Italy Climbing Crags Overview: Picking by Season, Where to Look Things Up, Finding Partners | Italy Climbing Crags

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Each guide in this series covers one Italian crag: rock type and style, the best seasons and why, how to get there by public transport or by car, and the local rules to know before you go. It does not cover itineraries, flights, or accommodation prices, because that goes out of date fast. A crag's seasons and rules change much more slowly.

Seventy crags are covered so far, in 19 of Italy's 20 regions (all but Basilicata): from Piedmont, the Aosta Valley, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, and Friuli in the north, through Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and the central regions, to Campania, Puglia, and Calabria, and on to Sicily and Sardinia. Neighbouring crags in one area are sometimes combined into a single guide, for example the Sella Group, Val d'Ossola and Cadarese, Baunei and the Supramonte, and the Cortina single-pitch crags. Italy has far more than that: theCrag's Italy page lists around 97,000 routes across 19 regions, about 15,600 of them in Trentino-Alto Adige alone.

Picking a crag by season

Italy is long from north to south and runs from the Alps to Mediterranean islands, so crag seasons vary a lot. Roughly three kinds:

• Winter crags: coastal limestone in the south and on the islands, plus a few low, south-facing crags in the north. theCrag gives the season at San Vito lo Capo as October to May and says summer is too hot; Rockfax's Sicily guide gives the main season as October to mid-May, with the best conditions from mid-November to the end of April. Elsewhere in Sicily, Palermo, Siracusa, and Ragusa and Modica are also autumn-to-spring crags. The Sardinian tourist board's climbing page says you can climb year-round but recommends spring, autumn, and winter; the local association at Isili gives October to May as best, and Domusnovas and Masua suit winter best. On the mainland, the Amalfi Coast is an October-to-April crag, Capo d'Uomo in Tuscany gets full sun on winter mornings, and Grotti in Lazio is best from November to March. The north has winter crags too: the south-facing side of Val Rosandra near Trieste is a sunny-winter-day crag, and in Val Pennavaire, inland from Finale, winter means the south-facing sectors on the north bank.
• Summer crags: the high crags of the Dolomites, Mont Blanc, and the Apennines. Cinque Torri sits at around 2,200 m, and Planetmountain lists its season simply as summer. The long Dolomite routes follow the huts and lifts: the Tre Cime di Lavaredo season runs from mid-June to early October, the Catinaccio and Vajolet Towers from about mid-June to the end of September, and the lift used to descend from the Marmolada South Face runs only 12 June to 27 September in 2026. There are summer sport crags too, such as Frea below Passo Gardena (June to September) and Laste in the Agordino (June to September). On the Italian side of Mont Blanc the Skyway cable car sets the season, and you need glacier skills. Further south, Gran Sasso in Abruzzo is a summer-to-early-autumn venue only, UKC calls Caltavuturo the best place in Sicily for summer climbing, and in Sardinia the summer favourite is Ulassai and Jerzu, at about 800 m with many sectors in shade all day (though spring and autumn are still the best seasons there).
• Mostly spring and autumn, some year-round: the local outdoor organization for Finale Ligure says that with the right sector you can climb in winter and summer, but spring and autumn are still best. The floor of Val di Mello is at 800–1,100 m; 27crags calls it climbable almost year-round, with sunny sectors in winter and Bagni di Masino, at about 1,300 m, for summer. Valle dell'Orco is listed for late May to early October, or spring and autumn. The granite and gneiss bouldering areas of the north are mostly spring and autumn too: Valle Gesso, Champorcher, and Valle di Daone (move higher in summer to escape the heat). In central Italy, Roccamorice is best in spring and autumn and also climbable on sunny winter days, and Gola della Rossa and Frasassi suit autumn to spring.

At some crags the season depends on closures as much as on weather: every source for Collepardo gives a climbing ban from 1 January to 31 July, so in practice you can only plan for August to December; at Statte, the protected-area rules as written leave only September to December. Those crags and the others with current closures are listed in the next section.

