COLLANA LUOGHI VERTICALI

EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD

Marco Tomassini

FINALEClimbing

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First edition November 2011

ISBN 978-88-896634-33-2

Copyright © 2011 VERSANTE SUD S.r.l. Milano via Longhi, 10, tel. 027490163www.versantesud.it

All translation, reproduction, adaptation and electronicregistration, either totally or partially, by any methods,are rights reserved for all countries.

Cover Monica Fama, Avaria, 7b+, Falesia del silenzio (ph. Pietro Bagnara)

Text Marco Tomassini

Translations Melanie Roberts

Drawings and topos Iacopo Leardini

Area map Sara Bini and Roberto Grossi

Symbols Iacopo Leardini

Printed by Monotipia Cremonese

Aknowledgments

NoteClimbing is a potentially dangerous sport, and those that par-take do so at their own risk. All the descriptions in this guide have been based on information available at the time, but this should always be evaluated for yourself or by a qualified person before undertaking any climb.

I would like to thank in particular a number of people who gave decisive help in the writing of this guidebook: Alessandro Grillo, Mauro Borra, Cesare Marchesi, Luciano Pizzorni, Giovanni Rocca, Matteo (Donde) Felanda, Giorgio Delfino e Elena Troiano.For the equipment given to me for the bolting and re-bolting of routes that has been done more recently I thank the Comune di Finale Ligure and in particular Massimo Gualberti (councillor for sport) and Giorgio and Ivana Scarrone of the agriturismo A cà de AliceNo less important and in alphabetical order, listed below are the names of all the other people who have helped me with important information, who have made themselves available for photos and in many cases have equipped crags and routes in the Finale area.

Adriano (Sguara) Giovani, Alessio Chiappino, Andrea Costaguta, Antonio (Beroldo) Punturo, Artur&Helmut Wundlechner, Chiara Minetti, Christian Roccati, Davide Allegretti, Davide (Zak) Zaccone, Daniele (Jack) Canale,

Dimitri (Dimi) Frascio, Domenico (Domingo) Spatari, Elena Carpignano, Eugenio (Euge) Gardella, Fabio Pierpaoli (associazione Outdoor Liguria), Francesca Vallarino, Franco Rolando, Gerardo (Gerry) Fornaro, Gianni Duregato, Gianni Ghiglione, Gianni Salvarani, Gino (Pitta) Pittaluga, Guido (mattonella) Jafelice, Leonardo (Leo) Castagnoli, Lodovico Spiota, Luca Fida, Luca Lenti, Lucia Brignola, Marco Pukli, Marco (Zamba) Zambarino, Matteo Caropreso, Mauro (Maurino) Carena, Micol (Miky) Schiaroli, Monica Fama, Pier Carlo Franco, Piero Favetta, Renato (Biro) Berruti, Riccardo Giovannetti, Riccardo (Ricky) Negro, Roberto Bolzan, Silvio Ivaldi, Simone (Gunter) Baglietto, Tommaso Sciannella and Vincent De Bentzmann.Also I thank all those people who have helped me occasionally but unfortunately I don’t know the names of and those that I may have forgotten… THANK YOU.

Marco Tomassini

FINALEClimbing134 crags

EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD

GPS indications of all the approaches to the crags can be downloaded from www.versantesud.it

In collaboration with Garmin

Marco “Thomas” Tomassini4

Intr

oduc

tion

by

the

auth

or The Finale area is magical and inimitable: wild, harsh and with an exceptional landscape. These white limestone rocks that emerge from the luxuriant and deep green vegetation are unique for the whole western region of Liguria. The Finale area is a place to be explored that offers even today after 30 years of climbing and trekking, surprising views for climbers, trekkers and bikers… and for anyone who feels like walking around these valleys. The wild nature of the Val Cornei and the Val di Nava, the solitary and majestic imposingness of Monte Cucco, of the North face of Perti and of the Bastionata di Boragni, the beauty, the colours and the views from Rocca di Corno, the vertical walls of Lacremà and its ancient Borgo, Noli and the sea ruffled by the North wind, make this region a unique place.For these reasons the Finale area is frequented by lovers of nature and outdoor sports from all over Europe. The paths of Finale are travelled not only by climbers, but also trekkers, bikers, birdwatchers, archaeologists and pot-holers. With respect for this diversity, everyone needs to approach this territory with care and show consideration for other visitors. Finale Ligure, that from 2010 has been bestowed with the title “Capital of the Outdoors”, has finally set up a series of continuative round table meetings with the various associations that are involved with outdoor sports (and are active in the region) to increase, promote and harmonise tourism

possibilities. With this intent and with the important contribution and enthusiasm of the current Councillor for Sport, the Council has financed the first bolting and re-bolting projects.With this renewed interest in climbing, 2011 has already been a turning point with the award of the prize “A life for Finale” to Alessandro Grillo, making a well deserved, if late, gesture of thanks to a personality whose life has been indissolubly linked with the rock of Finale. My work has also been part of this renewed interest. It has two very important aims: above all to make these splendid crags accessible to everyone to allow them to experience the emotions of climbing routes that offer new perspectives not only of the surrounding territory. This guidebook is an attempt above all to thank and acknowledge all those people like Alessandro Grillo, Gianni Calcagno, Vittorio Simonetti, and the brothers Gian Luigi and Eugenio Vaccari who, in far off 1968 with mountaineering boots on their feet, discovered Finale starting its vertical history, to the many young, and not so young, people today that still bolt, clean paths and keep this legend alive. A tribute to all the bolters, from the glories of the past to the new generations, without which my work would not exist.

5Tre Frati (ph. M. Tomassini)

6

Tech

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uction Finale Ligure, thanks to its micro-climate, has

the huge advantage that you can climb the whole year round, and it is for this reason that it is very well known and popular with climbers from all over Europe.The rock in Finale is a marine limestone characterised by pockets and drops created by dripping water, vertical walls and slightly leaning slabs are the predominant style of climbing.For several decades now stainless steel glued bolts have been used due to the proximity of the sea, which with its salt air would corrode at great speed any non-stainless steel anchors, and also due to the porosity of the rock that makes expansion bolts less reliable.The predominant style of climbing is technical on vertical fingery walls, almost always with a hard single that is found in most cases in the last few meters of the route.There are however overhangs and roofs to be discovered with other types of holds like stalactites, or horizontal edges; cracks, arêtes and corners are found especially on the classic multi-pitch routes.The existing crags in the Finale area are numerous and year-by-year they grow in number; currently there are about 2700 routes divided between the 160 sectors facing in different directions.It is rare to find belay chains with a carabiner, usually there is a closed maillon rapide (blocked so that it cannot be opened) and even more often there is not even a chain but two fixed anchors “French style”.The distance between the anchors is not normally that great, the average bolting leaves about 2 meters between one protection and the next, but given that there are many bolters who have made some sort of contribution in the Finale area over the years, it is possible to come across crags where the bolts are more widely spaced.26 sectors have been omitted from this guidebook as I considered them currently unreachable due to the dense vegetation or dangerous due to obsolete bolting. This decision was made both for reasons of safety

and to avoid confusion and pointless loss of time in the search for cliffs, that even if reached, would then be unclimbable. In the next edition they will be inserted only if re-bolted and cleaned.There are in any case, between the routes bolted safely with modern equipment, some pitches that are equipped with the original material such as bolt hangers on expansion bolts of various types and dates; others equipped with pegs and slings in threads or to be integrated with trad. gear. The routes with these characteristics are however always indicated in the short description of the route and, in some cases, not recommended.In Finale Ligure it is also possible to climb on crags situated on the sea cliffs experiencing the “thrill” of climbing with the sea beneath your feet; the crags in the Capo Noli area (Dancing dalle, I Pilastri, Nolitudine and Easy dalle) have this characteristic and also the peculiarity of climbing on a type of limestone that is very different from the rest of the Finale area.A couple of crags can be reached on foot from the railway station: Paretina di Finalborgo (20 minutes) and Rocce dell’Orera (50 minutes).The average length of the footpaths to reach the crags is 20 minutes, only in rare cases 10 or 40 minutes.In about 15 minutes it is possible to drive from one crag to another.The general difficulty of the routes goes from 3a and reaches 8c+, most crags have routes going from 6a to 7a and the really easy routes are unfortunately very few and scattered here and there in various sectors.It should also be noted that specific signs to reach the crags are practically non-existent and the widest and most obvious paths are those that lead to the more popular crags. The numerous junctions and forks, combined with the dense vegetation, do not help on reaching the sectors.For this reason, it was decided, in this guidebook, to pay particular attention to the description of the approaches and to include GPS points for each crag.There are numerous sectors that are particularly

7

beautiful, either for the quality of the rock or for their location, and that merit being visited. Some of these should absolutely not be missed: Grotta dell’edera, Grotta della Strapatente, Bric Scimarco, I Tre Frati, Montesordo and Rocca di Corno.

