Overview
Punta Ortu Camminu on Sardinia / Sardegna, like its twin
Punta Carabidda to the south, is a mid sized limestone summit towering roughly 1000m above the town of Oliena. To the west and north it shows imposing faces, to the east Punta Ortu Camminu descends smoothly to the Supramonte high plateau. But don't be fooled - though technically not demanding, the hike on the karst plateau is very tiring. You have to hop from rock to rock and a day of doing this will let you long for a place to lay your tired legs.
The normal route onto Punta Ortu Camminu is a trail that follows the forest road to Scala 'e Pradu, a saddle between Punta Carabidda and Supramonte's highest summit,
Monte Corrasi. From there on you have to follow the ridge towards Punta Carabidda, crossing its summit. The whole route is rather easy but can be very exposed depending on the distance you allow yourself from the vertical drop towards Oliena.
Below Punta Ortu Camminu and Punta Carabidda there is the climbing area of Monte Maccione. It is very popular since it offers a multitude of short but very difficult routes. The length ranges from 15m through 50m, the difficulties from UIAA
VI through
X. The area is of particular interest during the summer months since you can do your climbing in the shade of the north and west faces of Carabidda and Ortu Camminu. For a list and an overview follow the following links:
Interactive overview Map of Supramonte. The summits (and gorges) which have been submitted to SP are marked in red.
Getting There
Sardinia can be reached either by plane or by ferry. The main ports are Porto Torres and Olbia in the north and Arbatax and Cagliari in the south. Airports are at Alghero and Olbia in the north as well as (again) Arbatax and Cagliari in the south. For exploring the north eastern part of the island where most of the mountains are the best entry point is Olbia, which is where most flights go anyway.
Approaching the mountain from Olbia airport
Get on motorway SS 131 south in the direction of Siniscola / Nuoro. At the exit Lula / Dorgali get off and turn on SP38 south (again direction Dorgali). Shortly before you reach the town turn right on SP46, direction Oliena. In Oliena follow the signs to Monte Maccione, which - if I understand correctly - is the larger mountain of which Punta Carabidda is a part of. The road leads to a restaurant at which you can park your car.