The tables below run north to south by region and cover all 70 crags. The seasons come from the sources quoted in each guide. Where sources disagree, the individual guide lists all of them; the tables show a representative one.

Northwest: Piedmont, Aosta Valley, Lombardy

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
Valle dell'Orco	Piedmont, Gran Paradiso National Park	Trad cracks, big-wall multi-pitch, plus plenty of sport and bouldering lower down	Gneiss	Late May–early Oct, or spring and autumn
Val d'Ossola and Cadarese	Northern tip of Piedmont, between Swiss Valais and Ticino	Granite cracks, single-pitch sport, forest bouldering	Granite; the Foppiano boulders are gneiss	Cadarese best in spring/autumn; Foppiano Apr–Oct
Rocca Sbarua	Piedmont, above Pinerolo	Historic multi-pitch, now mostly on expansion bolts	Granite-gneiss	South-facing; almost year round except in heavy snow
Monte Bracco	Piedmont, mouth of Valle Po	Single-pitch sport, forest bouldering	Gneiss	Sep–Jun; too hot only in high summer
Andonno	Piedmont, mouth of Valle Gesso near Cuneo	Single-pitch sport	Limestone	Year round (Planetmountain); whole crag closed from 1 Oct 2026
Valle Gesso bouldering	Piedmont, foot of the Maritime Alps south of Cuneo	Alpine bouldering	Gneiss	Best in spring/autumn; takes days to dry after rain
Monte Bianco, Italian side	Aosta Valley, Courmayeur	Alpine granite towers reached over glacier, cirque multi-pitch	Granite	Summer; set by the Skyway (2026: reopened 23 May, closed 16 Nov–4 Dec)
Machaby / Arnad	Lower Aosta Valley, Arnad	Bolted friction-slab multi-pitch, single-pitch sport	Gneiss	Apr–Oct, best spring/autumn, too hot in high summer
Champorcher	Lower Aosta Valley, Champorcher valley	Streamside and forest bouldering	Sources differ: serpentinite or granite	Best spring/autumn; summer evenings and snow-free winter mornings also work
Val di Mello	Lombardy, side valley of Val Masino, nature reserve	Bouldering, friction slabs, long multi-pitch	Granite	Bouldering spring/autumn; multi-pitch May–Sep or Apr–Oct
Lecco and the Grigne	Lombardy, southeast corner of Lake Como	Over a hundred single-pitch sport crags, Grignetta multi-pitch	Limestone; the Grignetta is dolomite	Varies by crag: Galbiate year round except high summer, Versasio best spring/autumn
Cornalba	Lombardy, Val Serina north of Bergamo	Technical single-pitch finger walls; 6c minimum	Limestone	Town hall says every season, except the coldest winter days

Northeast: Trentino-Alto Adige

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
Arco	Trentino, north of Lake Garda	Mostly single-pitch sport, plus long multi-pitch	Limestone	Early spring to late autumn; climbable year round
Sass Dlacia	South Tyrol, Val Badia on the road to Passo Valparola	Long single pitches, short multi-pitch	Dolomite	Summer
Frea	South Tyrol, below Passo Gardena	Single-pitch sport, two tiers that link into short multi-pitches	Dolomite	Jun–Sep
Sassolungo	Between Val Gardena and Val di Fassa	Alpine trad multi-pitch	Dolomite	Summer, around July–August
Sella Group	Around Passo Sella and Passo Pordoi	Classic trad multi-pitch, sport multi-pitch, boulder-field single pitches	Dolomite	Summer
Pian Schiavaneis	Trentino, on the road from Canazei to Passo Sella	Steep hard single pitches, climbable in the rain	Limestone	Year round, best on summer afternoons (Planetmountain); winter depends on road and snow
Catinaccio and the Vajolet Towers	Trentino, above Val di Fassa	Trad multi-pitch on towers by the hut, long east-face routes	Dolomite	Follows the huts, roughly mid-June to end of September
Pale di San Martino	Trentino, around Primiero	Historic long routes, single-pitch crags below	Dolomite; Tognazza at Passo Rolle is porphyry	Big walls follow the huts (mid-June to end of September); valley crags almost year round
Brenta and Campanile Basso	Trentino, east of Madonna di Campiglio	Historic trad multi-pitch on spires	Dolomite	Jul–Sep (SummitPost)
Valle di Daone	Western Trentino	Bouldering	Granite	Best spring/autumn; go higher in summer