Useful phone numbers and addresses

Tourist Information Office for Finale Ligure +39 019 681019 Fax +39 019 681804 www.inforiviera.it e-mail: finaleligure@inforiviera.it

Salewa mountain shop +39 019 6816230

Breakdown service, A.C.I. +39 803116

Mountain Rescue Finale Ligure 118 www.soccorsoalpinofinaleligure.it

Carabinieri 112Police 113

Fire Brigade 115

Medical emergencies and ambulance service 118Road police +39 019 681501

Urban police +39 019 691380

Urgent medical care (Guardia Medica) 800556688

Chemist: Farmacia Del Borgo (Finalborgo) +39 019 690623

Chemist: Farmacia Della Marina (Finalmarina) +39 019 680474

Santa Corona Hospital (Pietra Ligure) +39 019 62301

San Paolo Hospital (Savona) +39 019 84041

Taxi service +39 019 692461

If you want to contact the author: Marco (Thomas) Tomassini +39 346 6932376 www.finalebythomas.come-mail: info@finalebythomas.com

BibliographyLa pietra del Finale, guida alle palestre di arrampicamento Finalesi, Gianni Calcagno, Alessandro Grillo, Vittorio Simonetti, Siag Genova, 1975La pietra di Finale, guida alle arrampicate e alle escursioni, Andrea Parodi, Alessandro Grillo, Microlito editrice, 1983Finale, Andrea Gallo, Giovanni Massari, Melograno edizioni, 1987Finale,1200 vie di arrampicata, Andrea Gallo, Melograno edizioni, 1990Finale, 1500 vie di arrampicata, Andrea Gallo, Idee verticali edizioni, 1994ALP arrampicata Monografie: il Finalese, 30 anni di passione, Torino, Vivalda Editori, mensile anno XIII, numero 162, ottobre 1998Finale Y2K, Andrea Gallo, Idee verticali edizioni, 2000Finale by Thomas, Un viaggio tra le vie del Finalese che più amo, passo per passo, metro per metro, Marco “Thomas” Tomassini, Le Mani Edizioni, 2007Finale 007, Andrea Gallo, Idee verticali edizioni, 2008

8

ARENE CANDIDE

1 Cava di Rio Fine 182 Il Cimitero 20

ROCCE DELL’ORERA

3 Rocce dell’Orera settore sinistro 224 Rocce dell’Orera settore destro 26

FINALBORGO

5 Paretina di Finalborgo 30

ROCCA DI PERTI 32

6 Parete delle gemme 42 7 Placca dell’oasi 46 8 Settore delle ombre blu 50 9 Scimmiodromo 5610 Placca del gibbone 5811 Placca Piotti 6012 Pancia dell’elefante 7013 Testa dell’elefante 7414 Grottino di Perti 7615 L’Olimpo 7816 Settore centrale 8017 Il giardino 8818 Falesia dei tre porcellini 9219 La cengia degli androidi 9620 Settore settentrionale 10021 Versante nord 11222 Grottino del Bric della Croce 12223 Grotto di Perti 12624 Tigrotto 130 ROCCA CARPANEA 134

25 Terzo livello 13826 Placca delle case valle 14027 Zambaland 14428 Le rovine 14629 La grotta di Sant’Antonino 14830 Bric Scimarco settore Antri rossi 15031 Bric Scimarco settore superiore 15432 Bric Scimarco settore inferiore 15833 Parete dimenticata 16234 Grotta dell’edera 16635 Placca d’angolo 17036 Lo specchio 17237 I coralli 17638 Monte Sordo settore centrale 178

39 Placca e pilastro di Mu 18240 Alveare 18641 Le tecchie 18842 Pilastrino mirovino 19243 Grotta della Pollera 19644 Paretina di Pian Marino 19845 Bric del frate settore ovest 202

VALLE AQUILA 206

46 Bric Grigio settore il grottino 21247 Bric Grigio settore destro 21448 Tre Frati 21649 Kattedrale 22050 Sakrestia 22451 Konvento 22652 I Missili 23053 Bric Pianarella settore monotiri 23254 Bric Pianarella settore paretone 23455 Placca dei maleducati 25456 Superpanza 26257 Il sasso 268

MONTE CUCCO 270

58 Cucco 2 27459 Grottone 27660 Settore orientale 28061 La torre 28262 Settore centrale 28663 Anfiteatro 29264 Campanile 29665 Settore Machetto 30066 Attico 304

VALLE DI RIAN CORNEI 30867 Un domani 31668 Buridda 31869 Falesia dell’invidia 32070 Gelateria del bosco 32271 Italsider settore inferiore 32472 Italsider settore superiore 32873 Falesia degli amici 33074 Ciappo delle conche sett. superiore 33275 Ciappo delle conche sett. inferiore 33676 Bocca di Bacco 33877 Placca Graziella 34078 Falesia del gufo 34279 Falesia del delfino 34480 Falesia del ragno 346

Index

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81 Gola dei briganti settore inferiore 34882 Gola dei briganti settore superiore 35283 Falesia della formica 35884 La goletta 36085 La consolle 36286 Cordon bleu 36487 Placconata centrale di Rian Cornei 37288 Avancorpo della placconata centrale 37689 Falesia dell’eco settore superiore 37890 Falesia dell’eco settore inferiore 38291 Falesia della tranquillità 38892 Falesia del guru 39293 Camelot 2 39694 Camelot 1 40095 Falesia del nirvana 40496 Falesia di Parsifal 40697 Falesia dell’orso 40898 Falesia del silenzio settore superiore 41299 Falesia del silenzio settore inferiore 416100 Striature obese 422101 Tempio del vento 424102 Falesia del cinghiale 430103 Falesia della volpe 434104 Falesia del lupo 436105 Falesia del geko 440

BORAGNI E VAL DI NAVA 442

106 Avancorpo 446107 Il pilastro 450108 Skarafonia 456109 Sasso Scorpion 458110 Sasso Crazy brothers 460111 Bastionata settore sinistro 464112 Bastionata settore destro 472113 Grotta della Strapatente 476114 Domus aurea 480115 Estathe 484116 Il vascello 486117 Falesia della luna 490118 Falesia del sole 492119 Grotta dei pipistrelli 496

VALLE SCIUSA E VAL PONCI 498

120 Lacremà settore basso 502121 Lacremà settore La nuvola 506122 Rocca di Corno - Ghiro (est) 508123 Rocca di Corno - Futura (est) 512124 Rocca di Corno settore sud-est 516

125 Rocca di Corno settore sud 520126 Rocca di Corno - Zona rossa 526127 Rocca di Corno settore ovest 530 ALTOPIANO DELLE MÀNIE 534

128 Museo dell’uomo 536129 Monolocale 538130 Mesa verde 542

CAPO NOLI 544

131 Dancing dalle 546132 Easy dalle 550133 Primo e secondo pilastro 552134 Nolitudine 556

THE PROTAGONISTS

Fulvio Balbi - Falesia della TranquillitàRenato (Biro) Berruti - Pilastrino mirovinoAndrea Costaguta - Falesia dell’invidia Giorgio Delfino - Falesia dell’orsoGianni Duregato & Matteo Caropreso - Grotta della PolleraMatteo (Donde) Felanda - Domus aureaGerardo (Gerry) Fornaro - La cengia degli androidiAndrea Gallo - Grotto di PertiAlessandro Grillo - Monte CuccoLuca Lenti - I missiliOutdoor Liguria - Cordon bleuLuciano Pizzorni - Rocca di Perti Versante nordMarco Pukli - Bric ScimarcoLodovico Spiota - KonventoMarco (Zamba) Zambarino - Kattedrale

12

34

5

6

7

8

910

11121314

1516

17

181920

2122 23

24

2526272829

3031 32

3334

353637

383940

41

4243 44

45

4647

48

4950

51

52

53

54

5556

57

585960616263646566

676869

7170

72

7374 75

767778

7981

808283

8485

8687

88 899190

9293

94959697

9899 100

101

102103

104 105

106107

108109 110111112

113114

115

116117118

119

120121

122

123

124

125126127

128129

130

131132

133

134

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PARIGI

MONACO

MILANO

TORINO

MARSIGLIA

ROMA

GENOVA

VENEZIA195 km

74 km

457 km

160 km

584 km

755 km

335 km

927 km

12

34

5

6

7

8

910

11121314

1516

17

181920

2122 23

24

2526272829

3031 32

3334

353637

383940

41

4243 44

45

4647

48

4950

51

52

53

54

5556

57

585960616263646566

676869

7170

72

7374 75

767778

7981

808283

8485

8687

88 899190

9293

94959697

9899 100

101

102103

104 105

106107

108109 110111112

113114

115

116117118

119

120121

122

123

124

125126127

128129

130

131132

133

134

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rags BORAGNI SETTORE AVANCORPO

BORAGNI BASTIONATA CENTRALE (still to be re-bolted)BORAGNI BASTIONATA SETTORE DESTROBORAGNI BASTIONATA SETTORE SINISTROBORAGNI GROTTA DELLA STRAPATENTEBORAGNI IL PILASTROBRIC DEL FRATE CENTRALE (still to be re-bolted)BRIC DEL FRATE SINISTRO (still to be re-bolted)BRIC GRIGIO DESTROBRIC GRIGIO IL GROTTINOBRIC GRIGIO INFERIORE (still to be re-bolted)BRIC GRIGIO SINISTRO(still to be re-bolted)BRIC GRIGIO SUPERIORE (still to be re-bolted)BRIC RESEGHE (still to be re-bolted)BRIC SCIMARCO INFERIOREBRIC SCIMARCO SUPERIOREBURIDDACAFFETTIERA (still to be re-bolted)CAPO NOLI EASY DALLECAPO NOLI NOLITUDINEFALESIA DEGLI AMICIFALESIA DEL BRUCOFALESIA DEL CINGHIALEFALESIA DEL FALCOFALESIA DEL GEKOFALESIA DEL LUPOFALESIA DEL SOLE

FALESIA DELLA FORMICAFALESIA DELLA LUNAFALESIA DELLA VOLPEFALESIA DELL’INVIDIAGELATERIA DEL BOSCOITALSIDER INFERIOREITALSIDER SUPERIOREKATTEDRALEKONVENTOLACREMÀ ALTO (still to be re-bolted)LACREMÀ BASSOLACREMÀ LA NUVOLALE ROVINEMESA VERDEPARETE DELL’AQUILA (still to be re-bolted)ROCCA DEGLI UCCELLI (still to be re-bolted)ROCCA DEGLI UCCELLI AVANC. (still to be re-bolted)ROCCA DI CORNO SETTORE DEL GHIROROCCA DI CORNO SETTORE ESTROCCA DI CORNO SETTORE FUTURAROCCA DI CORNO SETTORE SUD-ESTROCCE DELL’ORERA SETTORE DESTROSAKRESTIATERZO LIVELLOTRE FRATIUN DOMANIZAMBALAND

