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Erto is at the western end of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The wall sits right by the road next to the Vajont dam, with the village of Casso above it. The scree slope at its foot is debris from the Vajont landslide of 9 October 1963 (Up-Climbing). People started opening routes on the overhang in 1978 (Dolomiti Friulane nature park), and it is now one of Italy's best-known hard crags.
This post helps you decide which sector suits your level, which months to go, whether it works in the rain, and how to get there without a car. For a season-and-region comparison of Italian crags, see the series overview.
What kind of crag is it
A huge yellow overhang and a grey slab. Planetmountain says Erto "has long been known as one of the hardest crags in Italy"; the routes need power and stamina, and the rock is "extremely polished". falesia.it describes it as "Calcare giallo a piattoni, sovente unto" (yellow limestone with big flat holds, often greasy) and the climbing as "molto tecnica e spesso non molto intuitiva" (very technical and often not intuitive). Planetmountain's Italian page warns that slopers, flat holds and the polish on popular routes regularly catch out strong climbers.
Sectors. The Big sector is on the left (hard) and No Big on the right (easier); abcDOLOMITI also lists the new Piccolo Eden sector beside Big. Climbook says Giuseppe Troso opened and cleaned Piccolo Eden, and many of its routes are still unnamed.
- Big: theCrag calls it a "huge yellow cave where the hard routes are countless". Guide Dolomiti says many lines are 8a to 8c+.
- No Big: bolted by Mauro Corona for low and middle grades; Planetmountain says it now has "quasi un centinaio di vie" (nearly a hundred routes). On the far left are the numbered slabs (Placche numerate) on compact grey limestone; one area is "quasi tutte sul grado 5" (almost all grade 5), and another has short, closely bolted routes so that "anche i bambini possano divertirsi" (even children can have fun).
Scale. Counts by site (checked 2026-10-19):
| Source | Coverage | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Planetmountain | Big | 81 routes, 4a–9a |
| abcDOLOMITI (2020) | Whole crag | about 120, 3a–8c+ |
| theCrag | Whole crag | 188 (Big Area 1 63, Big Area 2 36, No Big 89) |
| falesia.it | Whole crag | 210 (Big Area I 81, Big Area II 34, No Big 95) |
| Dolomiti Friulane nature park | Whole crag | "più o meno 300 vie" (about 300) |
Bolts. falesia.it says Big has resin glue-ins and expansion bolts, with chains for lowering off. Planetmountain says the first routes on the No Big numbered slabs still have old homemade hangers. Rope: Planetmountain says 70 m; abcDOLOMITI says some routes need 60 or 70 m; in one No Big area, going to the top without the intermediate anchor takes a 70 m rope and 14 quickdraws.
History. The park page dates the crag to 1978. Up-Climbing says Mauro Corona first bolted ground-up, with homemade pitons and wooden wedges, the most logical lines: Molina, Pensionati, Pipistrelli and La Passera. Then the "Ragazzi dello zoo di Erto" (Sandro Neri, Icio Dall'Omo, Gigi dal Pozzo) turned the big overhang into sport routes (Planetmountain).
Who it suits. Go to Big if you want 7b-plus stamina overhangs or need somewhere to climb in the rain; go to No Big if you're new to outdoor leading or have children with you.
When to go
| Source | Season |
|---|---|
| falesia.it | September to May; in summer only after 17:00; faces south |
| Planetmountain | All year, the overhang keeps off the rain; spring and autumn best, sunny winter days too; faces SE |
| theCrag | "All day sun" |
| falesia.it No Big | Faces south-west |
Use Big on rainy days. falesia.it says Big's steepness means you can climb there in the rain, while No Big dries in about two hours after heavy rain on a windy summer day. Guide Dolomiti also notes that No Big is less sheltered.
Humidity matters more than temperature. Planetmountain's Italian page ends with "occhio all'umidità" (watch the humidity): on these polished footholds, friction is everything.