Northeast: Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
Lumignano	Veneto, south of Vicenza	Technical sport, stiff grades	Limestone	Spring, autumn, winter; sector-specific open months
Cinque Torri	Veneto, above Cortina d'Ampezzo	Short multi-pitch classics, single-pitch sport	Dolomite	Summer (2026 chairlift 6 Jun–11 Oct)
Tre Cime di Lavaredo	Dolomites, above Rifugio Auronzo	Classic north-face lines, easier south-side multi-pitch	Dolomite	Mid-June to early October
Tofana di Rozes	Veneto, west of Cortina	Long trad multi-pitch on a nearly 1,000 m south face	Dolomite	Summer
Cortina single-pitch crags	Veneto, by the road from Cortina to Passo Giau	Single-pitch sport, beginner to 8c	Dolomite	Summer; south-facing Crépe de Oucèra Alte also in spring/autumn
Marmolada South Face	South side of the Dolomites' highest peak	Trad multi-pitch of 550–900 m	Limestone	Summer, set by the hut and lift (lift 12 Jun–27 Sep 2026)
Civetta North-West Face	Veneto, above Lake Alleghe	1,000 m-class long routes	Dolomite	Summer, with the huts (Coldai mid-June to end of September)
Laste	Veneto, Agordino valley in Belluno province	Technical vertical slab single pitches	Limestone	Jun–Sep
Erto	Friuli, by the Vajont dam	Big overhang endurance pitches, easier sector on the right	Limestone	Rainy days and clear winter days; summer evenings only
Val Rosandra	Friuli, outside Trieste	Vertical small-hold single pitches, historic multi-pitch	Limestone	South-facing side for sunny winter days; too hot in summer

Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
Finale Ligure	Liguria, coast and inland valleys	Sport, plus multi-pitch	Limestone	Year round by aspect, best spring/autumn; raptor-nesting closures at some crags
Muzzerone	Liguria, Porto Venere	Sea-cliff sport, bolted 2–3 pitch routes	Limestone	Autumn to spring; hot in summer
Val Pennavaire	Liguria, inland from Albenga	Steep tufa endurance single pitches	Limestone	Winter on the south-facing sectors of the north bank
Varazze	Liguria, hills behind Varazze	Bouldering	Metamorphic, mostly serpentinite	Sep–May; too hot and ticks in summer
Pietra di Bismantova	Emilia-Romagna, south of Reggio Emilia	Single-pitch sport, short multi-pitch, aid	Calcarenite	All seasons (falesia.it); don't climb after rain
Camaiore	Tuscany, between Viareggio and Lucca	Steep tufa single pitches; trad on the Pizzo d'Uccello north face	Limestone	Varies by sector: lower Candalla for hot days, Placche a mare winter and spring/autumn
Elba	Off the Tuscan coast	Seaside single-pitch sport, bolted multi-pitch	Granite	Best spring/autumn (Climb Europe); shaded sectors also in summer
Capo d'Uomo	Southern Tuscany, Monte Argentario	Sea-view single pitches, fully bolted multi-pitch	Limestone	Winter, full sun in the morning

