Monte Oddeu, east face (Dorgali) · Sardinia · Italy
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
Two pitches of bridging up a 60 m corner hung with tufas and stalactites (6c+, 6c), then grey water-drop walls and a short roof at 7a that goes in three moves of aid. Seven pitches of varied climbing on perfect, unpolished rock.
The route
Alfredo Alfredo takes the big corner on the central part of the east face of Monte Oddeu, above the Oddoene valley near Dorgali. Corrado Pibiri and Fabio Erriu opened it in 2012 as one of a group of 200 m 'plaisir' routes, entirely bolted with 6a obligatory climbing. After an approach pitch, the corner gives two outstanding pitches of stemming on concretions; the upper half changes to grey walls with pockets and flutings. The single 7a section is a short roof on pitch 6 that parties regularly pass on aid, and several felt the route overall nearer TD+ than its ED- label.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5c | 30 m | Approach pitch: a crack, then slab with a few perched blocks. |
| P2 | 6c+ | 30 m | The start of the corner. Gentle at first and very closely bolted (skip some to save drag), then the good holds thin out and the difficulty builds to the end. Belay under a stalactite. Bridging more than strength; some parties found it 6b+. |
| P3 | 6c | 30 m | The corner continues, slanting left, with a small traverse on undercuts and tufa features. The best pitch of the route. |
| P4 | 5c | 15 m | Traverse left with an awkward start and air beneath you, then straight up. Route-finding crux: do not stop at the first chained belay; go on to the next one just to the left. Some give 5c+. |
| P5 | 6a+ | 30 m | A wall of flakes, then grey Verdon-style rock. Not so easy, and the bolts are further apart. Camptocamp gives 6a/6a+. |
| P6 | 7a | 25 m | A vertical start on small edges slanting right (the bolts to the left are Madame Bovary), then a roof on positive edges with one very hard closing move. The roof goes on aid in about three moves. |
| P7 | 6a+ | 50 m | Steep to slightly overhanging on big fluted holds, in different rock again; very long, with the bolts spacing out. |
Getting there
From Dorgali drive the SS125 south towards Baunei, pass the Cala Gonone turn-off and at the next junction turn right down a small road into the Oddoene valley, following signs for Gola di Gorropu. There is a paid car park (8 euros in 2024) just before the concrete bridge over the river; the face is directly opposite. To avoid the fee, cross the bridge, turn right along the track and park at its end, where there are a few spaces.
15 to 20 minutes. After the bridge take the track on the right, then leave it at a cairn and a gap in the fence and follow the fence line on a marked but overgrown path to the foot of the wall. Follow a track along the base to below the obvious corner. The route is just right of Madame Bovary and right of the slabs of La mia Africa; the name is painted in faded yellow at the base.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 273479
Contains the route point. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 40.20153, 9.50377 (crag)
Getting down
On foot: from the top go north over easy rocks, following cairns, down to the valley floor, then take the path on the other side (shared with the Surtana approach) back to the fence and the car. It starts easily, becomes steeper and slippery, and the last part is scrubby and less clear; if you reach a small cave, go back. Allow 25 to 45 minutes. Alternatively abseil Madame Bovary with two ropes.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Camptocamp gives abseiling Madame Bovary, the adjacent route, as the alternative descent, and the belays are bolted, some of them chained. No source describes abseiling Alfredo Alfredo itself, and the corner pitches slant and pitch 4 traverses.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
East facing: in the sun through the morning, with shade arriving on the upper pitches in the afternoon. Parties in late September and October with 30°C in the shade found it far too hot until the top; pick cool days or start late. The rock is rough and unpolished.
Sun on the wall · E-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Sardinia are not available yet
What to carry
16 quickdraws. Camptocamp says a single 50 m rope is enough if you walk off and 2×50 m if you abseil; a 2023 party measured the last pitch at about 50 m, so a 60 m rope gives a margin. One 2024 party carried cams (0.4 to 0.75) and two slings for the easier pitches; most do not. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Alfredo Alfredo.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.