🌏 中文版
Lecco sits where the south-eastern arm of Lake Como ends, backed by two limestone massifs, the Grigne and the Resegone. The Lecco tourist board says the area has "over a hundred equipped crags and thousands of routes" and calls it "one of the undisputed capitals of sport climbing in northern Italy". Riccardo Cassin, Walter Bonatti and the Ragni di Lecco all learned their trade on these walls.
With that many crags, first-time visitors usually get stuck on where to start. This post picks five representative places: three single-pitch crags at the edge of town (Galbiate, Sasso di Introbio and Versasio) and two multi-pitch areas, the Corna di Medale and the Grignetta. By the end you should know which one suits your level and style, which months to go, how to get there without a car, and which crags are currently closed. For a season-and-region comparison of Italian crags, see the series overview; also in Lombardy, and known for granite bouldering and slabs, is Val di Mello.
What kind of crag is it
Mostly limestone; the Grignetta is dolomite. The single-pitch crags near town are compact limestone, many of them old quarries or walls in the woods, and the climbing is mostly vertical walls, slabs and small crimps, with little big steep ground. The towers of the Grignetta are dolomite, which Sestogrado describes as "strana e infida" (odd and treacherous); wear a helmet.
Scale. What the different sites count (checked October 2026):
| Source | Coverage | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Lecco tourist board | Lecco area | Over a hundred crags, thousands of routes |
| theCrag: Lecco & Como | Lecco + Como | 4,475 routes |
| Versante Sud, Lario Rock Falesie | Lecco and Como | More than 100 crags |
| 8a.nu: Lecco | Lecco area | 30 crags |
Single-pitch: Galbiate, Introbio, Versasio, San Martino
| Crag | Style | Grade range | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galbiate | Technical slabs and vertical walls, old quarry | 5a–8a (tourist board) | All levels; the Oasi and Quattro Tracce sectors suit beginners |
| Sasso di Introbio | Compact vertical walls and slabs, balance and precision | Larioclimb lists up to 8b+/8c | Climbers after historic lines and slabs; a few minutes from the car |
| Versasio | Vertical to slightly overhanging, fingers and endurance | 5b–7c+ (tourist board) | Climbers with solid technique; the tourist board says it is "not considered suitable for beginners" |
| Placchette del San Martino | White limestone full of holes and good holds | 2c–6c (tourist board) | First time on real rock, families |
Galbiate is inside Monte Barro Park. Larioclimb calls it "una delle più frequentate del lecchese", with plenty of easy routes. The downside of the crowds: "Molti itinerari sono purtroppo assai unti", many routes are badly polished. theCrag lists 159 routes, and it is one of the most-logged crags in the area.
Sasso di Introbio is at "La Chiusa", the mouth of the Valsassina. The tourist board says "the first bolt-protected routes in the Lecco area" appeared here in 1981. Larioclimb says Marco Ballerini's Oltre il Tramonto, bolted that year, was "il primo tiro di arrampicata sportiva nel lecchese". Older lines were put up with traditional pegs in the 1970s by the "Condor", a group of middle-school kids led by the priest Don Agostino Butturini. The whole area was rebolted with resin anchors in 1998. theCrag lists 122 routes, 8a.nu 110.
Versasio is at the foot of the Resegone, on the west side of Pizzo d'Erna, facing west towards the Grigne and the lake. The tourist board counts about 70 pitches and falesia.it 75 routes; Avalon is the biggest sector. The Western sector has short multi-pitches of up to three pitches, and you need to be comfortable abseiling. Bring a 70 m rope; the left-hand routes in Avalon need 80 m. For the current status, see the rules below.
Multi-pitch: Corna di Medale and the Grignetta
The Corna di Medale is the south-facing limestone wall directly above Lecco, about 30 minutes on foot from Laorca. The Via Cassin, opened in 1931 by Cassin and Mario Dell'Oro (VieNormali: about 360 m, 12 pitches, max V+), was the first route on the wall and is still hugely popular.
The Grignetta (Grigna Meridionale, 2,177 m) rises above Piani dei Resinelli as a sprawl of dolomite spires and ridges. Sestogrado calls it a "università del verticale"; the classics are the Giro del Fungo (three towers linked), the Torrioni Magnaghi traverse and the Cresta Segantini ridge. In 2002–2003 the Casa delle Guide di Lecco, commissioned by the Comunità Montana del Lario Orientale, re-equipped about 80 routes on the Grignetta and about 20 around the Medale (Larioclimb's summary of the project). Belays now have two resin anchors, but bolt spacing on the pitches depends on what was there before, and many old pegs were left in place. The project summary says plainly: "l'approccio dovrà rimanere ALPINISTICO". Treat it as mountaineering.