Central: Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
Ferentillo	Umbria, Valnerina	Steep sport	Limestone (tufa)	South-facing Nov–Mar, east-facing spring/autumn
Gola della Rossa and Frasassi	Inland Marche, regional nature park	Single-pitch sport, bolted gorge multi-pitch and old-school trad	Limestone	Autumn to spring
Sperlonga	Lazio, behind Sant'Agostino beach	Single-pitch sport	Limestone	Oct–May; too hot in summer
Gaeta	Lazio, Arenauta beach and Montagna Spaccata	Steep cave sport, sea-cliff multi-pitch	Limestone	Cave year round; Montagna Spaccata 1 Aug–20 Feb
Grotti	Northern Lazio, southeast of Rieti	Hard single pitches, mostly 7a and up	Conglomerate limestone	Nov–Mar; summer evenings only
Cueva di Collepardo	Southern Lazio, Monti Ernici	Hard cave single pitches	Limestone	Banned 1 Jan–31 Jul, so Aug–Dec only; best Sep–Nov
Gran Sasso	Abruzzo, highest massif in the Apennines	Alpine multi-pitch, summer bouldering and sport	Limestone	Summer to early autumn
Roccamorice	Abruzzo, Majella National Park	Single-pitch sport	Limestone	Best spring/autumn; sunny winter days too
Pennadomo	Abruzzo, Sangro valley in Chieti province	Technical slab single pitches	Limestone	Year round; Resegone better in autumn/winter
Frosolone	Molise, plateau at 1,100–1,300 m	Single-pitch sport on a boulder cluster	Limestone	Late spring to early autumn; cool and windy in summer

South: Campania, Puglia, Calabria

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
Amalfi Coast	Campania, Montepertuso above Positano	Steep tufa single pitches, technical slabs	Limestone	Oct–Apr; too hot in summer
Palinuro	Southern Campania, Cilento coast	Beachside single pitches, 40 m overhanging stalactite wall	Not stated in the guide	Molpa best in winter, summer mornings/evenings only; La Severina in shade after 1 pm
Statte	Puglia, north of Taranto	Gorge single-pitch sport	Limestone	Databases say year round; protected-area rules ban climbing 1 Jan–31 Aug
Salento	Puglia, near Santa Maria di Leuca	Seaside single pitches, sea-cliff cave, deep water solo	Limestone	Year round; in summer pick the afternoon-shade hours
Orsomarso and Pollino	Northern Calabria, Pollino National Park	Three single-pitch sport crags	Limestone	Frascineto for winter; Acqua Rossa summer mornings/evenings; Mercuri even in the rain
Stilo	Southern Calabria, Monte Consolino	Tufa cave, mid-grade single pitches	Limestone	Autumn, winter, spring; in summer pick sectors in afternoon shade

Sicily

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
San Vito lo Capo	Sicily, northwest tip of Trapani province	Mostly single-pitch sport, long multi-pitch on Monte Monaco	Limestone	Oct–May
Palermo	The Sicilian capital and the coast to its north	Single-pitch sport, sea-cliff multi-pitch	Limestone	Autumn to spring
Bosco Scorace	Inland Trapani province, about 600 m	Bouldering	Sandstone	Sep/Oct to May; tree shade allows some summer climbing
Rocche del Crasto	Northeast Sicily, Nebrodi park	Remote multi-pitch, single pitches	Limestone	No source gives best months; the guide infers spring/autumn from aspect and altitude
Caltavuturo	North-central Sicily, Madonie mountains	Single-pitch sport	Limestone	Summer (UKC: Sicily's best summer venue)
Siracusa	Southeast Sicily, Canicattini Bagni	Gorge single-pitch sport, sea-cliff DWS	Limestone	Gorges autumn to spring; DWS in July/August
Ragusa and Modica	Southeast Sicily, around Cava d'Ispica	Gorge single-pitch sport	Limestone	Autumn to spring; too hot in July/August

Sardinia

Crag	Location	Style	Rock	Season (per source)
Cala Gonone	Sardinia, Dorgali east coast	Single-pitch sport, sea caves, seaside multi-pitch	Limestone	Autumn to spring; shaded sectors in summer
Gallura	Northeast Sardinia	Bouldering, a little sport at Capo Testa	Granite	Autumn, spring and December; Luogosanto also in summer
Tavolara	Private island off Olbia	Sea-cliff trad multi-pitch	Limestone	Winter crag (climbingitaly); 2025 ban, 2026 status unclear
Baunei and the Supramonte	Sardinia, east coast	Sea-cliff spire, multi-pitch hundreds of metres long	Limestone	Best spring/autumn (UKC); most walls year round
Ulassai and Jerzu	Eastern Sardinia, Ogliastra mountains	Single-pitch sport	Limestone	Best spring/autumn; the island's main summer crag
Isili	Central Sardinia	Steep single pitches	Limestone	Oct–May; too hot and ticks in summer
Domusnovas and Masua	Southwest Sardinia, Iglesiente	Single-pitch sport at the cave mouth, sea-cliff multi-pitch	Limestone	Best in winter; Castello dell'Iride too hot in summer

