years I have often seen athletes with personal propitiatory rituals, beat all but here, for example, has prohibited anything purple and green for the Italians for the English, Then, never open an umbrella or closed by boat, the nicest is the one that you never leave shoes upside down on the ground (remember the dead drowned floating ...), or not much because it recalls the whistling wind, and too much is not good, wind storm in the jump and short. So the first hours of the trip were interesting lectures on the habits of sailors.

These guys hit me, three of them had a completely different life in the past, working together co

me most of the people who live in town, then with the passing years, the experiences of life have driven them to seek something of

iverso to feel more satisfied, so they left it all behind, no regrets, deciding to live in a boat, and that is how their lives came together. Since then they have continued to share many new experiences together, and if this job is hard, tiring their eyes transmit patient satisfaction

I live in joy and what the sea has decided for them. It takes courage to similar decisions, but they seem really happy with their choices.

Among them is Pierce, a very special and interesting: an observer, his eyes alert. He has traveled the world trying all the chores and many of his travels has a tattoo on the body as for wanting to retain the memories of what he has lived in every place far away, transforming himself into the book of his life. Each design has a story for us is a deep and veropiacere hear him tell us his experiences, so the evening under a starry sky we sit out on the "cockpit" all around him, and leaving us to carry in his world.

The pleasant hours spent discovering a "new reality" of the sea, because these guys are living on boats for m

It discusses several days a year, bringing customers around the world, but a wonderful job with great responsibility both for the people 's boat. The warm light of sunset and immediately become much brighter than on earth, everything turns pink. We retreat into our pockets trying to get some sleep 'and lulled by the rocking motion of the boat we all fall down.

Unfortunately the wind makes you wait, so we are forced to move completely to the engine, this limits a little 'speed, about 6/7 knots against 10/12 knots going to sail with a good air.

From the morning we find him Roberto and Antonella excellent cooks, delicious lunches and dinners, will the sea air but we all eat like wolves, with the exception of Stella and Irene that because of some 'of nausea have preferred to fast for the duration the journey (30 hours ...). In the afternoon we reach the coast of Corsica, we get on the boat for better able to approach more closely and see if the rock walls may be suitable for our purpose, but unfortunately they are only nice to look at, you immediately show too friable, after a brief trip back Martinez and we resume our journey.

Among the stories and jokes with Pierce and thrust of David and Guido who do not ever come out, another day passes, and finally arrive. The crew also allow more time sailing at night, so Luke early in the morning, reached the coast of Capo Caccia, David falls strangely awake ran to wake up, we're walking along a long wall overlooking the sea with any style of climbing and rocciaperfetta: gray limestone with long tubes that go down and drop offs of all kinds, we have. He and Guido paw and repeat sentences disjointed, that given the time I still can not decipher, but the sight of that show I do not need other words to understand that this was the right place. We were in front of an infinite number of possible lines to climb, on a single compact wall, long for miles. We arrived.

Capo Caccia - Alghero

A quick breakfast and all jump on the raft. Roberto takes us for a first cruise, so we go along some sides of a small bay, a flat sea, a light green that looks so clean that air. We heat the reaction on a smaller wall slightly overhanging with thousands of little holes and begin the first phase of the inevitable fall. The water is still cold and a slight breeze behind us constantly.

The first day of the Deep Water is definitely the most exciting time but also the most traumatic. The mind is the frigate visual factor, depending on where you are in the fall is more or less afraid, so you can focus more on the climb, you just pull the plugs, hoping that the next one is better than the previous one, factor is continuously thinking about "impact on the water", we get distracted by anything, but it is inevitable, because it is the first day, the first time. If you want to try this new way of tackling the climb becomes obvious at this stage. Just do not stop now, otherwise it remains only the memory of "stress".

The mind unconsciously creates limitations to protect us. Every time we try a new discipline, not even knowing the risks you are to be wary and fear becomes a good brake, we just need to recognize and test the real risks, then everything turns into a beautiful game.

We realize quickly that the water remaining on certain heights is not hard, indeed it is a good crash pad that surrounds you, the important thing is to fall in straight-legged walking possibly closed (especially for males). We continue our tour, we approach every line seems salibile, the rock of course, being a virgin, sometimes breaks down and the barrels are usually very dusty, so between attempts and another in turn becomes a little 'cleaning, resulting in next fall. The game is repeatedly groped a path until one of us discovers took out on some ledge or reach a clear ronchia that marks the end or in rare cases reach the top, and still the only way down is the jump. In no time allaghiamo totally inflatable Roby us to recover any loss, salendoci above totally wet quickly fill it with water, soaking everything that's inside, including magnesite, which turns into a liquid that becomes unusable and palpates the only solution. The new game is challenging, as children continue to change lines, search and taken steps wherever possible.