Who it suits. Multi-pitch climbers who can build belays, abseil and place nuts and cams. Getting off the Medale means a steep path or a string of abseils, and the approaches on the Grignetta include chained sections.
When to go
| Place | Aspect | Source | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galbiate | South-west | Tourist board, Larioclimb | Shoulder seasons and winter; all year except high summer; Placconata is in shade in the morning |
| Sasso di Introbio | — | Larioclimb | Spring to autumn, plus fine winter days; the Sasso itself dries slowly |
| Versasio | West | Tourist board, falesia.it | Best in spring and autumn; in summer climb in the morning, the sun arrives around 12:30; cold in winter and slow to dry after rain, and the base is in damp, cold woods |
| Corna di Medale | South | Planetmountain | Late September to late April; too hot and grassy in high summer |
| Grignetta | All aspects | Scuola Guido Della Torre | Late spring to early autumn (Giro del Fungo) |
The tourist board's rule of thumb: in winter climb the south-facing walls (Galbiate, Introbio); in summer go north-facing or high. So when planning, from November to March stick to the town crags and the Medale, and from June to September go up the Grignetta; spring and autumn work for both.
Avoid course days. Sestogrado's local tip is to check the course calendars of the CAI sections in Milan, Como and Lecco first; the Grignetta is packed on those days.
Getting there
| Public transport | Driving | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Trenord, Milano Centrale → Lecco, about 40 minutes direct | SS36 from Milan to Lecco, about 45 minutes (Sestogrado) |
| Galbiate | Trenord to Sala al Barro station, then footpath 311 to the crag | Leave the SS36 before the Monte Barro tunnel |
| Versasio | Linee Lecco line 5 to Lecco Prealpi Funivia | Piani d'Erna cable-car car park |
| Introbio | Arriva buses up the Valsassina (check the stop before you go) | Towards Valsassina, turn right after Ponte della Chiusa |
| Medale | Linee Lecco line 7 to Laorca | Car park outside Laorca |
| Grignetta | Linee Lecco line 7 to Ballabio Resinelli (very few runs) | From Ballabio up to Piani dei Resinelli |
Public transport
Train. Trenord says direct trains from Milano Centrale to Lecco take about 40 minutes, with at least one an hour during the day (the same page also says every 30 minutes; check the timetable for your date).
Lecco city buses. The Linee Lecco winter timetable runs from 14 September 2026 to 8 June 2027, with a PDF for each line:
- Line 5 runs from Lecco station to Prealpi Funivia (the Piani d'Erna cable-car station, the start for Versasio) in about 20 minutes, with frequent daytime runs.
- Line 7 goes via Laorca (the start for the Medale, many runs a day) up to Ballabio Resinelli. Very few runs reach Resinelli: in winter 2026 there are only two buses up, on weekdays and on holidays alike. The holiday morning bus leaves Lecco station at 9:20, and the last one down leaves at 17:50.
- By bus alone, the Grignetta gives you time for one short route a day, unless you stay at Resinelli.
Galbiate. Monte Barro Park says footpath 311 runs from Sala al Barro railway station to Camporeso or straight to the climbing crag; it is the only one of the five that needs no bus.
Valsassina. ATPL Como Lecco Varese (2023) says Arriva's line D35 runs Lecco – Taceno – Premana, with a connection at Ballabio to line 7 for Resinelli. Check Arriva's journey planner for the Introbio stop and times before you go.
Driving
- Galbiate: Larioclimb says to take the SS36 from Milan, exit before the Monte Barro tunnel (towards Lecco-Lago, Oggiono, Civate) and follow signs up to Galbiate.
- Introbio: from Lecco head up the Valsassina; just after the Ponte della Chiusa over the Pioverna, turn right (sign for the Casa delle Guide). The lane runs right under the Sasso.
- Versasio: follow signs for Valsassina, then for the Funivia dei Piani d'Erna, to the cable-car car park; take path 18 towards Passo del Cammello, 20–30 minutes.
- Medale: take the old Valsassina road past Laorca and turn left at the big hairpin into the car park (Planetmountain).
- Grignetta: turn left at Ballabio up to Piani dei Resinelli (Sestogrado).