BOCCA DI BACCOBORAGNI SASSO CRAZY BROTHERSBRIC DEL FRATE DESTRO NORD (still to be re-bolted)DIMENTICATOIO (still to be re-bolted)ESTATHEFALESIA DEL CASTAGNO (still to be re-bolted)GOLA DEI BRIGANTI INFERIOREGROTTA DEI PIPISTRELLIGROTTA DELL’EDERA

I MISSILIGROTTO DI PERTIIL VASCELLOLA GOLETTALA GROTTA DI SANT’ANTONINOOMO ORA (still to be re-bolted)PLACCA GRAZIELLAROCCE DELL’ORERA SINISTROTIGROTTOVERSANTE NORD DI PERTI

13

S

WALVEAREANTRO DELLE STREGHE (still to be re-bolted)ATTICOAVANCORPO DELLA PLACCONATA PRINCIPALEBORAGNI SETTORE SASSO SCORPIONBORAGNI SETTORE SKARAFONIABRIC DEL FRATE OVESTBRIC PIANARELLA CENTRALEBRIC PIANARELLA PARETONEBRIC PIANARELLA MONOTIRICASA DEL VACCHÈ (still to be re-bolted)CORDON BLEUFALESIA DEL GURUFALESIA DEL NIRVANAFALESIA DELLA TRANQUILLITÀFALESIA DELL’ECO INFERIOREFALESIA DELL’ECO SUPERIOREFALESIA DELL’ORSOFALESIA DI CAMELOT 1FALESIA DI CAMELOT 2FALESIA DI PARSIFALGOLA DEI BRIGANTI SUPERIOREI CORALLIIL GIARDINOIL GROTTINO DI PERTIIL SASSOLA MANSARDA (still to be re-bolted)LE TECCHIELO SPECCHIOL’OLIMPOMONTE CUCCO ANFITEATRO

MONTE CUCCO CAMPANILEM. CUCCO PICCOLO CANYON (still to be re-bolted)MONTE CUCCO CENTRALEMONTE CUCCO CUCCO 2MONTE CUCCO GROTTONEMONTE CUCCO LA TORREMONTE CUCCO MACHETTOMONTE CUCCO SETTORE ORIENTALEMONTE CUCCO CANYON (still to be re-bolted)MONTE SORDO CENTRALEPANCIA DELL’ELEFANTEPARETE DELLE GEMMEPARETE DIMENTICATAPARETINA DI PIAN MARINOPILASTRINO MIROVINOPILASTRO DI MUPLACCA DEI MALEDUCATIPLACCA DELLE CASE VALLEPLACCA DELL’OASIPLACCA DI MUPLACCONATA SETTORE PRINCIPALEROCCA DI CORNO OVESTROCCA DI CORNO ZONA ROSSASCIMMIODROMOSCOGLIO DI AVALON (still to be re-bolted)SETTORE CENTRALE DI PERTISETTORE OMBRE BLUSETTORE PLACCA PIOTTISETTORE SETTENTRIONALE DI PERTISUPERPANZATESTA DELL’ELEFANTE

BRIC SCIMARCO ANTRI ROSSICANAZEI (still to be re-bolted)CAPO NOLI DANCING DALLECAPO NOLI PRIMO PILASTROCAPO NOLI SECONDO PILASTROCAVA DI RIO FINECIAPPO DELLE CONCHE INFERIORECIAPPO DELLE CONCHE SUPERIOREFALESIA DEL DELFINOFALESIA DEL GUFOFALESIA DEL RAGNOFALESIA DEL SILENZIO INFERIOREFALESIA DEL SILENZIO SUPERIORE

GROTTA DEI BALCONI (DOMUS AUREA)IL CIMITEROLA CONSOLLEL’ORIZZONTE (still to be re-bolted)MONOLOCALEMUSEO DELL’UOMOPARETINA DI FINALBORGOPARSIFAL (still to be re-bolted)PIETRA DEL SOLE (still to be re-bolted)ROCCA DI CORNO SETTORE SUDSTRIATURE OBESETEMPIO DEL VENTO

TREKMAP ITALIA, THE RESULT OF THE PART-NERSHIP BETWEEN GARMIN AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES

TrekMap Italia is the new national digital topogra-phic map system, developed by Garmin and avai-lable for outdoor handhelds.

The world’s leading mobile navigation device com-pany continues with its development program for the Italian region, or more precisely the topographical maps of the national area.TrekMap Italia covers footpaths and trails, as well as having lots of tourist and outdoor information, and Garmin will release continually updated versions than-ks to the new data from other local organizations. At the moment TrekMap Italia makes available 73,000 kilometres of footpaths, bike trails and cycle paths, and over 50,000 tourist or trekking landmarks. It is the result of the collaboration with four Regions, two Pro-vinces and three sections of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) that have contributed to enhancing TrekMap with the information in their possession on local footpaths.In the TrekMap Italia package there are two DVDs and a memory stick. On one DVD the maps, that can be installed on your computer complete with the softwa-re indispensable for their use. On the second DVD all the tourist information required for “life out in the open air” are made available by the local authorities that are partners in this project: information cards on itineraries and landmarks, road-book, pictures, printable maps, actual “books” in pdf form, films, MP3 audio guides… and much, much more.On the memory stick you will find the maps ready to be used Garmin handhelds.

BirdsEyeTM: THE DATABASE OF THE BEST SA-TELLITE IMAGES COMPATIBLE WITH GARMIN HANDHELDS

The agreement signed between Garmin and Di-gitalGlobe means that owners of Garmin han-dhelds can access BirdsEyeTM Satellite Imagery, the new worldwide database of satellite images, from which you can download the best high re-solution “shots” and use them on your Garmin handheld.

The world of satellite navigation is making giant steps and new products often take even the most devoted fans of GPS by surprise.DigitalGlobe® is the owner of BirdsEyeTM Satellite Imagery, the most important photographic data-base of satellite images: all the photos are geo-referenced and images depict actual buildings, ve-hicles, roads, trails, mountains and land features. A real life representation of the surroundings, exactly as the user of the handheld sees it.With BirdsEyeTM Garmin users can download high definition aerial and satellite images onto compati-ble handhelds, using Garmin’s Base Camp software.Outdoor enthusiasts can also overlay Garmin vector maps onto compatible handhelds to be able to bet-ter assess the terrain. The data from Garmin’s topo-graphic products, like terrain contours, rivers and roads remain visible above the satellite image, uni-ting the intuitive “real” image from the satellite with the advanced features of automatic route planning and search for landmarks, characteristic of Garmin vector maps.This imagery is compatible with all the handhelds from Garmin’s Outdoor Series of navigators: Ore-gon, Dakota, and Colorado.

DVD cover TrekMap Italia Display with satellite image

GARMIN “CUSTOM MAPS”: THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN ELECTRONIC AND PRINTED MAPS

On last generation Garmin handhelds from the outdoor series it is also possible to use printed maps and integrate the scanning of these with digital maps. A Garmin exclusive that gives va-lue to the paper map resources of all outdoors enthusiasts.

The world’s leading mobile navigation device com-pany introduces the new feature “Custom Maps” that allows you to integrate on your outdoor han-dheld paper maps with digital maps. Thanks to the Custom Maps process developed by Garmin, it is possible to convert maps that everyone owns in pa-per form into maps that can be downloaded onto Garmin Outdoor handhelds.With a few simple operations, it is in fact possible to transfer the details of paper or non-Garmin di-gital maps onto the Oregon, Dakota and Colorado models. This service is free and works with both PC and Mac.The new Custom Maps feature opens up the field to until now un-thought of applications. In fact, asi-de from the traditional uses aimed at outdoor navi-gation, potentially Custom Maps could be used to “explore” your neighbourhood park or by someone who needs to find a restaurant and only has direc-tions drawn on a piece of paper, or by a progressive tourist who wants to visit an archaeological site de-scribed in a magazine.

BASECAMP: EASY AND FUN TO PLAN ADVEN-TURE

Garmin presents BaseCamp, the evolution of the original map software MapSource that will allow you to prepare trips and manage topographic map data and the route in 3-D.

Hiking is a natural and simple discipline: walking on footpaths, through valleys and woods is in itself a priceless emotion, but with the last generation tech-nology it has become safer and even more fun.Garmin is the leading company in this revolution and the latest new product by the world leader in satellite navigation is called BaseCamp, software that allows outdoor enthusiasts to prepare trips by creating waypoints and routes on your computer and then load them onto your Garmin GPS han-dheld and vice versa.There are many features that BaseCamp offers to users, like the display of topographic maps in 2-D or 3-D. It is also possible to view elevation profiles in the context of a route at every step.Also, thanks to the Track Draw feature, hikers can trace their intended path and obtain an immediate estimate of the difficulty of the route.The revolutionary software BaseCamp manages the maps and route data through a simple interface that can be rotated and viewed from any angle, as well as the “playback” feature that guarantees the ex-perience of virtual navigation in 3-D along routes.

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Display with Custom Map Screenshot of computer BaseCamp

GARMIN “CUSTOM MAPS”: THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN ELECTRONIC AND PRINTED MAPS

On last generation Garmin handhelds from the outdoor series it is also possible to use printed maps and integrate the scanning of these with digital maps. A Garmin exclusive that gives va-lue to the paper map resources of all outdoors enthusiasts.