Check before you go: crags with current closures or restrictions

This list covers only what the individual guides already report (checked October 2026). Closures get lifted and new ones appear; the details and notice pages are in each guide's "Rules before you go" section, so check again before you travel. "Secondary" means the guide found only media or database reports and did not read the original order.

Whole crag or large areas closed

• Andonno: from 1 October 2026 a Valdieri mayoral order bans access and climbing across the whole crag until maintenance works are finished, with no planned reopening date. After it reopens, the central sectors may close again in spring for nesting peregrines.
• Tavolara: in May 2025 the mayor of Olbia banned climbing and via ferrata on the island, with an exception only for mountain guides on research work; the ban was later set to run until 30 September 2025. The guide found no notice on whether it was renewed or replaced for 2026, so confirm with the Comune di Olbia before you go.
• Frosolone: the mayor banned climbing in August 2020; a May 2021 council resolution reopened the crag with conditions, closing it entirely from March to May that year for nesting cliff birds (secondary: Planetmountain, Montagna.TV and other reports; neither original order found). Planetmountain's crag page still shows a climbing ban, so check with the town hall first.
• Cueva di Collepardo: climbing is banned across the whole Collepardo area from 1 January to 31 July for nesting raptors (secondary: Climbook update of May 2026 and others; no 2026 primary notice found).
• Statte: the gorge lies inside Natura 2000 site IT9130007, whose management rules ban climbing during the bird-nesting period from 1 January to 31 August; databases and local sites still say it is climbable year round, so confirm before you go.

Some sectors closed

• Val Pennavaire: the shady south-bank sectors Emisfero, Erboristeria and Cineplex fall inside the Province of Savona's permanent climbing ban of 2000 (the sector list is secondary, compiled by climbing media and blogs); in 2021 the administrative court annulled the region's trial opening, and no later opening decision could be found.
• Lecco and the Grigne: Versasio was closed by order of the Comune di Lecco after rockfall at the end of 2022, and no notice lifting it could be found (secondary: Lecconotizie). Lagoland on the east shore was closed for stabilization works, with no reopening notice found since (secondary: reported by Larioclimb).
• Arco: after a rockfall above Laghel on 25 August 2026, an emergency order from the town banned climbing on the crags and slabs above Laghel and use of the approach paths until expressly revoked; a 7 October notice repeated the closure.
• Roccamorice: on 1 November 2025 a rockfall below the Betacam route in the Pancia d'Elefante sector killed a climber, and the accident area was placed under seizure (secondary: local media; no primary notice of the scope or of its lifting found). A town order also makes helmets mandatory.
• Gola della Rossa and Frasassi: park regulations allow climbing only on the routes listed in Annex 4; parts of the left bank of the Frasassi gorge, the Valle del Vernino and other areas are permanently off limits, and some routes have seasonal restrictions.
• Orsomarso and Pollino: the park's 2016 interim climbing rules ban climbing in the Lao and Argentino valley areas, and Zone A is open only from September to December; some sectors at Frascineto are closed by the town.
• Salento: the Tetto Marino sector at Ciolo has been "closed to access since 2022" (secondary: Gulliver; original order not found). Separately, from 12 October 2026 a stretch of coast road at Ponte Ciolo is closed on weekday daytimes for about 30 days.
• Lumignano: CAI Vicenza reports that 21 routes on the south face and 32 on the west face of the Dente di Lumignano are banned by town order because of rockfall risk; other sectors have their own open months.
• Muzzerone: access and climbing on the Parete Centrale are banned by Order no. 2616 of 2014; inside the reserve you may climb only marked routes.
• Sperlonga: Climbook lists a climbing ban from 25 February to 15 April on the left half of Tetti Rossi at Moneta and on the whole Pilastro di Ponente, and falesia.it says routes 7 to 19 on the Paretone are banned.
• Gaeta: Approdo dei Proci is closed by a 2014 order (theCrag warning); Montagna Spaccata is open only from 1 August to 20 February (falesia.it).
• Val d'Ossola: Val Grande National Park closes the cliffs around Colloro every year from February to the end of July for nesting peregrines.
• Finale Ligure: some walls are closed all year and others from 1 January to 31 July each year; see "Rules that apply almost everywhere" below.
• Pennadomo: Planetmountain says the 12 routes on the Paretone cannot currently be climbed.