Parking
| Place | Parking | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Galbiate | By the last houses on Via per Selvetto; at weekends and on holidays use the "Quota 400" car park in the old quarry, open 7:30–19:30 March to October and 7:30–17:30 November to February, 3 minutes' walk | Larioclimb (checked October 2026) |
| Versasio | Cable-car car park on Via Prealpi, paid on holidays; the shortcut from Versasio village has almost no parking and only works on weekdays | Tourist board, Larioclimb |
| Introbio | Along the lane below the Sasso | Larioclimb |
| Medale | Large car park outside Laorca; parking on the Rancio side is very hard to find (Gulliver comment, April 2026) | VieNormali |
| Grignetta | Large paid car park at Piani dei Resinelli; the spaces up Via Locatelli are usually full, watch for no-parking signs | Redclimber |
Larioclimb's etiquette list also asks climbers not to block residents.
Rules to know before you go
Versasio: municipal closure order, no lifting notice found. At the end of 2022 a large block fell in the Avalon sector between the routes Boss and Avalon; LeccoNews reported it at about 10 × 10 m. On 30 December the Comune di Lecco ordered the whole crag closed and also shut the neighbouring via ferrata. The order runs "fino al completamento delle attività", until inspection and repair are finished (secondary: Lecconotizie and LeccoNews, 2 January 2023; the order itself not read).
The Larioclimb notice board has had no reopening notice in the years since. The tourist board's 2026 climbing page describes Versasio as normal but does not say whether the order was lifted. Check with the Comune di Lecco or the Comunità Montana del Lario Orientale before you go, and do not enter if there is a closure sign on site.
Other bans and closures nearby.
- Lagoland (on the east shore, above the tunnel before Varenna): Larioclimb, 15 October 2024, says it was closed for stabilisation work on the landslide below, expected to last until February 2025, and "Non ci sono accessi alternativi". No reopening notice since (secondary: reported by Larioclimb). theCrag also flags warnings on Lagoland, Fiumelatte, Nibbio and Val dell'Oro.
- Valle Bova (across the lake near Erba, outside this post's scope): Larioclimb, 27 March 2026, relays a local peregrine-protection order banning climbing on the whole stretch from the Buco del Piombo to the Valle del Caino waterfall. In the same valley, the Falesia del Tramonto closes some routes every spring until 15 June for nesting owls (secondary: Larioclimb; the orders themselves not read).
Bolts. The town crags were reworked under the 2015 crag agreement between Regione Lombardia and local authorities, and Galbiate, Versasio and Introbio all had extraordinary maintenance in 2017 (Larioclimb crag pages). The Grignetta and the Medale date from the 2002–2003 round and still mix in old pegs. In June 2026 two local climbers replaced four rusted belays on the "CAI Vedano" route on Pizzo dei Nibbi with stainless steel (Larioclimb notice board): rusted old belays are normal here, so check every one yourself.
No fires. Larioclimb reminded climbers in March 2026 that fires are banned at the crags because of the risk of forest fires.
Rescue. Call 112 (the European emergency number). CNSAS asks you to state the injured person's condition, the location (massif, route name, WGS84 coordinates if you can) and the weather and visibility, and to wait somewhere safe with signal for the call-back.
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.
