International Trips

Trip 1: Climb ITALY: Destination Liguria and Piemonte

In 2011, Climb ITALY is proposing a climbing trip in Western Coastal and Northwestern Italy. Our first destination is Finale Ligure in Savona, Liguria, and it covers spectacular sport climbs on calcareous rocks with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. Finale Ligure is a small “paese” or village where houses seem to be piled one on top of another and streets are so narrow that sometimes only bicycles and scooters may get through. After a good climb, you can sample exquisite local seafood and take in the colorful views of the houses that line both the rocky and sandy beaches. The climate is mild year-round and in the warmer months beckons climbers to take a dive into the water. The climbing walls in Liguria are easily accessible by car or boat and coer over 1,500 routes with sea cliff climbing.

Our second destination is the Valle di Susa in Piedmont where we will climb Rocca Sbarua, a natural climbing "gem" with many different levels of climbing on granite. It is historically known as climbing territory where some of the pioneers of technical climbing in "Piemonte" such as Gervasutti, Motti, Grassi and Mellano tried out new routes.

Finally, we will visit the 2006 Olympic city of Torino, where you can find the Mole Antonelliana which is home to the Cinema Museum, believed to be the tallest museum in the world, as well as The Egyptian Museum, House of Savoy and the Po River. Piemonte prides itself on its breadsticks, salame, polenta, "bagna càuda" or warm dip eaten with vegetables and its soft cheeses "al verde", meaning smothered in a "green" sauce made of anchovies, vinegar, garlic and capers, all to be enjoyed with a good bottle of Barolo.

Climbing Italy

If you want to travel internationally and climb some amazing rock, led by Paolo, one of our very own climbing instructors (who also happens to be from Italy), check out the two climbing trips we have to offer.

Trip 2: Climb ITALY: Destination Lago di Garda and Dolomiti

In 2011, Climb ITALY is proposing a climbing trip in Northern Italy. During the first part of the trip we will climb in Arco di Trento at Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake. In addition to climbing with extraordinary views of the lake, The "Lago di Garda" offers ferry tours, hiking, water skiing, windsurfing, swimming, canyoning, sailing and biking. After a full day of activities, one may relax in a hot spring at one of the wellness centers or enjoy wine tasting in one of the many local restaurants. Arco also boasts of its “agriturismi”, or holiday farms, which offer a comfortable place to sleep and tasty homemade local food. Your taste buds will be enticed by the fresh fish from the lake, citrus fruit and light olive oil with fruity tones.

The second and longer part of the trip will be devoted to climbing in the Dolomites. The "Dolomiti" are renowned for spectacular climbing on dolomia, a rock resembling limestone, in an exclusively mountainous ambience immersed in nature at its fullest. In fact, their setting is so natural that they were declared a natural heritage site in 2009. This location features historic mountain huts or “rifugi” that were once hosts to pioneers of the very first epic ascents. These rifugi are a mecca for climbers and hikers worldwide. The Dolomiti are also home to many different types of substantial "mountain" foods, such as polenta, salami, cheeses, yogurt, wines and "grappa" or a grape-based Italian spirit.

Finally, we will vote on a stop in either Verona to visit the biggest indoor climbing wall in Italy, the Arena and Romeo and Juliet’s balcony or in Venice for an architectural treat at St. Mark’s Square, the Clock Tower, "Ponte dei Sospiri" or the Bridge of Sighs, the Grand Canal and all of the meandering little canals that make Venice what it is.