CMSB – STAGE 11 - FROM MONTI MANNU TO ARENAS
From a naturalistic and landscape point of view, this is one of the most striking stages of the Trail, thanks to the extraordinary beauty of the granite reliefs of Piscina Irgas that were modelled by watercourses.
The holm oak woods, the Mediterranean scrub and the various mining excavations along the way are also fascinating.
This route is not very challenging because of the length, but because of the elevation gains that you need to overcome.
Safety and useful tips
Along the way, you will find a series of fords: the first is on the Rio Cannisoni before the steep climb along the path leading to the waterfalls of Piscinas Irgas; after the downhill from the waterfall viewpoint, you have to cross the Rio Oriddano less than three times; finally, you have to ford the Canal of Perdu Marras.
When you reach the viewpoint on the waterfalls of Piscinas Irgas, it is advisable to stay on the path without venturing into the gorge that houses the basin into which the waterfalls pour. As a matter of fact, this deviation is very challenging, because it proceeds along a poorly defined and very steep path which, if taken, must be tackled both downhill to reach the reservoir and uphill to resume the route.
In Arenas, you will see some ruined mining buildings; avoid crossing any fences and/or venturing inside them, but always admire them from a distance without leaving the Trail.
The stage runs through an isolated territory, therefore it is good practice to communicate the departure from Monti Mannu and the arrival in Arenas (in Arenas the phone connection will work in elevated areas and in particular near the buildings of the old Genne Carru Mine, which you will encounter at the beginning of the next stage). It is therefore advisable to download the offline version of the stage track.
The stage presents a high difficulty especially due to the differences in altitude encountered. The route has a length of 15.6 km, which can be done in 5 hours and 30 minutes and has an uphill difference in height of 912 m and a downhill difference of 667 m.
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