The world’s leading mobile navigation device com-pany introduces the new feature “Custom Maps” that allows you to integrate on your outdoor han-dheld paper maps with digital maps. Thanks to the Custom Maps process developed by Garmin, it is possible to convert maps that everyone owns in pa-per form into maps that can be downloaded onto Garmin Outdoor handhelds.With a few simple operations, it is in fact possible to transfer the details of paper or non-Garmin di-gital maps onto the Oregon, Dakota and Colorado models. This service is free and works with both PC and Mac.The new Custom Maps feature opens up the field to until now un-thought of applications. In fact, asi-de from the traditional uses aimed at outdoor navi-gation, potentially Custom Maps could be used to “explore” your neighbourhood park or by someone who needs to find a restaurant and only has direc-tions drawn on a piece of paper, or by a progressive tourist who wants to visit an archaeological site de-scribed in a magazine.

BASECAMP: EASY AND FUN TO PLAN ADVEN-TURE

Garmin presents BaseCamp, the evolution of the original map software MapSource that will allow you to prepare trips and manage topographic map data and the route in 3-D.

Hiking is a natural and simple discipline: walking on footpaths, through valleys and woods is in itself a priceless emotion, but with the last generation tech-nology it has become safer and even more fun.Garmin is the leading company in this revolution and the latest new product by the world leader in satellite navigation is called BaseCamp, software that allows outdoor enthusiasts to prepare trips by creating waypoints and routes on your computer and then load them onto your Garmin GPS han-dheld and vice versa.There are many features that BaseCamp offers to users, like the display of topographic maps in 2-D or 3-D. It is also possible to view elevation profiles in the context of a route at every step.Also, thanks to the Track Draw feature, hikers can trace their intended path and obtain an immediate estimate of the difficulty of the route.The revolutionary software BaseCamp manages the maps and route data through a simple interface that can be rotated and viewed from any angle, as well as the “playback” feature that guarantees the ex-perience of virtual navigation in 3-D along routes.

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Display with Custom Map Screenshot of computer BaseCamp

Rocc

a di

Per

ti

16

Red

poi

nt (8a+

- 8

c+) 8c+ COCK-TAIL Grotto di Perti Gianni Duregato 2007

8c SILENZIO TOTALE Grotto di Perti Gianni Duregato 20088c SENZA CHIEDERE PERMESSO I missili Luca Lenti 2000 8c UNIVERSO PROIBITO I missili Luca Lenti 19998c ROSEMATIX Monolocale Gianni Duregato 20078b+ URKA (CATMAKER) (Rotkeirs) Museo dell’uomo Klem Loskot 8b+ OMBRA Scimmiodromo Andrea Gallo 19888b+ TRANS CABONI Grotto di Perti Andrea Gallo8b+ MESSER WOLF Bric Grigio Il grottino Guido Cortese8b+ BIRBO I missili Luca Lenti 20008b+ NON PENSARCI DUE VOLTE I missili Luca Lenti 20008b+ ROBIN HOOD Cucco Grottone Gianni Duregato 20108b+ EN ATTENDANT BERHAULT Grotta della Strapatente Christian Brenna 20038b+ NAZGÛL Il vascello Gianni Duregato 20088b+ BIGNAMIKA Cucco 2 Gianni Duregato8b MOSS KIITOS Monolocale Gianni Duregato8b HUECA SOLO (L2) Settore Centrale di Perti Andrea Gallo8b …POI CAPACE Il giardino superiore Andrea Gallo8b CABONI SESI… GEI CANTASA Grotto di Perti Andrea Gallo8b MANI PRECISE Tigrotto Gianni Duregato 20088b TZUNAMI Parete dimenticata Gianni Duregato 20108b HYAENA Alveare Andrea Gallo 19868b FUGA DA BERLINO Falesia delle tecchie Gianni Duregato 20008b BELGARATH Bric Grigio Il grottino Guido Cortese8b WOLF Bric Grigio Il grottino Gianni Duregato 20068b NON È VERO MA CI CREDO I missili Luca Lenti 20008b BARBAGIANNI Superpanza Gianni Duregato 20108b THE WALL Cucco Grottone Gianni Duregato 20108b BLOCK TROTTER Cucco Grottone Gianni Duregato 20108b CUCCO IN ALTO (L1) Cucco Grottone Gianni Duregato 20108b LECCA LECCA Cucco Grottone Matteo Caropreso 20118b PASSANDO PER VIENNA Cucco Orientale Luca Lenti 19968b FURORE Il vascello Filippo Larceri8b AVADA KEDAVRA Il vascello Guido Cortese8a+ NU’ CASE Sasso Crazy brothers Guido Cortese8a+ SENZA CRAZY (SENZA TABU’ + CRAZY MIX) Sasso Crazy brothers Gianni Duregato 8a+ ARIAL Parete dimenticata Gianni Duregato 20108a+ BOMBAY Alveare Andrea Gallo8a+ PER FORTUNA CI SEI TU Grotta della Pollera Gianni Duregato 20108a+ VAI AVANTI TU CHE MI VIENE DA RIDERE I missili Luca Lenti 20008a+ LA PIÙ BELLA DEL REAME Cucco Grottone Gianni Duregato 20108a+ IO SONO PRONTO (L2) Cucco Grottone Matteo Caropreso 20118a+ GATTOLARDO Cucco La torre Guido Cortese8a+ JAMIN-A Gola dei briganti inf. Andrea Gallo8a+ BRAILLE Striature obese Luca Lenti 19948a+ DI PIÙ Estathe Klem Loskot8a+ SPAZZOLAMI Lacremà settore basso Luca Lenti 19968a+ EQUILIBRI IMPOSSIBILI* Avan. Rocca degli uccelli Luca Lenti 1997

* Well protected pitch but at a crag where most of the pitches are bolted dangerously and therefore not described in this guidebook.

17

180mW

Rocc

a di

Per

ti07 07

Placca dell’Oasi5a 5b 5c 6a 6b 6c

8

1

521

267a

2

7

450mAltitude

Orientation

Equipment

Number of visitors

Comfort

Beauty

Fit for family

Possible when raining

BeginnersSchool

Nice Worthy Not excitingWonderful

DifficultSufficientGoodVery good

Parking

UncomfortableUnevenComfortable

Low

TerribleBe carefulGoodPerfect

MediumHighOvercrowding

Number of pitches

No signal

18

100mSW

Aren

e Ca

ndid

e01 01

Cava di Rio Fine

Cava

di R

io F

ine

<4 4a 4b 4c 5a 5b

2 13

105c 6a

22

GPS N44 09.715 E8 19.503

ApproachTaking the Finale Ligure Motorway exit after 800 meters there is a Stop sign. From here, turn left downhill in the direction of “Finale L.- Via Aurelia SS1-Calice L.”. After 1.3 kms at the mini-roundabout continue straight on for another 1.5 kms until another Stop sign keeping to the right and going in the direction of “Imperia-Borgio V.”. Continue for 2.4 kms going through a tunnel and at the traffic light stay to the right in the lane signed Borgio Verezzi where there is a level crossing. Turn right and cross over the railway and then go up to the right towards “Verezzi” (via Nazario Sauro). After 100 meters there is a road that is a dead end that goes down (via della Cornice); follow this for another 500 meters passing between the houses and then going up until a hairpin bend to the left. At this point a dirt road continues straight on (GPS N 44 09.635 E 8 19.160), follow it for 100 meters coming to the first parking possibility for three cars on the left (Arene Candide car park 1). The dirt road continues for another 100 meters following the way marks “one red circle” until another parking area again on the left for about three cars (Arene Candide car park 2). From here it is better to continue on foot if you don’t have a 4-wheel drive because the road becomes very uneven. However continuing for another 150 meters there is an additional parking area on the left for another three cars (Arene Candide car park 3).After 100 meters there is an obvious fork where you go right and shortly afterwards another (GPS N 44 09.787 E 8 19.389) where you again go right on a level path reaching the wall in 200 meters.It takes 5 minutes from car park 2 to the wall.

This is the only sector that exists at the moment in Finale with easy and well-bolted routes. The routes go from leaning slabs to short overhangs. The place is not particularly nice, being an abandoned quarry, but it has a wonderful view and is very comfortable at the base.All the routes are equipped with a closed “maillon rapide”.The routes were equipped in 2004 by Fulvio Scotto with glued bolts or bolt hangers.

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19

4c5a

3b5b

6a+

5c

6a+

5a 4c

3c

CAVA DI RIO FINE

1 2

3

10987654

1 BORDER LINE 4c 8m Vertical with steps 2 NELLE FAUCI DEL PIRANHA 5a 10m Vertical with steps 3 ROLLING STONE 3b 8m Slightly leaning and steps 4 STARGATE 5b 8m Vertical with steps with slight traverse to the left to exit 5 BRAIN STORMING 6a+ 8m Short overhang with many pockets to start, then vertical 6 LEGATO MA LIBERO 5c 8m Similar to the preceding but less overhanging 7 LA BRANDLER 6a+ 8m Starts on a slight overhang with edges, then leaning slab 8 BLUMOUNTAIN 5a 7m Starts on a slight overhang with edges, then leaning slab 9 ROCKSTORE 4c 6m Vertical with pockets and edges10 GRAZIE A.I.B. 3c 5m Similar to the preceding

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20

210mS

Aren

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e02 02

Il Ci

mite

ro

Il Cimitero

P

P

P

<6 6a 6b 6c 7a 7b

31

7

13

197c

13

GPS N44 09.879 E8 19.493

L’orizzonte

Parsifal

Pietra del sole

Canazei

Cava di Rio Fine

Via della cornice

Borgio Verezzi

Cimitero

ApproachAt the second turn for the Rio Fine quarry (N 44 09.787 E 8 19.389) go up to the left for 40 meters following the “one red circle” way marks and reaching an obvious widening on the left. From here take the path that forks off to the left going uphill with the same way marks as before and with a red arrow (turn 1 for Cimitero GPS N 44 09.774 E 8 19.466). Continue going up for 250 meters reaching another turn where you go right continuing for a farther 100 meters. At the next turn go left continuing uphill for 70 meters reaching the final turn where you go right coming to the extreme right of the crag.The path from the Arene Candide car park 2 to the Cimitero crag is about a 10-minute walk.