Getting there
| Public transport | Car | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Train to Longarone (Padova–Calalzo and Treviso–Calalzo lines) | A27 Mestre–Belluno, Longarone exit |
| Middle | TPL FVG bus P69 from Longarone station towards Erto/Claut | From Longarone turn right for Erto, Val Cellina, Pordenone; cross the Piave bridge, turn left, up some hairpins and through the tunnels |
| Last leg | Get off near the dam; the wall is by the road | Out of the tunnels at the dam, the wall is on the left heading towards Erto |
Public transport
Planetmountain says you can take the train to Longarone. The bus to Erto is TPL FVG line P69 (Belluno–Longarone–Erto–Cimolais–Claut). The P69 timetable PDF (valid from 15 March 2022, the latest file available) lists about nine departures from Longarone station towards Claut, several of them weekdays or school days only, stopping at Casso bivio, Erto and others. TPL FVG says winter timetables apply from 14 September 2026; check the current PDF on its site before you go and work out which stop is nearest the wall.
Driving
From Venice take the A27 towards Belluno to Longarone; from Udine or Pordenone go via Spilimbergo and Maniago, then up the Val Cellina through Barcis and Cimolais to Erto (falesia.it, Planetmountain). From Cortina, the SS51 south to Longarone is about 49 km, then the SS251 to the dam (Guide Dolomiti).
Parking
falesia.it says that coming from Udine, the crag and its parking are on the right just before the dam. Planetmountain suggests staying in Longarone.
Rules before you go
Closures and bans. As of October 2026, no closure or climbing ban for the Erto crag was found.
A roadside crag. The wall is right next to the road to Erto; watch for traffic when parking and walking to the base.
Polished holds. Not a rule, but it changes how you pick routes: Planetmountain and falesia.it both say holds on popular routes are "unto" (greasy), including the most popular routes in No Big (falesia.it). The same grade here usually feels harder than at other limestone crags.
Rescue. Call 112; 118 is medical and mountain rescue (italia.it). trekking.it's 2023 summary (second-hand) says most Alpine regions charge for rescues that don't end in hospital admission, with Friuli Venezia Giulia an exception.
Routes by level
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
falesia.it gives the sector ranges: No Big 3b–7b, Big Area II 4a–8a+, Big Area I 6a–9a. The Big routes below come mainly from Planetmountain and the No Big routes from falesia.it's No Big page; repeat counts are from falesia.it and Climbook. All routes are single pitch.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
All in No Big except Molina. The park page says the numbered routes 1–18 at the far right are at most grade V on the first pitch.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per i più piccini | 3b (falesia.it) / 3a (abcDOLOMITI) | 5.3 | Single pitch | No Big | falesia.it 8 repeats; abcDOLOMITI gives it as the easiest grade at the crag |
| Stuntman | 4c | 5.6 | 14 m | No Big | Most repeated on falesia.it, 13 |
| Par te | 5b | 5.8 | 10 m | No Big | falesia.it 5 repeats |
| Simon | 5c | 5.9 | Single pitch | No Big | falesia.it 6 repeats |
| Molina | 6a (Planetmountain) / 5c+ (Climbook) | 5.10a | Single pitch | Big | One of Mauro Corona's first lines (Up-Climbing) |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
Three of Corona's first four lines are in this range, and six of Climbook's ten most repeated routes.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pensionati | 6a+ | 5.10b | Single pitch | Big Area II | Climbook 7 repeats; early Corona line |
| Mata Hari | 6b | 5.10c | Single pitch | Big | Climbook 8 repeats |
| Pipistrelli | 6b (Planetmountain) / 6b+/6c (Climbook) | 5.10c | Single pitch | Big Area II | Climbook 8 repeats; early Corona line |
| Alien | 6b+ | 5.10d | Single pitch | Big | Climbook 6 repeats, proposed 6b+/6c |
| La passera scopaiola | 6c | 5.11a/b | Single pitch | Big | Most repeated on Climbook, 12; early Corona line |
| Pip crash | 6c+ | 5.11c | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain: extension 7a+ |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
Planetmountain says this is where the Big sector's "specialisti" fight "per strappare un (sudatissimo) 7b+" (to snatch a very sweaty 7b+).