Grades and lengths for the single-pitch routes come from Larioclimb, a local site that has been publishing free topos for the Lecco area since 2002; "recommended" means it carries a Larioclimb star. Multi-pitch routes with French grades go in the four grade bands; those with only UIAA grades are in the last table.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
Galbiate's Oasi and Quattro Tracce sectors are where the grade 4 and 5 routes cluster. The tourist board also suggests the Placchette del San Martino (2c–6c), but the sources do not name routes there.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G7 | 5a | 5.7 | 15 m | Galbiate Quattro Tracce | Larioclimb recommended |
| Linea Rossa | 5b | 5.8 | 22 m | Galbiate Oasi | Larioclimb |
| Sans Souci | 5c | 5.9 | 15 m | Galbiate Quattro Tracce | Larioclimb recommended |
| Par Condicio | 5c | 5.9 | 22 m | Galbiate Black Macigno | Larioclimb recommended |
| Francesca | 5b, 6a+ | hardest 5.10b | 2 pitches (20 m, 22 m) | Sasso di Introbio | Larioclimb recommended; an old Condor line from the 1970s |
| Dedicata alle donne | 6a | 5.10a | 22 m | Galbiate Black Macigno | Larioclimb recommended |
| Proteus | 5b | 5.8 | 25 m | Versasio Silverado | Larioclimb; one of Versasio's few easy lines |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
Galbiate's Placconata and Versasio's Silverado and Western sectors concentrate in this band.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martello degli dei | 6a+ | 5.10b | 20 m | Galbiate Black Macigno | Larioclimb recommended |
| Oltre il Tramonto | 6b+ | 5.10d | 20 m | Sasso di Introbio | Ballerini's 1981 line, the first sport route around Lecco (Larioclimb) |
| Fiordaliso | 6b+ | 5.10d | 25 m | Versasio Silverado | Larioclimb recommended |
| Ombre rosse | 6b, 6b, 6a+ | hardest 5.10c | 3 pitches | Versasio Western | Larioclimb; you need to abseil |
| Saratoga Blitz | 6c | 5.11a/b | 28 m | Galbiate Placconata | Larioclimb recommended |
| Blocco mentale | 6c | 5.11a/b | 30 m | Galbiate Placconata | Larioclimb recommended |
| Incubo motopsichico | 6c+ | 5.11c | 25 m | Sasso di Introbio | Ballerini, 1981 (Larioclimb recommended) |
| Gasomania | 6b+ (obligatory 6a) | 5.10d | 3 pitches, 120 m | Grignetta, Sigaro Dones | Sestogrado; single source |
| Via Taveggia | 6b+ (obligatory 6a+) | 5.10d | 310 m | Corna di Medale | vielunghe: first ascent 1968, the second half is the most strenuous; single source |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
Versasio's Avalon and Mustrulend, Galbiate's Muro Giallo, and the main face of the Sasso di Introbio.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucidix | 7a | 5.11d | 26 m | Galbiate Placconata | Larioclimb recommended |
| Dormi Martina | 7a+, 7b | hardest 5.12b | 2 pitches (25 m, 20 m) | Sasso di Introbio | Ballerini, 1984; Larioclimb calls it a "must" of precision and balance |
| Silverado | 7a+ | 5.12a | 35 m | Versasio Silverado | Larioclimb recommended |
| Time out | 7b+ | 5.12c | 15 m | Galbiate Muro Giallo | Larioclimb recommended |
| Van Gogh | 7c | 5.12d | 35 m | Versasio Avalon | Larioclimb recommended; Avalon is where the 2022 rockfall happened (see rules) |
| Ansia della prestazione | 7c | 5.12d | 15 m | Galbiate Muro Giallo | Larioclimb recommended |
| Magico Ciuffetto | 7c+ | 5.13a | 22 m | Sasso di Introbio | Larioclimb: "Placca verticale iper-aleatoria" |
| Milano '68 | 7b (obligatory 6b) | 5.12b | 365 m | Corna di Medale | Planetmountain: opened 1968, rebolted 2001–2002; about 5c/A1 if you aid the hard parts |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
Both crags are mostly vertical slab climbing, so there is little at 8a and above.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dis-trazioni | 8a | 5.13b | 14 m | Galbiate Muro Giallo | Larioclimb recommended; RP Aldo Rovelli |
| Anarchia | 8b+/8c | 5.14a | 38 m | Sasso di Introbio | Bolted and redpointed by Aldo Rovelli in 2017; Larioclimb calls it, for its style, "la via più difficile di tutto il lecchese" |
Trad and multi-pitch (UIAA grades)
The classic multi-pitches on the Grignetta and the Medale are protected by a mix of resin anchors, old pegs and your own gear. Scuola Guido Della Torre recommends a set of nuts and small-to-medium cams; Sestogrado insists on a helmet.