Nice crag with mainly vertical routes on rock that is often very distinctive, the most spectacular routes are however those that follow the roof that marks the middle part of the crag. Fulvio Balbi and Diego Nesi equipped all the routes in 1991.Nearly all the routes are equipped with glued bolts; the numbering of the routes goes from left to right.

20

shack

tarred road

dirt road

footpath

21

6c+ 5c+ 6b+

6c+6b

6a+

7a

7a

6c+

7a+7b+

6b

5b4c

6c+

6b+

6b+6b+

6b

IL CIMITERO

19

1817

161511

12

13 141098765

432

1

1 VATICANO 6c+ 10m Small pillar, slab start and climbs a small overhanging corner 2 TOSTAU 5c+ 15m Leaning slab and small corner 3 UN METRO SOTTO 6b+ 15m Slightly overhanging start, then moves onto slab 4 TOMBA LA BOMBA 6c+ 15m Slab start on large pockets, then vertical 5 CLIC SI GIRA 6b 20m Slab with small pockets, then slightly overhanging 6 PSICOLOGICA 6a+ 20m Vertical on white wall, then featured on grey rock 7 ULTIMA ALBA 7a 20m Vertical start on two white stalactites, then slightly overhanging 8 EASY TO REMEMBER 7a 20m Vertical on small red pockets, then roof 9 ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE 6c+ 15m Starts on stalactites then roof10 FLAUTO DI VERTEBRE 7a+ 20m First bolt really high, watch out! Starts on stalactites then roof11 SACCO D’OSSA 7b+ 15m Dangerous bolting! Starts on stalactites then roof and traverse to the left12 SEPPIA GRASSA 6b 15m Vertical on pockets with overhanging exit13 COSETTA 5b 10m Featured slab with pockets14 BAMBINO 4c 12m Featured slab with pockets15 CONSIDERAZIONI DI UN DISTRATTO 6c+ 15m Dangerous bolting! Grey overhang16 STAFF 6b+ 15m Follows a red overhang to the left hand side of a cavern17 THE RETURN OF JEDI 6b+ 15m Slab start then overhang and dark grey stalactites18 THE DARK SIDE OF THE FORCE 6b+ 15m Slab start, then overhang with stalactites19 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK 6b 15m Starts on obvious stalactite, then featured

Car park Arene candide

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3c 4a 4b 4c 5a 5b

31

31

300mE

2103 035c

3

6a

9

6b

1

Rocc

e de

ll’Or

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GPS N44 10.366 E8 19.049Ro

cce

dell’

Ore

ra -

Setto

re d

estr

o ApproachTwo approaches in fact exist, the first is a shorter walk, the second is longer but if you don’t have a form of transport it is the easiest as you leave directly from Finalborgo.

Approach 1Take the Finale Ligure motorway exit and at the STOP sign turn right going up in the direction of Calizzano.Continue for 1.3 kms coming to the square in Gorra (Piazza San Bartolomeo) from where, doing a U-turn, you go back towards the motorway but, after 50 meters, take the second road going up to the right (Via Bracciale). Follow it for 2 kms until a junction where you go left and park in the marked parking areas (Verezzi Car park N 44 10.187 E 8 18.621) that you find just before the Borgata Crosa.Continue on foot entering into the small town along the road “Via alla Chiesa” and passing under a small vault. Continue uphill until reaching the church of San Martino.From here continue following the paved footpath leaving the church to the left, then descend skirting the cemetery (way marked with a red rhombus and a red circle). The path passes next to a field with football goal posts; from here follow the way marks of three red circles. Continuing for 200 meters you note 5 paths within 10 meters of each other that go down to the left. Take the last of these five paths going downhill (Left hand junction 5 for Rocce dell’Orera N 44 10.187 E 8 18.621).This last junction is very important as it is very easy to confuse it with the other four preceding paths. The key reference points are, just where the correct path starts to go down to the left, a cairn and a way mark (three red circles) at foot

The Rocce dell’Orera is a crag with easy routes situated above Finalborgo. The type of climbing goes from featured slabs with pockets to vertical walls with the length of the routes often not longer than 15 meters.At the moment it is one of the easiest sectors in Finale and also one of the few where it is possible to climb in the summer months as it goes into the shade in the afternoon.The routes are not exceptionally nice but they are particularly suitable for beginners and children given the difficulty, the inclination and the morphology.Discovered at the beginning of the ‘70s by the renowned climbers Calcagno, Grillo and Simonetti, it was re-appraised many years later by Fulvio Balbi.The routes are all equipped with glued bolts apart from the part on the extreme left that unfortunately remains equipped with old pegs and bolt hangers and so we recommend not climbing these routes.

22

Rocce dell’Orera Settore destro

23

P

GorraFinalborgo

Verezzi (borgata Crosa)

Rocce dell’Orera

level on the sides of the path where it starts.Now continue along the path for 320 meters and at the junction take the level path to the right.After a few meters, at the next junction, go right again. After another few meters the path widens, a trail goes down to the left near rocks protruding from the ground (N 44 10.358 E 8 19.028).Follow this trail for 40 meters coming to the right-hand sector of the Rocce dell’Orera.The path from the Verezzi car park to the right-hand sector of the Rocce dell’Orera is about a 15-minute walk.

Approach 2Leave Finalborgo through Porta Testa and cross the medieval bridge; at the mini roundabout cross the road and turn left towards the coast (Via Caprazoppa) following the main road for 100 meters until coming to an obvious dirt track that goes up to the right with a no entry sign and a chain.Follow the dirt track, taking immediately (before the no entry sign) a path that goes up steeply and passes above netting that protects against rock fall (way marks three red circles). After 15 meters, on the left there is a small cave with writing (F.76). Continue for another 250 meters

coming to a stone wall on the left, and a path on the right that goes up; here go up to the right (Lower Orera junction 1). After 20 meters there is another junction (Lower Orera junction 2) where you continue right. After 900 meters there is a junction that goes up to the left (Lower Orera junction 3) where instead you go straight on for a farther 160 meters until the following junction (Lower Orera junction 4) where there is a trail that goes up to the left and one that goes down to the right with a large rock in the middle of the junction. Go down to the right continuing for 90 meters. A large boulder is now visible on the left and immediately after a path goes up steeply to the left. Instead go down to the right (Lower Orera junction 5) walking for another 180 meters and coming to the extreme left of the right-hand sector of the Rocce dell’Orera; up to the left you can make out the routes Azzurra (no. 18) and Giulia (no. 17), with the rest of the crag continuing to the right. Going to the left you find the first routes of the left-hand sector.The path from the main road to the right hand sector of the Rocce dell’Orera takes about 45 minutes.

Finale Ligure motorway exit

S. Martino church

24

4a4a3c5c5c

4c

6a4a

5a

4c4c

6a+6a

5c

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6a+

6b

6a+6a

6a

6a

03Ro

cce

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a

18

13

14

17

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9 8 7

6 5 4 3 2 1

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1 L’APPRENDISTA 4a 12m Slab with many features and large pockets 2 MORO 4a 12m Slab with many features and large pockets, short traverse to the right to exit 3 CONFUSIONE 3c 18m Starts on thin crack, then slab and ledge before exit 4 LUNA 5c 15m Leaning and featured slab, goes diagonally quite far right, then sequence on small pockets 5 COBRECESI 5c 20m Vertical wall with many features with strenuous moves 6 PEDRO P1 6a 20m Fingery vertical wall with short traverse to the left and easy slab to exit P2 4c 10m Slab with many features 7 CHIACCHIA P1 4a 20m Slab then corner P2 5a 15m Technical vertical wall 8 SONO GINO 4c 20m Leaning slab needing good movement 9 CAMALLI 4c 20m Leaning slab and technical vertical wall10 STRINGILE FORTE 6a+ 25m Slightly overhanging start on good pockets, then slab11 STRINGILE PIANO 6a 20m Featured slab with cracks12 MADDALENA 6a 90m Old and dangerous bolts, arête 13 FUORIVIA 6a+ 15m Nice vertical wall, sustained for fingers14 DIEDRO DELLE SITUAZIONI DIFFERENTI 6a 70m Corner and vertical wall. Old and dangerous bolts, not climbable15 I DIEDRI OBLIQUI 5c 70m Delicate and elegant climbing. Climbs a series of cracks and diagonal corners situated a few meters to the left of the Diedro (Corner) delle Situazioni Indifferenti; re-bolted with bolt hangers. The second, third and last pitches need to be integrated with trad gear

ROCCE DELL’ORERASETTORE DESTRO(RIGHT HAND SECTOR)

Rocce dell’Orera, Elena Troiano, I segni del tempo, 6a+ (ph. M. Tomassini) 25

16 VIA DEGLI URLATORI 6a+ 80m Old and dangerous bolts! Technical and vertical wall, starts in a gully 17 GIULIA 6b 10m Dangerous bolts! Vertical wall with fingery single18 AZZURRA 6a 10m Dangerous bolts! Vertical wall with fingery single19 CICINO 6a+ 50m Old and dangerous bolts! Technical and vertical spur

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4a 4b 4c 5a 5b 5c

1 13

11

900E

18Ro

cce

dell’

Orer

a04 046a

56

GPS N44 10.352 E8 19.195 Ro

cce

dell’

Ore

ra -

Setto

re s

inis

tro Approach

From the Verezzi car park (see the approach for the right hand sector of the Rocce dell’Orera, Ap-proach 1) continue on foot entering into the small town along the road “Via alla Chiesa” and passing under a small vault. Continue uphill until reaching the church of San Martino.From here continue following the paved footpath leaving the church to the left, then descend skirt-ing the cemetery (way marked with a red rhom-bus and a red circle). The path passes next to an obvious field with foot-ball goal posts; from here follow the way marks of three red circles for 580 meters with a long dry stone wall. The path from being level starts going gently uphill and goes downhill in the last section until reaching a widening with a votive niche made from stone painted salmon pink (Vo-tive niche, GPS N44 10.337 E8 19.256). From here zigzag down following the main path (way marks three full red circles) for 60 meters; at a point where the path makes a bend to the right, a trail goes off to the left going briefly downhill and entering the wood. Follow this trail for 130 meters until a junction near a small red cliff that forms a small roof (on the left). Now go up steeply to the left for 50 meters coming to the left hand sector of the Rocce dell’Orera near the route Trocadero.To reach the routes nos. 1, 2 and 3 it is necessary, at the last junction near the small red cliff, to go downhill for 60 meters; the three routes can be found about 20-40 meters from each other. Con-tinuing in this direction you reach the right hand sector and so link up with the path that goes back to the Verezzi car park.The path from the Verezzi car park to the left hand sector of the Rocce dell’Orera is about a 20-minute walk.