Approach and access restrictions

• Tofana di Rozes: after a huge collapse on the north face of Tofana di Dentro on 4 October 2026, a Cortina mayoral order closed path 401 in Val Travenanzes and the Cengia Paolina until further notice. The closure does not cover the approach from Rifugio Dibona to the south face.
• Palermo: a 2020 town order bans access to P3/P4 rockfall zones during orange and red weather alerts and for 24 hours after heavy rain or a felt earthquake; Via Monte Ercta, the usual approach to Valdesi, is also a closed road.
• Baunei and the Supramonte: Cala Goloritzè has a visitor cap of 250 people at a time, booked and paid through Heart of Sardinia, and climbers must keep to the path's opening hours.

Where to look things up

Each guide's "Where to look things up" section links that crag's pages. The sources used throughout:

• theCrag: a user-contributed route database with around 97,000 routes in Italy, mostly sport. It is organized by region, and crag pages show a seasonality chart and grade distribution.
• 27crags: another topo platform. Its Italy list includes Arco, Finale Ligure, Val di Mello, Valle dell'Orco, San Vito lo Capo, and several Sardinian areas. Many topos are behind its Premium paywall, and the list sometimes flags closures directly; Nago, near Arco, is marked "Closed for now".
• Planetmountain: an Italian climbing and mountaineering outlet with a crag database. Each entry lists the grade range, height, number of routes, rock type, aspect, and access. Its news section often covers new routes and controversies.
• falesia.it: an Italian-language crag site whose owner describes it on the forum as "praticamente il primo d'Italia" (practically the top in Italy) for crag information.
• Guidebooks: detailed topos are still mostly in print. Versante Sud is one of the main publishers, with regional books such as Trento and Valsugana Rock, which covers 64 crags. The local organization in Finale recommends two books: Finale Climbing (Versante Sud) and Finale 51 (Idee Verticali). In English, Rockfax publishes guides to the Dolomites and Sicily.
• UKC Logbook: shows which crags a guidebook covers, with route counts, rock type, and aspect for each—for example, the crag list for the 2022 third edition of Finale Climbing.
• Local organizations: current closures, maintenance, and parking rules are often only posted locally. Finale Outdoor Region, for example, has a "LIVE INFO" page for closures and maintenance.

Grades: theCrag's Italy page uses French grades (6a, 7b+, and so on) as its context; that is what sport climbing uses, and most of Planetmountain's crag entries are in French grades too. Trad routes in the Dolomites are different: the Rockfax Dolomites guide says UIAA (IV, VI+, VII, and so on) is the standard system for trad routes throughout the Italian Dolomites, and that UIAA grades only technical difficulty, not objective dangers such as poor protection or rockfall.

Converting grades: French, YDS, UIAA, V

The guides in this series give grades in the original system the sources use: French for sport routes, UIAA for Dolomites trad, Font for boulders. The route tables add YDS and V-grade conversions, all from the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart. If you usually climb in YDS or V grades, read across from the grade you climb at home. No conversion is exact, and the original grade is the one that counts; for what each system measures and where conversions break down, see Grades and protection ratings.

The four levels used in each guide's "Routes by level" section map onto these bands.

