By Greg Chapman
Area & Style of Climbing
Vall Di Mello & Val Masino
Location
Italy, North
Overview
A sumptuously picturesque granite bouldering area perched in a hanging valley in the Italian Alps. The area features hundreds of bloc and traverse lines, of all grades, in alpine meadows and woodland settings.
Best Time to Go & Conditions
The best conditions generally occur from mid October through to May, although snow can hinder climbing from December to March. It is possible to climb throughout the year, although the spring and summer can be pretty warm. The boulders dry quickly after rain, especially those in the meadows. Due to the alpine situation the weather can change quickly and rain is a possibility throughout the year.
Tom Dixon on the dynamic Il Lancio (Fb7a)
Getting There
The cheapest options are to fly from either Liverpool, Dublin or Glasgow (Preswick) to Milan (Bergamo) with Ryan Air; London (Stanstead) to Verona (Brescia) with Ryan Air or London (Luton) to Turin with Easy Jet. The last option will involve the most driving to the climbing area (3.5hours) all the other connotations involve roughly a 2 hour drive.
Accessibility
If you camp – a good option for when most people go – the climbing is on your doorstep and you could just about walk to the crags. Its worth noting that throughout the summer months the dirt road between San Martino and the first sector of Val Di Mello is closed, so you have to park up and walk the last ¾ of a mile to the boulders. The Val Masino sectors are the most accessible boulders, and most areas are next to/just off the main valley road. The area and campsite is also pretty child friendly.
Accommodation & Provisions
The campsite – Sasso Remenno – is at the head of the Val Masino, just off the main valley road between the two villages of Cataeggio and San Martno. The prices range from €6 to €12 a night per person, depending on the time of the year, whether you have a vehicle etc. The campsite has good facilities with a bar and small restaurant. They don’t speak too much English so best brush up you basic Italian.
Guide Book/s
IBLOC – Bouldering in Northern Italy (£22.95) and Mello Boulder (£24.95), see links below.
Both guides are easy to use and pretty accurate. Although if you are only going to climb in the Masino/Mello valley then the Mello Boulder guide is more recent, written by locals, offers a few more problems and has a slightly more accurate representation on grades. The IBLOC guide, on the other hand, does feature areas across northern Italy (oppose to merely the local region) so may be a better option if you’re on a road trip.
Grade Spread and Recommended Routes
The Mello Boulder guide features over 2000 problems although this includes a few other nearby areas. Val Di Mello and Val Masiono feature a fair few hundred lines and there is something for everyone, with lines from Font2 to Font8b/+. A few Mello classics: Il Francese (6c), Fat Boy Slim (7b), Zero in Condotta (7b), Il Lancio (7a), La Lama A (4a) and MAsso Della Grotta (7a). A few Masino clasics: Sogno Di Tarzan (7b), Sul Diedrino (6c+), Spigolo Delle Morose (6a), Nosferatu (7b) and Le Prua (7a).
General Tip/s
There are very few decent grocery shops in the hanging valley of Val Masino (where you camp) so it’s worth doing a “big shop” before driving up the winding and scenic, if slightly tedious, mountain pass between the SS38 and the campsite. There is a large supermarket next to the SS38 in Morbegno.
Bar Monica’s, run by one of the area's leading boulderers (Simone Pedeferri), is the most popular climbers spot, for both morning coffees as well as après climbing bevies. They also have Internet access and countless climbing books, magazines and videos to while away those rainy days. If you want to eat out look no further than the Pizzeria opposite Bar Monica’s or the small cafe/bar at the campsite.
If you fancy being shown the area by locals and having a festival style crack along the way, then the area hosts the annual boulder shindig, Mello Bloc. This is held each spring and climbers from across the world descend on the valley to climb and make merry. If on the other hand you prefer a quieter holiday then it may also be worth finding out when the festival is so you can avoid booking your trip over the same period.
The Big Game - There is of course a wealth of single pitch sport and multi pitch trad routes in both Val Masino and Val Di Mello - Mello has actually been termed 'Little Yosemite' in some circles. It's therefore well worthwhile taking your routing gear, if only a 60m rope and a rack of quickdraws. The crags are documented in a number of guides, however Schweiz Plaisir Sud and Solo Granito offer a good cross section of the climbing.
Useful Links
Flights: Ryanair.com & Easyjet.com
Rental Car: www.holidayautos.co.uk
Mello Bloc Site: www.melloblocco.it
Guide books: IBLOC & Mello Boulder
Campsite: Sasso Remenno Camping
Current Local Weather Conditions
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