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contessa | 7a | 5.11d | Single pitch | Big | Climbook 11 repeats; Guide Dolomiti calls it "a classic route" |
| Tramonto Rosso | 7a | 5.11d | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain |
| Saten | 7a+ | 5.12a | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain |
| La cassana | 7b | 5.12b | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain |
| Lucrezia Borgia | 7b+ | 5.12c | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain: extension 7c |
| Cassiopea | 7c | 5.12d | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain |
| Sandriccio | 7c+ | 5.13a | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
This is the grade Erto is famous for. Guide Dolomiti says many lines are 8a to 8c+.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pole position | 8a | 5.13b | Single pitch | Big | Planetmountain: first onsight by Guido Kostermaier, when it was graded 7c+ |
| Tucson | 8a | 5.13b | Single pitch | Big | Onsighted by Ghisolfi on his first visit in 2018 (Planetmountain) |
| Bricolage | 8a+ | 5.13c | Single pitch | Big | Ghisolfi onsight, 2018 |
| Jurassic climb | 8b (Planetmountain route list) / 8b+ (Planetmountain 2018 news) | 5.13d | Single pitch | Big | Ghisolfi, 2018 |
| Sogni di gloria | 8b+ | 5.14a | Single pitch | Big | In 2009 Zardini extended it into La linea dei Sogni (8c+) |
| The big mother | 8c+ | 5.14c | Single pitch | Big | First ascent Luca Zardini; repeats by Cristian Brenna and Christian Bindhammer |
| La grande linea dei sogni | 8c+/9a | 5.14c | Single pitch | Big | First ascent Adam Ondra, April 2009; first repeat Zardini, 31 May 2009 |
Where to look things up
- falesia.it: Erto: route lists for all three sectors, user-proposed grades and repeat counts, with an update date.
- Planetmountain: Erto and Erto No Big: grade list for 81 Big routes, No Big sub-sector descriptions and access.
- theCrag: Erto: route counts and ascents by sector.
- Climbook: Erto: most-repeated list and the new Piccolo Eden sector.
- TPL FVG current timetables: seasonal times for P69 and other regional lines.
- Guidebook: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Falesie delle Dolomiti Bellunesi (edited by Climband ASD Belluno, on sale since October 2019, Italian, €27): 29 crags in the province of Belluno plus a few in Friuli and Treviso, 1,500+ pitches from 4a to 8c+/9a, including Erto, Casso and Cimolais. Planetmountain and abcDOLOMITI both cite it as the source for Erto.
- The earlier Falesie della Valle del Piave (Climband Belluno, Edizioni Rocciaviva, 2006), listed on Planetmountain's No Big page, has been replaced by the book above.
References
- Planetmountain: Erto (English)
- Planetmountain: Erto (Italian) (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Erto No Big (in Italian)
- falesia.it: Erto (in Italian)
- falesia.it: Erto No Big (in Italian)
- theCrag: Erto
- Climbook: Erto (Piccolo Eden, Big e No Big) (in Italian)
- abcDOLOMITI: Falesia di Erto (2020) (in Italian)
- Guide Dolomiti: Crags in Cortina d'Ampezzo (including Erto)
- Parco Naturale Dolomiti Friulane: Erto e Casso
- Up-Climbing: I ragazzi dello zoo di Erto (2023) (in Italian)
- Climband: Guida Falesie delle Dolomiti Bellunesi (in Italian)
- TPL FVG: P69 Claut–Longarone–Belluno timetable (PDF, 2022)
- TPL FVG: current timetables (in Italian)
- italia.it: Emergency and assistance numbers (in Italian)
- trekking.it: Paid mountain rescue (2023) (in Italian)