26

A recently bolted cliff, equipped by the renowned Fulvio Balbi and by Roberto Bolzan, it offers 13 routes that are perfectly equipped with stainless steel glued Raumer bolts on new rock with many features. Corners, slabs and long traverses are generally the type of climbing that can be found here.All the belays are stainless steel glued Raumer bolts and placed in the French way.For Fuoco (no. 3) we recommend not linking the two pitches to avoid rope pull.For Razza bastarda (no. 8) and Zanzibar (no. 11) it is easier to descend from the last pitch along a path instead of doing an abseil.For Razza bastarda (no. 8) it is possible to use a 70-meter rope to link the three pitches as the route traverses a lot and so the abseil is much shorter than the total length of the climb. However we do not recommend linking the pitches to avoid rope drag.For Trocadero (no. 12) the first part can be avoided starting to the left and little bit farther up (stainless steel bolt hanger) lowering the grade to 4a.

Rocce dell’Orera Settore sinistro

27

1 CIELO 5a 17m Wide and leaning corner, continues on a very leaning slab with large pockets; same belay as Bosco 2 BOSCO 4b 13m Slab with large pockets going diagonally slightly right, near the exit becomes a lot less steep; same belay as Cielo 3 FUOCO P1 6a 13m Short slab, then vertical with diagonal ledge, exit on slab and reaches a comfortable ledge P2 5c 19m Vertical start with many pockets, continues on slab with huge jugs and reaches a comfortable ledge; we recommend not linking the two pitches to avoid rope drag 4 NUVOLE 4a 9m Easy slab with many pockets and small ledges; belay on only one Raumer anchor that can be opened 5 VARIANTE CICINO 5b 10m Short slab with small pockets with final mantle, brings you to the last pitch (not re-bolted) of the route Cicino… a Finale classic in the right hand sector. 6 L’ANGOLO NEL CIELO 6a 33m Nice route, sustained, with short overhang and always on good holds; vertical start on red rock with large pockets, not trivial 7 I SEGNI DEL TEMPO 6a+ 35m Superb; goes diagonally decidedly right on technical slab, it is best to clean the draws by seconding it 8 RAZZA BASTARDA P1 4c 25m A teaching route in classic style; diagonally to the right on steps and many holds P2 4c 6m Right again, short pitch with nice exposed traverse P3 4c 15m Vertical exit on fantastic rock, belay on boulder in wood 9 DONNE, CRAVE E OCHE 6a 20m The first 10 meters are slightly overhanging on large pockets and strenuous (if you don’t find the right sequence), continues on leaning slab10 FANNI E DESFA P1 5b 15m Goes diagonally to the left with demanding traverse on slab with crack P2 5b 15m Prominent corner-chimney with many holds; we recommend not linking the two pitches to avoid bad rope drag11 ZANZIBAR P1 5b 14m Starts on a slab with cracks and flakes, then becomes less steep; satisfying route on good holds but never trivial P2 5b 20m Nice pillar, follows a featured wall on positive pockets; belay on boulder in wood, it is possible to link the two pitches

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6a5b

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4c4c

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SALEWA MOUNTAIN SHOP FINALE LIGUREVia Nicotera, 6 • 17024 Finale Ligure (SV)

Tel.: +39 019 6816230email:mountainshop@sportart.it • www.salewa.it

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12 11

4 3

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31 TROCADERO 5b 15m Small pillar, the first 5 meters are superb, then becomes less steep with climbing on large holds32 DURBEGA 6a 16m Slab, initially leaning on good holds, then vertical with strenuous exit

ROCCE DELL’ORERASETTORE SINISTRO(LEFT HAND SECTOR)

right handsector

car park Verezzi

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SALEWA MOUNTAIN SHOP FINALE LIGUREVia Nicotera, 6 • 17024 Finale Ligure (SV)

Tel.: +39 019 6816230email:mountainshop@sportart.it • www.salewa.it

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5b 5c 6a 6b

1

7

1

40mSW

9Fi

nalb

orgo

05 05

Paretina di Finalborgo

Pare

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PP

GPS N44 10.630 E8 19.423

GorraColle del Melogno

CastelSan Giovanni

Finale Ligure

Finalborgo

A10

Finalborgo

Calice Ligure

A great technical wall with particularly compact rock, the small cliff of Finalborgo, of a limestone similar to that of Capo Noli offers a type of rock that is very different to the rest of Finale. For many years this cliff lay forgotten due to the state of the bolts and so the rock has maintained an excellent friction.From October to November 2010, the re-bolting and the creation of three new routes have enhanced the characteristics of this cliff and made it very popular.The fact that it can be reached in only ten minutes on foot from Finalborgo has contributed to making it one of the most visited winter crags.The Comune of Finale Ligure contributed to buying the necessary equipment: Marco (Thomas) Tomassini and Daniele (Jack) Canale of the association TOTHEMASS took the time to restyle the crag, with help from Simone Baglietto, Max Stefanutti and Natalino Odasso.In the winter months the crag gets the sun from about 9am to 2pm.

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ApproachTaking the Finale Ligure Motorway exit after 800 meters there is a Stop sign. From here, turn left downhill in the direction of “Finale L.- Via Aurelia SS1-Calice L.”. After 1.3 kms at the mini-roundabout turn left in the direction of Finale Borgo, Calice Ligure and Perti, cross over the medieval bridge turning immediately left and then entering the car park in Piazza Porta Testa (Porta Testa car park, GPS N44 10.532 E8 19.559).Continue on foot entering into the old walled town of Finale Ligure (Finalborgo) through the Porta Testa gate, walk along Via Nicotera for 90 meters and then turn left into Via del Municipio. After walking for 70 meters along this road you come to Piazza del Tribunale. From here, go up along the winding brick road (via Berretta), following the way marked path (two full red circles) from Finale Ligure to Pian Marino, for 280 meters until an old gate to the town in the form of half an arch (Half Arch gate, GPS N44 10.615 E8 19.517).Go up for a farther 90 meters until a hairpin bend to the right where a path starts behind the low wall at the edge of the road (Junction 1 for the Paretina di Finalborgo, GPS N44 10.634 E8 19.469).Follow this path for 10 meters and immediately take a path on the left going slightly downhill and then on the level for 50 meters. At the junction near a boulder go down another 35 meters until a rocky step, where there is a fixed rope, to scramble down for 10 meters.At the base of the step, continue downhill skirting the cliff, passing a level section and passing over an area of scree.Climb up a short ramp with two trees at the top reaching the extreme right of the crag.The path from the Porta Testa car park to the Paretina di Finalborgo takes about 10 minutes.

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1 ICH HABE EINEN BANDWURM 6a 20m Easy base, then vertical, technical and sustained on good holds with a move difficult to work out half way up2 TIRA DRITTO FURBACCHIONE 6a 20m Easy base, then vertical, technical and very sustained on positive holds3 CUSSULÈ STU CASINU 6a 20m Diagonal ledge, delicate slightly leaning slab, then vertical and technical on good holds4 IL MAGO DI WORD 6a+ 20m Diagonal ledge, then slab with technical climbing requiring balance and good movement on positive edges, very sustained5 IL RAGAZZO CON L’ORECCHINO DA PIRLA 6a+ 21m Varied climbing requiring good movement on slightly leaning slab with pockets and positive edges6 IL LABIRINTO 6a 21m Vertical requiring good movement on positive holds, final fingery wall7 SGRILLETTAMI 6a+ 21m Easy start, a bit of intuition necessary to pass the short technical fingery slab and to position well on the final short wall8 DECIMINO 5b 12m Starts from a rocky pulpit: climbs a leaning slab with big holds with a more technical move on the vertical wall half way up9 MEDCAMALIA 6b+ 18m Balancy start on leaning slab, easy section with good holds with traverse to the right, short difficult overhang with edges to finish

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Rocca di PertiGENERAL APPROACH TO THE CRAGS ON THE WEST FACE OF THE ROCCA DI PERTIThe general approach means from the nearest motorway exit to the most convenient parking area for the crag.The West face of Rocca di Perti area includes the following crags:

1 Parete delle gemme (GPS N44 11.502 E8 18.645)2 Placca dell’oasi (GPS N44 11.351 E8 18.754)3 Settore delle ombre blu (GPS N44 11.529 E8 18.710 )4 Scimmiodromo (GPS N44 11.267 E8 18.940)5 Placca del gibbone (GPS N44 11.258 E8 18.947)6 Placca Piotti (GPS N44 11.474 E8 18.775)7 Pancia dell’elefante (GPS N44 11.499 E8 18.738)8 Testa dell’elefante (GPS N44 11.502 E8 18.751)9 Grottino di Perti (GPS N44 11.517 E8 18.736)10 L’olimpo (GPS N44 11.585 E8 18.624)11 Settore centrale di Perti (GPS N44 11.630 E8 18.625)12 Il Giardino (GPS N44 11.699 E8 18.612)13 Falesia dei tre porcellini (GPS N44 11.637 E8 18.581)14 La cengia degli androidi (GPS N44 11.695 E8 18.570)15 Settore settentrionale di Perti (GPS N44 11.651 E8 18.571)

Take the Finale Ligure motorway exit and at the STOP sign descend towards the coast.After 1.4 kms at the mini-roundabout turn left towards Finale Borgo, Calice Ligure and Perti, crossing the medieval bridge and going immediately left following the signs for Calice Ligure.After 3.2 kms take the road going uphill on the right signed “Palestra di Roccia Rocca di Perti”, and follow it passing through a tunnel underneath the motorway and coming to a large open dirt area on the right where there is the first opportunity to park (Perti motorway car park, GPS N 44 11.557 E 8 18.380).At the next junction, continue to the left for 300 meters: at a hairpin bend to the right, there is a second opportunity to park along the side of the dirt road (Perti 1 car park, GPS N44 11.694 E8 18.388).At this point the condition of the dirt road worsens considerably and so if you don’t have a 4 wheel drive it is best to continue on foot.From here it is necessary to look at the specific approaches for each sector on the relevant pages.The Settentrionale (Northern) sector of Perti and Il giardino, even though they make up part of the west face, are more easily approached from the north side; however all 19 sectors of the Rocca di Perti are linked and can be reached from both sides.

