Like any opportunities to clear one’s mind this plague year conceded, opportunities for climbing have been few and far between. Unlikely times, unlikely places. Molise, a beautiful mountainous region usually overshadowed by the more popular ranges of the Abruzzi Apennines, has actually quite a lot to offer. One of its many hidden treasures, La Rocca di Oratino, … More Cresta della Rocca, Oratino
Dread and fear should not be confused; by dread I’m inspired, by fear I’m amused.* I couldn’t have put it better myself. There are inspiring climbs, and then there are climbs that can stretch the limits of one’s capacity for amusement. After climbing Il Tempio, I guess I can say that I’ve found out where … More Fear and dread… Il Tempio – Monte Sirente
Known as the most inaccessible peak of the Abruzzi Apennines, notorious Dente del Lupo (engl. “Wolf tooth”) owes his bad reputation to the poor quality and brittleness of its rock, and rightly so! Add a long and strenuous approach, insidious terrain and occasional rockfall caused by nosy chamois and you should have the main ingredients … More Braving the tooth – Dente del Lupo
“Trial and error is a fundamental method of problem solving.” Quite so. It’s an easy way to get yourself into trouble, too… especially while trad climbing. – “Route finding skills are essential.” Granted, but going wrong occasionally pays off. I guess our latest vertical excursion can be read as testament to semmingly antithetical propositions.
Timpa di Porace, the name alone is apt to electrify any connoisseur of the Southern Apennines with vertical aspirations. Although being of rather modest elevation (1,432m), the south and west face of this mountain are the settings for some of the finest trad climbing routes in Southern Italy. Doubtlessly, this is due to their rock … More “Vertical Mind” – Timpa di Porace
The Pollino National Park holds a host of precious little gems. One of its lesser-known wonders is the Garavina gorge (“Gole della Garavina”), a remote and rather difficult to access slot canyon. Here, where the Sarmento has cut a line deep into the limestone bedrock of the Mediterranean mountain landscape, the torrent is running its … More “Pulp Friction” – Gole della Garavina
Mountainarious 