Roberto, he climber, tender notes by the large wall, seeking new steps while we climb. Meanwhile, the other stops on the narrow ledges near the departures perplexed study the possible presence of jellyfish. Often the current approaches to the walls, grouping them in the bays where they remain trapped for hours. They are small and reddish, but not very dangerous in case of contact orticanti. Ir

ene was touched for a moment from one and has found two signs thick and painful, like burns.

It's cold, windy, not enough to dry out quickly after the dive, so we return by boat to eat and take back a little. The rocky coastline is very long, it is useless to simply stay on the same wall. Newly regenerated the game resumes, we spostiamoin function of the sun until you get under a sheer wall perfect in every way, backdrop, side ledges comfortable enough to dry and sun late. Each in turn try routes that sees more feasible, in total harmony with the place, without rank, names, anything, just climb. The fact that there is a rope or crash pad is the most beautiful part of this discipline, the goal becomes totally alienate the mind of all, free from all limitations and the unconscious to be alone with the rock, which then becomes the ' link between the two "worlds": the sea and the earth. We do not need another. I think this is the spirituality and purity of the Deep Water.

The evening comes in a moment, let's go back to the boat and along the short stretch in the rubber boat watch everyone's faces lit up like light bulbs, we're back again like children motivated to grips with the new "game" of summer.

The next day we travel by boat, we reach an impressive cave, about 15 meters high, with a ceiling height of 3 meters and the initial length of about 10 meters. then out of an overhanging face full of water taken round and facing the sea, perfect.

Just realize that we approached the base is a carpet of jellyfish, small but everywhere. No one dares to leave for fear of falling on him, without much doubt until Guido bravely opens the way. We dress with almost winter clothing, pants and long-sleeved shirt with high collar to limit the contact entered the water. The choice appears effective, no one burns out, everybody feels the most spectacular lines, with Guido David, and we attempt tits but the crack through the middle becomes very flares also always present on the salt taken us down repeatedly, but This is part of the game is fun and we are happy to even try.

A group of German divers watching us from a big boat for a few hours without understanding what we are doing, sometimes trying out a whistle or a clap but not understand the reason for our climb. They are having to look a bit 'as something new and then go away.

After a few hours probably the current intensifies, I do not know, but there's an indefinable number of jellyfish, about three times those found at the beginning, fall onto it becomes too risky so we decide to leave.

In late afternoon we go to Alghero to take supplies what is lacking and to walk a bit 'on the land between the beautiful old streets that surround the port. Everyone is looking for a ride what it needs, until we gather together for dinner in the evening telling the emotions experienced in these first days. Immediately after digestion as an exercise for a good return in the pedestrian center of a little food to 'our spirit as a child found by making a little' healthy 'boulder Street "wherever possible, newly pruned trees, on road signs , stone walls, until late in the evening. Sometimes it is important to let go and break the mold.

The few remaining days of climbing walls to dedicate them to the nearest port, arches and overhangs are perfect for our purpose. The jellyfish now keep us company a little 'everywhere but we're almost used to it, climb, however, hesitating just a little' longer than the moment when we leave, knowing him ... finirci

The crew was amused to see us live this new reality, which often encourage us out of the boat is moored mo

lto closer to being able to observe us. Pierce now fixed on his hammock watching us without comment, for days of cohabitation has not commented on this different style of climbing, who knows that idea has made this sport and to us that we need to continue strong emotions, sin would have been interesting his point of view from outside. For the rest of the crew is different, because as we climb and looking wanted to try them too.

Meanwhile Irene invents new scalable repeating lines, we follow relentlessly, the "game" there never tired, until Roberto after contacting friends on reliable weather, warns us that it is time to return, rather than a storm is coming seriously, to avoid it we must go away quickly. All of our "new world" ends in a moment, however, and was beautiful. I will never cease to thank these amazing friends who have given us a unique, new, full of continuous and deep emotions.

The trip back is a bit 'more lively of the progress, the waves still unannounced although slight starting to come out, Pierce is showing the first signs of failure before the nth farting contest between David and Guido, two adults who act like kids. Still attempt to remove the last word to the beats of Pierce, but in vain, their life experience is too limited to deal with him. Sitting above all of us think back to those days lived, friendship, surprises, fun, and grow together. Thanks to all you guys, I spent some of the best days of my life.

TECHNICAL DATA

- Best time:

- From May to mid October.

- Useful tips:

- Nearest port: Alghero

- It 's easier to climb with shorts.

- Move to different magnesium-bags inside a nylon carrying case, or only use one plastic fabric easily tumble, the essential liquid chalk.

- Bring two pairs of shoes, preferably old, consider that with the salt dry and damaged skin.

- Carry a towel in nylon bags.

- It 's absolutely need a boat to approach the walls.