A day to remember

As we stood atop the high sea cliffs, the air was still crisp and damp. The morning dew made the orange-pink granite of Capo Pecora all the more vivid against the gently undulating, blue-green Mediterranean Sea. In the distance, a lone, stunted tree rose above the undergrowth, permanently bent to 90 degrees by the prevailing winds. The sea air carried[…]

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climbing at Jerzu, photo by Ulysse Richard

Last days in Tertenia

We left the house early to walk over to the Wednesday market. The sky was blue-blue, but the air was especially crisp and cold, perhaps only 5C. Based on the forecast, we’d been wondering if it would be too hot to climb at southwest-facing Quirra, but that morning it seemed unlikely to be a problem. We could see our breath[…]

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goat in the town of Ulassai

The small life

I met an old man strolling outside the imposing church at the heart of Tertenia. I was surprised to see anyone around the church; it was the middle of a weekday afternoon. He said he was there for a funeral, and that he went to funerals because it was a chance to see people from the town and surrounding area.[…]

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Photo by Thomas Tucker on Unsplash

In search of comfort food

Ulysse declared that he needed pizza. On a hard climb the day before, he’d had two fingers in a snug pocket and had not fully extracted them before trying to make a big, powerful reach upwards. I heard the crack from where I belayed 20 m below and then he slumped onto the rope, cradling his right hand. At first,[…]

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