French	YDS	UIAA	Level in this series
4a	5.4	IV	Beginner
4b	5.5	IV+	Beginner
4c	5.6	V	Beginner
5a	5.7	V+	Beginner
5b	5.8	VI-	Beginner
5c	5.9	VI	Beginner
6a	5.10a	VI+	Beginner
6a+	5.10b	VII-	Intermediate
6b	5.10c	VII	Intermediate
6b+	5.10d	VII+	Intermediate
6c	5.11a/b	VIII-	Intermediate
6c+	5.11c	VIII-	Intermediate
7a	5.11d	VIII	Advanced
7a+	5.12a	VIII+	Advanced
7b	5.12b	VIII+	Advanced
7b+	5.12c	IX-	Advanced
7c	5.12d	IX	Advanced
7c+	5.13a	IX+	Advanced
8a	5.13b	IX+	Expert
8a+	5.13c	X-	Expert
8b	5.13d	X	Expert
8b+	5.14a	X+	Expert
8c	5.14b	X+	Expert
8c+	5.14c	XI-	Expert
9a	5.14d	XI	Expert
9a+	5.15a	XI+	Expert
9b	5.15b	XII-	Expert
9b+	5.15c	XII	Expert
9c	5.15d	XIII-	Expert

Bouldering grades (Font → V):

Font	V	Font	V
4	V0	7A+	V7
5	V1	7B	V8
5+	V2	7B+	V8+
6A	V3	7C	V9
6A+	V3+	7C+	V10
6B	V4	8A	V11
6B+	V4+	8A+	V12
6C	V5	8B	V13
6C+	V5+	8B+	V14
7A	V6	8C	V15

Rules that apply almost everywhere

Each guide's "Rules to know before you go" section covers that crag. A few things come up often in Italy:

• Bird-nesting closures. To protect potential nesting sites of eagle owls and peregrine falcons, Finale Outdoor Region lists walls closed to climbing all year (for example the southern part of Bric Pianarella and Capo Noli) and walls closed every year from 1 January to 31 July (for example Monte Tolla and Bric Reseghe). Up-Climbing has published the same list. Other areas may have similar rules; check local notices before you go.
• Parking and sleeping in vehicles. The roads to crags around Finale such as Perti, Monte Sordo, Rocca di Corno, and Boragni are narrow, and parking is banned almost everywhere on them so emergency vehicles can always get through. Across the municipality of Finale Ligure, camping and overnight stays in vehicles are not allowed outside authorized areas.
• Road closures. Some approach roads close on a schedule. For Cinque Torri, the road from Cianzopè to Rifugio Cinque Torri: Rifugio 5 Torri announces a summer closure from 6 June to 11 October 2026, with a shuttle only in August; Planetmountain's older note mentions only Sunday closures in August. See the Cinque Torri post for details.
• How historic routes are protected. Some areas in Italy care a lot about keeping the first ascensionists' protection. Valle dell'Orco is where the 1970s "Nuovo Mattino" (New Morning) movement began, and a Planetmountain article recalls the British climber Mike Kosterlitz showing local climbers their first nuts and a clean style. Val di Mello has thousands of bolts and most of its walls are equipped, but its historic routes have traditionally kept their original protection. In May 2026 a climber publicly removed bolts and anchors that had been added to two historic routes on the Placche dell'Oasi; Montagna.TV interviewed him, and the move reopened the debate between preserving history and adding safety. When a topo describes a route as trad or as keeping its original protection, prepare for trad and don't add bolts yourself.

If something goes wrong: Italy's official tourism site, italia.it, says the single emergency number is 112, dialed without any prefix; 118 is the medical emergency number and is also used for mountain and cave rescue; 1530 is sea rescue. Mountain rescue is mainly carried out by CNSAS (Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico, the national alpine and cave rescue corps), a volunteer organization that is a national section of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI). In 2025 it ran 13,037 rescue missions and helped 9,624 people. CNSAS also offers a rescue app, GeoResQ.

