Alt: 355m. Distance: 9.2 km. Time: 04:39:19

Sa Pranedda is an intriguing plateau that dominates the view from my mother-in-law's garden. I was compelled to investigate. On the east side there are remains of nuraghi and 'domus di janas' (faries' houses), an ancient necropolis. The top of the plateau is otherworldly, spongey underfoot from wild herbs and succulent shrubs and carpeted with wildflowers.

The history of the landscape dates back to between 14 and 32 million years ago; the area was a depression capturing fluvial deposits, on top of which explosive magmatic eruptions deposited a thick horizontal layer of lava and pyroclastic rocks. This sheet of ignimbrite now constitutes the surface of the tabletop hills. Originally it covered the depression uniformly, but about 6 million years ago erosion processes broke it into many parts that collapsed at different speeds, creating the difference in altitude between the hills we see today. 

I was aware of a nuraghe at the west side of the plateau and tried in vain to reach it. The bushes were too thick to break through. Will try again, but I now have my eye on Monte Narcau - a similar formation but more dramatic.

Total track time: 4h 39m 19s
Total real distance: 9.5 km
Minimum elevation: 162 m.s.l.
Maximum elevation: 355 m.s.l.
Total climbing: 620 m
Total descent: 628 m