| Route | Original grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Wall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cresta Segantini | II, III | 5.3 | Ridge | Grignetta | Sestogrado: joined from the top of the Pilone Centrale, leads to the summit cross |
| Via Zucchi | IV+ | 5.5 | 190 m | Grignetta, Pilone Centrale | Sestogrado: one of the longest routes in the area, "mai banale" |
| Spigolo Dorn + Via Lecco (Torrioni Magnaghi traverse) | IV+ | 5.5 | 6 pitches 70 m + 4 pitches 120 m | Grignetta, Torrioni Magnaghi | Sestogrado; VieNormali gives the "traversino" in between as IV and says the rock is well polished |
| Giro del Fungo (Torre, Fungo and Lancia linked) | 6b (obligatory V/A0) | 5.10c | 6–7 pitches, about 230 m | Grignetta, Fungo group | Scuola Guido Della Torre; Sestogrado grades the Spigolo Boga section VII/V+, Redclimber VII/A0 (6b); rockfall danger in the gully between Torre and Fungo |
| Via Cassin | V+ | 5.7 | About 360 m, 12 pitches (VieNormali) / 11 pitches (Scuola Guido Della Torre) | Corna di Medale | Cassin and Dell'Oro, 1931; Scuola Guido Della Torre gives D+, mostly IV/IV+; Gulliver gives max 5c, obligatory 4, and about 6a free at the "root" move because of the polish |
| Via Cassin | V+/5b | 5.7 | 7 pitches, 220 m | Grignetta, Torrione Palma | Sestogrado: rebolted, partly follows variants |
| Via dell'Anniversario | VII | 5.10c | About 250 m | Corna di Medale | Redclimber: mostly V+/VI, A0 possible, "più alpinistico che sportivo" |
| Tapiocre | VIII+ (obligatory VI+, A1) | 5.12a | 5 pitches, 145 m | Grignetta, Torre Cecilia | Sestogrado; single source |
Where to look things up
- Larioclimb: free topos for the Lecco area, with route lists, approaches and bolting history for each crag; its notice board carries new routes, closures and bans, and is the first place to check current conditions.
- Lecco tourist board: Climbing in Lecco: overviews of the main crags, with aspect and season.
- theCrag: Lecco & Como: crag list for the whole area, route counts and warning flags.
- 8a.nu: Lecco: logged ascents per crag, to see what is popular.
- falesia.it: route counts and aspect by sector.
- Linee Lecco timetables: city and Resinelli buses, with separate winter and summer timetables.
- Trenord: trains from Milan to Lecco.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Lario Rock Falesie (Pietro Buzzoni and Eugenio Pesci, Versante Sud, new edition 2023, Italian, 768 pages, ISBN 978-88-5547-129-9): more than 100 single-pitch crags around Lecco and Como, with GPS and QR codes for approaches; previous edition 2018; also on iClimbing.
- Lario Rock Pareti (Pietro Buzzoni and Eugenio Pesci, Versante Sud, 2022, Italian, ISBN 978-88-5547-053-7): multi-pitch from the Grigne and the Resegone to Monte San Martino and the Valsassina.
- Grignetta e Medale, arrampicate nel giardino di pietra (Pietro Corti, Novantiqua Multimedia, 2005, supported by the Comunità Montana Lario Orientale): the multi-pitch guide produced alongside the 2002–2003 re-equipping project (Larioclimb, Scuola Guido Della Torre bibliography). For more recent multi-pitch information, use Lario Rock Pareti (2022).
References
- Lecco Tourism: Climbing in Lecco
- Lecco Tourism: Versasio crag
- Lecco Tourism: Monte Barro Park
- Larioclimb: crag index
- Larioclimb: Galbiate
- Larioclimb: Introbio
- Larioclimb: Versasio
- Larioclimb: Progetto riattrezzatura Grignetta/Medale
- Larioclimb: Bacheca 2026
- Larioclimb: Bacheca 2024
- Larioclimb: Bacheca 2023
- Lecconotizie: Dopo il distacco chiusa la Falesia di Versasio (2023)
- LeccoNews: Falesia di Versasio, chiusura temporanea (2023)
- falesia.it: Versasio
- theCrag: Lecco & Como (Milano)
- 8a.nu: Lecco crags
- Sestogrado: Grigna, l'università dell'arrampicata (2024)
- Scuola Guido Della Torre: Giro del Fungo
- Redclimber: Giro Torre, Fungo e Lancia
- Redclimber: Corna di Medale, via dell'Anniversario
- VieNormali: Corna di Medale (Via Cassin)
- VieNormali: Torrioni Magnaghi (Traversata)
- Scuola Guido Della Torre: Corna di Medale, via Cassin
- Gulliver: Medale – Via Cassin
- Gulliver: Medale – Via Bonatti (comment, April 2026)
- vielunghe: Corna di Medale – Via Taveggia
- Planetmountain: Milano '68, Corna di Medale
- Linee Lecco: Orari invernali
- Linee Lecco: line 7 winter timetable (PDF)
- Linee Lecco: line 5 winter timetable (PDF)
- ATPL Como Lecco Varese: In Valsassina in estate si viaggia in bus! (2023)
- Trenord: Milano Centrale – Lecco
- Parco Monte Barro: Come raggiungere il parco
- CNSAS: La richiesta di soccorso
- Versante Sud: Lario Rock Falesie
- Versante Sud: Lario Rock Pareti