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GENERAL APPROACH TO THE CRAGS ON THE NORTH FACE OF THE ROCCA DI PERTIThe general approach means from the nearest motorway exit to the most convenient parking area for the crag.

The North face or the Rocca di Perti includes the following crags:

16 Versante Nord di Perti (GPS N44 11.751 E8 18.651)17 Grottino del Bric della Croce (GPS N44 11.676 E8 18.757)18 Grotto di Perti (GPS N44 11.664 E8 18.838)19 Tigrotto (GPS N44 11.663 E8 18.832)

Take the Finale Ligure motorway exit and at the STOP sign descend towards the coast.After 1.4 kms at the mini-roundabout turn left towards Finale Borgo, Calice Ligure and Perti, crossing the medieval bridge and going immediately left following the signs for Calice Ligure.2 km from here, on the right a road goes up (Via Don Mario Scarrone) signed Perti Alto, Osteria Castel Gavone and Zona Monumentale Perti. Take this road for a farther 1.3 km until a small square (Piazza Martiri Perticesi) with a church (S. Eusebio); here it is possible to replenish your water supply from the fountain on the left.Continue straight on passed the church and after 1 km pass in front of a group of ochre coloured houses situated on the right. Continuing uphill for a farther 1.1 kms park in an open dirt area with a picnic table and benches (Perti North car park, GPS N44 11.844 E8 18.583); there is another fountain here in stone where it is possible to replenish your water supply.From here follow the specific approaches for each crag on the relative pages.The Grotto di Perti can be reached more directly from the Monte Sordo car park.Both the Settentrionale (northern) sector of Perti and Il Giardino can be reached more easily from the Perti North car park even though they are on the West face of Perti.

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Finale Liguremotorwayexit

Finale Ligurerailway station

the north face® trailhead app

iKer poU, shot BY daMiano leVati on the doloMites, italY

see the fUll storY on thenorthface.coM

TNF_S11_Iker_Italia Finale_150x210.indd 1 16/02/11 11:59

A Car park Perti nord (I cianassi)B Car park Perti motorwayC Car park Perti 1D Car park Le gemme (only 4WD)E Car park Scimmiodromo (only 4WD)

the north face® trailhead app

iKer poU, shot BY daMiano leVati on the doloMites, italY

see the fUll storY on thenorthface.coM

TNF_S11_Iker_Italia Finale_150x210.indd 1 16/02/11 11:59

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Very well known throughout Italy in all sectors concerned with sport climbing, Andrea certainly has no need to be presented. Even though it is currently difficult to bump into him at a crag or even casually, a large part of both his amateur and professional life is based on the Finale area.Excellent photographer and a very strong climber from the 1980s, he is the author of all the guide-books to Finale published between 1987 and 2007 as well as many other guidebooks to the outdoors.Despite the fact that he was not an excessively prolific bolter with respect to others, he bolted some important routes such as Ombra at the Scim-miodromo and Hueca solo at the central sector of Perti, put up at the end of the ‘90s and extreme for their time. He continued with All’incomincio and Poi capace at the Giardino and with sectors such as the Grotto di Perti, notable for its very strong overhangs and roofs. He bolted and made the first free ascent of Hyaena at the Alveare.His merit is without doubt that of having promoted Finale around the world, not only by his extreme climbs on the first grade 8 routes in the Finale area, but also because of his many publications, articles and photographs. And thanks to the mate-rial offered by his shop, the first shop specialising in climbing gear to be opened in Finalborgo, the bolting and maintenance of many famous sectors was possible.

Gerardo Fornaro, better known as Gerry, was born in Genoa in 1960 where he currently lives and works, employed in access work where mountain-eering rope work is required.He started climbing in 1977, at first everywhere and then mainly in Finale, always with his favourite climbing shoes (EB)… still considered alien objects at that time! In Finale the crags are still an almost unknown world and the equipped and climbable routes very few indeed. Gerry became a keen bolter and wandered in search of cliffs and new lines, in the course of thirty years he has put up more than 200 new routes in the Finale area. In the beginning he placed a quantity of bolts that were barely suf-ficient and very widely spaced, now he has become the creator of safe lines completed with stainless steel glued bolts. Amongst the more interesting exploits on his curriculum we find: the discovery of the Rian Cornei valley, the Val di Nava and the crea-tion of the route Tempio della gioventù psichica, definitely the hardest route on the Paretone of Pi-anarella (initially opened from the ground up and re-bolted afterwards) and still to be freed…Outside of Finale he has drilled holes in rocks on all the continents, bolting at Toirano and the Albenga area and opening pioneering routes in Sardinia and Corsica. Gerry wanders with his nose in the air, hunting the perfect line…He has published articles in several specialist maga-zines.

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Luciano Pizzorni

El Conde de Montesordo y Perti

Luciano Pizzorni was born in 1957, at the beginning of the summer, in the old-fashioned way at Prato del Re; it was immediately clear what his path would be, caught between the austere glance of Castel Gavone and the sad face of the Rocce dell’Orera. He learnt to walk on a field that had just been ploughed, and with his small steps began to wander between the caves, the castles, and the grey rocks of the Rocca di Perti, but his first route was the cherry tree, then the peach tree, the plum tree, the dry stone walls of the terraces, the ruined walls of the castle. He met Nico Ivaldo, Guido Grappiolo, and together they explored the caverns of Finale, but one day, having daringly climbed the Torre dei Diamanti of Castel Gavone, they were enraptured by the vision of the sad face of the Rocce dell’Orera. Fatal attrac-tion, the siege began. They threw themselves at the conquest of that outcrop, and the more their fingers were peeled, the more they yearned for this scrab-bling, maybe it was the smell of the rock, with its aromatic herbs that made them drunk or the rough-ness where their fingers spread out? One day they conquered the summit.And so they started, free from any tradition or any constraint. When they met Vittorio Simonetti, and as a consequence Gianni Calcagno, and Alessandro Grillo… they were already clear about how to do things. The meeting was decisive for their growth, the enthusiasm of Vittorio for the new young climb-ers from Finale led to the birth of the mountaineer-ing group Purchin; on that route on North face of the Rocca di Perti that is the Camino dei Purchin, the first route put up by purely “finalese”, Sandro opened their minds, opening the way for climbing shoes, waist harnesses and the new Californian ten-dencies. Gianni, with his charisma, his alpine routes in a day, and the feat of Tirich Mir (lightweight ex-pedition, there was him and G. Machetto! 1975), broadened their horizons. All the while the tribe of “Rampigninisti” grew with Raffaele Santoro, Sandro Piccinino, Gianni Perotto and many others. With them Luciano (Luk) started to discover the Maritime Alps, one of his first peaks was Corno Stella which deserves a description. The story goes that Luk and

his companions, having reached the hut in tracksuits and tennis shoes, were seriously reprimanded by a well-known climber of the time. In the morning our heroes stayed late beneath the covers, and then head-ed for the start of the climb. The well-known climber was starting his route when the two tracksuits started the, at that time, revered route Campia… with tennis shoes! They quickly reached the first belay and just as quickly gained height and disappeared from his sight. Having reached the summit they lost no time, their pot-holing roots giving them maximum speed in the abseil descent, and once at the base, they re-started on the route of the well known climber, reaching him as he was going towards the abseils, overtook him and… go, abseils with counter weight! The legend recounts that once at the hut they turned round and saw the mistreated climbers still half way through the abseils. They looked each other in the eyes, smiled and headed for home, before someone could insult them.At that time in Finale there were no single pitch climbs, so you climbed on multi-pitch routes, and it was normal to climb in a day, three, four, or maybe more routes, and there were no discounts for any-one. Gianni Perotto started with the one hundred and fifty meters of the Via del vecchio, three months later he was with Luciano on the thousand meters of the South ridge of the Aiguille Noire, climbed at night with a full moon in about 9 hours, in fact they reached their tent in Val Veny in the early af-ternoon.Luk has many of these exploits hidden in his draw-ers, all the fruit of methodical and constant training. In those few months they had prepared themselves to climb at night, with rain, cold, nothing was left to chance. And on that very occasion Marta Rivarola ap-peared, they started climbing together, and between one route and the next they found time to sacrifice a Sunday to get married. In 1979 they were invited to join the climbing school of the Italian Alpine Club (C.A.I) of Savona, the commitment was taken seri-ously, in a short time becoming the driving force of the school. By now Finale had been discovered, and every weekend it was invaded by hundreds of climb-ers, some small accidents occurred, like at Monte Cucco, where everyone at the crag stopped climbing to help the injured party, or on Bric Pianarella, when more than once someone remained stuck on the wall