Rescue is not always free. A 2023 summary by trekking.it explains that under a 1992 regulation, the national health service pays for rescue and transport only when the patient is admitted to hospital, and the regions along the Alps (except Liguria and Friuli Venezia Giulia) charge for rescues that don't lead to admission. The autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano charge a small fee even when the patient is admitted, and Veneto charges people injured in activities such as rock and ice climbing even if they are admitted. Rules vary by region and change, so check before you travel whether your travel or climbing insurance covers mountain rescue.

Finding climbing partners

These channels were checked on 2026-10-18:

Meetup (as of 2026-10-18)

• Manga Climbing Milano: 218 members; events are at climbing gyms in Milan, and there is a WhatsApp group where members set up their own sessions.
• Meetup has few climbing groups in Italy: the Rock Climbing topic page lists only 3 groups with 290 members in total. No climbing Meetup group turned up for Rome.

Forums

• falesia.it forum, "Appuntamenti - Meetings" (in Italian): partner posts by area, including Milan, Rome, Veneto, Trento, and Liguria; the newest pinned post is from January 2025.
• Camptocamp's Italian forum, "Compagno cercasi" (in Italian): the latest post is from September 2025, and 2025 also had posts looking for partners in the Dolomites and for crack climbing in Val di Mello.

Facebook groups (the author did not log in to check member counts or recent activity)

• The falesia.it staff recommend two Facebook groups on their forum: falesia.it arrampicata and Cerco Compagni Arrampicata, started in 2019.

Apps

• Gora: a partner-finding app; in October 2026 it listed sessions in Arco, Finale Ligure, Sardinia, and elsewhere.

Limits of this series

• The first 12 guides were checked on 2026-10-18; the 58 added on 2026-10-19 were checked in October 2026. Bird-closure areas, parking rules, bus timetables, and rescue fees change from year to year; each guide links the notice pages, so check again before you go.
• The author has not climbed at these crags. The guides compile public sources and contain no first-hand experience.
• Route counts vary a lot between sources. That reflects different coverage, not that one source is wrong.
• As a rule, crags where climbing is prohibited are not included. Andonno has been closed since 2026-10-01, but the order is a temporary closure until maintenance works are finished, and the 2026 status of Tavolara's ban is unclear; both guides are kept and listed under "Check before you go".
• Not included: Parete dei Militi (the wall is in France), Leano and Circeo (part of the Sperlonga–Gaeta coastal strip), Capri, Monte Amiata, and other crags with too little verifiable sourcing.

References

• Mountain Project：International Climbing Grade Comparison Chart
• theCrag: Italy
• theCrag: San Vito lo Capo
• 27crags: Italy
• 27crags: Val di Mello
• Planetmountain: The crags
• Planetmountain: Cinque Torri
• Rifugio 5 Torri: 5 Torri (2026 summer road closure)
• Planetmountain: I 50 anni del Caporal in Valle dell'Orco e del Nuovo Mattino (in Italian)
• Montagna.TV: Val di Mello, Luca Schiera: "Sono stato io a schiodare le vie" (in Italian)
• Versante Sud
• UKC Logbook: Finale Climbing
• falesia.it (in Italian)
• Rockfax: The Dolomites, Climbing Grades
• Rockfax: Sicily intro (PDF)
• SardegnaTurismo: Climbing in Sardinia
• Finale Outdoor Region: Climbing in the Finale area, all you need to know
• Up-Climbing: Finale, attenti ai rapaci! (in Italian)
• italia.it: Numeri di emergenza in Italia (in Italian)
• CNSAS (in Italian)
• trekking.it: Soccorso alpino, dove, quanto e perché si paga (in Italian)
• Meetup: Manga Climbing Milano
• Meetup: Rock Climbing groups (Italy)
• falesia.it: Appuntamenti - Meetings (in Italian)
• Camptocamp: Compagno cercasi (in Italian)
• Facebook: falesia.it arrampicata
• Facebook: Cerco Compagni Arrampicata
• Gora: Find Climbing Partners in Italy

Update log

• 2026-10-19: Added 58 crags, expanded the table to 70 crags, and added a section on current closures and restrictions.