Blue Wildlife: mini guide for the most difficult trekking in Italy

The Selvaggio Blu is a set of routes that lead, through the Supramonte di Baunei, from Santa Maria Navarrese to Cala Sisine (or extending by one stop at Cala Luna) in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia.
Walking along these ancient paths, which were barely traced and used until the 1950s by local shepherds or charcoal workers who came from the continent, it must be said from the start, is a unique experience. Many, wanting to know what it is and what it involves, ask and try to imagine comparisons with the most famous European trekking: the GR20 in Corsica, the TMB (Giro del Mont Blanc) or the TMR (Giro del Monte Rosa), etc..

Blue Selvage: What is important to know before leaving

1. You won't find any signs (or some of them will not be very useful) that indicate the right path.

2. You will not have any shelters at the end of the stage.

3. You don't have to limit yourself to walking, but you'll have to climb, walk along via ferrate, pass on landslides with difficult balance, walk down harnesses and ropes in vertical passages that vary from ten to fifty meters, go through caves and pass from one side of a cliff to the other.

What is the original Selvaggio Blu route?

There is no Blue Wildlife, but a variety of different routes. If you want to identify these routes, however, you can talk about three different trekking routes. Selvaggio Blu (Blue Wildlife) or the original one identified in the eighties by Verin and Cicalò, which in some places obliges to follow the path that goes back towards the interior.

Selvaggio Blu+Blu, that is to say the one created in 2014 by Explorando Supramonte and the alpine guide Marcello Cominetti who, even if crossing some stretches of the original trekking, remains closer to the coast with technical passages on railways and climbs (Ferrata di Golorotzè) and that stops at the Grotta del Fico.

Blue Selvaggio, the inverse path that, they tell me extremely hard and particularly spectacular, as if the others were a walk!
What I have covered from 23 to 29 May 2016 with 10 other comrades and I'm about to tell you is the so called Selvaggio Blu+Blu organized by Explorando Supramonte.

How to organize for the Blue Wildlife?

As far as the "how to do it" is concerned, I believe that, in my personal opinion, the best way is to rely on local organisations, thus making use of logistics and guidance. In addition to doing so safely, you should not be disdained for a little bit of comfort. One thing is to travel with a light backpack with the only things you need for that day of trekking and wait until at the end of the stage they take you with your dinghy the tent, dinner, water, etc..
One thing is that you have to carry everything on your shoulders and, with a great deal of weight, walk through pebbles, climb small stretches of climbing, climb on railways, etc..
Then add the personal equipment from ferrata: helmet, harness, harness, lanyard, various lanyards, carabiners, descender, heatsink. More, in common in the group, two ropes of 50 meters.
It should also be emphasized that doing so with these local guides, in addition to being of help to the local economy, is beautiful because listening to the history of the population, the anecdotes, having information on flora and fauna, knowing the problems of the difficult natural balance adds to the visual pleasure some knowledge.
For food and food many people think that, the days before departure, it is enough to distribute at the end of the stage, hiding in the vegetation food and water, and then recover them at the end of the day.
There are those who do but risk a lot: meanwhile, they risk not finding anything because they are "stolen" from other trekkers or simply eaten and/or destroyed by the many pigs/boars present.
Moreover, this practice is, precisely because of the problem of possible pollution of the territory, EXPRESSLY VIETED.
If you really want to go trekking without a guide, at least rely on the logistics of the local organizations making you take food, water and tents/sleeping bags to the end of the stage.
I said that the paths are NOT marked: and don't venture to do it!
If you have the GPS track, use it but trouble to mark trees or stones with paint.... The territory is intact and must remain intact. The local community is very jealous

When do Blue Wildlife?

For the "when to do it" the answer is simple: spring or autumn.... NEVER in summer.
Let's simply say that after May (max) the paths become ovens and the total absence of water certainly does not help.
From mid-September onwards it is also perfect. Not to be disdained also the fact that in autumn the sea is much warmer than in spring and therefore the baths, at the end of the stage, will certainly be more pleasant. You can do it even in winter, just contact local organizations but the days are very short.

What you need to bring for Selvaggio Blu: materials and backpack

As I said my Selvaggio Blu was a very comfortable trek of great comfort. But it is still a hard trekking and EEA classifiable. In order to do this with peace and quiet, we separate what you need for daily trekking and how much for the night stop and for travel by car from home to Santa Maria Navarrese.

What to bring for trekking:

• 1 light backpack (approx. 20 litres)
• ferrata equipment (disposer, harness, harness, daisy chain, 4 carabiners, descender, lanyard for safety, helmet, work or ferrata gloves) to be carried only in the stages where it is needed.
• 2 trekking poles: to be evaluated. (Lastly used, too "bumpy" paths, more of hindrance than help and abandoned in the bag after the first stage)
• T-shirt, shorts or long trousers, underwear, hat, hats, trekking socks and rode shoes
• 1 batteries
• 1 kway
• 1 costume
• 1 pair of slippers (better closed sandals or rock shoes)
• sunglasses, sunscreens, hygiene creams
• camera with spare battery
• mobile phone (then we talk about it)
• water, sandwiches, fruit... for the day

In the bag that arrives in the evening and starts again the next morning:

• 1 curtain - 1 curtain (but there are those who only carry a waterproof sheet)
• mattress
• sleeping bag
• replacement clothes
• 1 cup in aluminium, 1 plate, cutlery. In short, everything you need, but not during the route.
• Battery charger for mobile phone and camera
• NB: you can only recharge at the cave of Fico. Alternatively, carry solar battery charger and/or powerbank. Please also remember that the signal for your mobile phone is very discontinuous due to the orography.
  Be careful that the bag is waterproof.

Sometimes, if the sea is rough and the dinghy cannot get to land, the luggage is flown through the splashes of the waves. Wherever possible, things that should not be soaked in watertight bags are placed.