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after dark… a series of phone calls and every one was ready to intervene, with enthusiasm and compe-tence. The nearest Mountain Rescue was in Savona, and so they proposed the creation of a branch sec-tion at Finale with Luciano as the head, but without the necessary equipment; one of his interventions involved cutting down a tree to make the stretcher! After numerous requests, one day a small pack ar-rived containing insignia and badges! Luciano, who was living his period “everything and now”, picked up the phone swore and left the Mountain Rescue, even though he continued to be involved in helping those in difficulty… as it is a duty of every moun-taineer to bring help to someone in need.One day my parents took me to visit our cousins in Finale, and so I finally got to know this reckless cous-in of mine who wondered round the house attach-ing himself to doorjambs. He seemed a bit strange but likeable, he let me play with his carabiners and he took me to visit Castel Gavone. A few months later my father had a job offer in Savona and so we moved. I was in my first year of university when

I lost my mother and remained with a seriously ill father: Luk took my life into his hands, and I entered into his world. I started to climb, often with him; crags, the Alps, Mont Blanc, but more often with books his help was also economic. When I returned to climbing I often found him trying to teach people who didn’t deserve it and, as a consequence, losing fitness, both mental and athletic. The next time how-ever he would be vibrant and irrepressible, dragging me round the Alps ignoring the weather, and I got my own back trying to teach him martial arts where still now I can keep my own. It was a gentle way to beat him a little, an innocent vendetta against the effort, the bad weather, to the four walnuts (two a head!) that he made me suffer in those long days where time did not find peace even when the sun went down. If he had been more constant and less eclectic, concentrating his energies on more concrete objectives, who knows where he would have ended up, with his elegant seamlessly effortless climbing on slabs and corners. For me he remains the point of union between the elegance of Gianni Calcagno

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and the magnificence of Patrick Berhault, and those who have seen Luciano in form will certainly con-firm this. Between highs and lows he has always con-veyed his honest and clean style; a little reserved, he doesn’t like talking about his climbs, and if he does it is because he respects you, trusts you, you’re close to his heart, he lives them as an inner adventure, intimate, with feeling… “it’s like courting a young woman, you watch her, and then you go near and look for her hidden sides, the colours that vary from face to face, her winds, and clouds, her smell”… he replied to my question “why do you want to climb that mountain?” I had the fortune to share with him some great classic climbs and I still live that person, tireless, always on lead, the impressive calm in the storm and the eyes that in the mountains change and, become one with the environment, at times his eyes are ice, other times like the wind, but then when he hugs you, at the end of the descent (the route does not finish at the summit) you feel his joy and the huge passion that sets his heart on fire.Luk has a curriculum of important climbs and also some great extra-European experiences, he has dedicated a lot of time, in my view too much, to the climbing school of the Club Alpino Italiano, and he became a National Instructor at a young age. For years he lived roaming between schools, not finding the right atmosphere that fitted with his vision, in fact leaving them, often deluded, finding colleagues that didn’t follow their objectives with passion, but with that form of personal gratification, from a title or a position, the status. From these experiences he also obtained a lot of satisfaction from his students, and recently, the creation of the Mountaineering School in Finale Ligure dedicated to Gianni Calcag-no, an idea that finds its origins and its spirit in the beginnings of climbing on the rock of Finale and of its Fathers.In him, the teacher and mountaineer, he feels a very strong tie with the area of Finale. In his past he has dedicated a lot of his attention to visiting the histori-cal archives looking for ancient documents both in Italy and in Europe. On the Finale area, thanks to his great knowledge of the territory that has allowed him subtle insights, he has a lot of material ready for publication: “but that’s how he is… “I’ll think about it”… the routes that he has put up in the Alps, do you think he has published a topo? No! I am

aware of his routes on Mont Blanc, on Mongioie, in the Maritime Alps and at Castell’Ermo (where all the routes are his); between the valleys of Albenga and the Finale area I think that there are at least forty un-known routes, and not only rock climbing routes; ice falls in the Valle Pennavaire and in Valle d’Arroscia; on Bric Agnellino (the Ben Nevis of Finale), they have all been explored by him many, many years ago. This reticence of his is not to keep these places for himself and a few intimate friends, on the con-trary, hit by an unexpected raptus for some place, he is capable of dragging there everyone around, friends, acquaintances, unknowns and with his capti-vating enthusiasm even some insignificant place can be spectacular.At the moment something is changing in him. Even though he is often listless and slow, every now and then he produces a new route and incredibly, a topo. Obviously he is going against the current, while eve-ryone else is over-bolting single pitch routes, he is dedicated to multi-pitch routes, dosing carefully the glued bolts, leaving space for traditional protection and the fantasy of those who repeat the route. He has recently started a project to restore the classic routes, not only looking at the cliffs; as the Finale area is full of surprises, peculiarities, endemic char-acteristics, pre-historical and historical sites, in fact a huge open air museum, every cliff hides archaeo-logical finds and signs of the past, and it is here that the future of Finale lies. The last time I came to Italy and Finale I saw a lot of environmental deteriora-tion, dirty with tins, plastic, used glue cartridges, defecation at the base of routes, right there where the rope runs, paper, bottles… it’s a sad fact because we are the creators of this degradation…Finale has always given expression to innovative ideas, and it gave a lot to develop dynamic climb-ing: now it is time to move away from this moment, minds must return to releasing that vital energy that is hidden in the high plateaus of the Finale area.The climbers of Finale to drag this idea along exist, and definitely Luciano is one of them.Forza Purchin.

Patricia Pizzornifrom Ushaia, Argentina.

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The Old Manby Alessandro Grillo

Seen from Calice Ligure, the Rocca di Perti looks like the immense prow of a warship from another century, with the elegant North ridge that seems to surge through the waves.It is the hill with the richest number of stories and legends in the Finale area.In 1973, its West face, almost two kilometres long and over five hundred and fifty meters high, did not have any routes at all on it and this made it extremely interesting for us. We had to climb that cliff, if possible along a route that led directly to the highest point on the summit. Not an easy job, as the hill in question is made up of high cliffs interrupted frequently by grassy ledges and small hanging gardens.Look from far off, look from close up, finally the line is singled out. We left for a first attempt, me and “Torio” Simonetti, taking all the gear neces-sary up to a small cave. We started in an over-hanging corner and a U-shaped piece of iron, knocked in at the right point, allowed us to get through the most strenuous point. Above, the climbing was more enjoyable and exposed, not difficult but nice. After three pitches, we needed to climb an ex-posed traverse to the left that was dominated by a huge pillar that was completely detached from the cliff and leaning strangely against the rock. The parallelepiped was more than three meters high, about one meter long and half the width. At the base it became really, really small and rest-ed on a tiny step. To pass beneath it, with all that stuff above your head, required more recklessness than courage. The fantastic system of supports and friction that held this huge boulder almost suspended in mid-air seemed like a miracle. We remained dumbfounded at the belay, watching this balance artist that more and more began to look like a… coffin. At all costs this thing had to be removed if we wanted to go ahead with a minimum of tranquillity, also because it would

have created a serious threat for all those who af-terwards would have climbed the route or found themselves at the base of the cliff. And at that point we didn’t even imagine how many people would have shown up in the years to come.Torio, expert quarryman, rapidly thought of a solution.He told me to climb up to the right of the boul-der and set up a good belay a little above it.I climbed up; it was like walking though a mine-field. I remember that in that year winter had not yet finished, the cliff, West facing, was in the shade, and a cold North wind infiltrated between the boulder and the cliff, creating mournful whis-tling sounds. The scene was perfect for a film… Terror on the Cliff. I heard creaks every second and it seemed like the whole hill was moving in the wind. It was one of the few times in my life that I climbed with a lady by my side… Fear. I

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found two good pockets and fixed the pieces of wood and two long iron bars and belayed on two etriers. I was a little higher and to the right of the boulder. Torio climbed up calmly and hav-ing reached the top of the monster he told me to fix the rope. “Now I’ll show you how you do it” he exclaimed, smiling. He extracted from his backpack a fist-sized stone and pushed it between the boulder and the cliff, then he levered with the handle of his hammer. The “coffin” moved imper-ceptibly, but the stone slipped down a little. He levered again and the stone slipped down a little more. At that point, Torio, hanging on the end of the rope, back against the cliff, planted his boots against the boulder and gently pushed. Gradu-ally, like in a film in slow motion, the boulder be-gan to move, and in a cloud of wind and dust, fell towards the ground. It hit the cliff, described an arc and with an indescribably deafening noise hit the ground where it broke in two. One part broke up farther and stopped, but the other, rounder, started to move unhurriedly and subtly towards the valley. It entered a holm oaks wood, where we thought it would stop. But to our unbelieving eyes it appeared to be a projectile travelling at unbelievable speed. It entered the olive groves below, passed really close to some small houses where the farmers lived, bounced down the cul-tivated terraces, flew over the road works of the motorway under construction and the main road from Calice to Final Borgo, ending its headlong

run in the riverbed with a huge splash.We were terrified. We were shaking like leaves. With the courage that remained we descended hand over hand the entire trail of the boulder in search of damage and… victims. The area, at that time, was almost deserted, but occasional farm-ers or woodsmen could have been working in the woods or the olive groves. By an incredible stroke of luck, the only damage was a few broken trees and grazed olive trees. The following morning, after a sleepless night, we read through the lo-cal news in the newspapers: no reports of falling rocks in the Finale area!A few weeks passed, having regained some cour-age, we returned to the scene, this time with us the faithful Armando, called “Monsieur Luc”, il Vecchio or the Old Man, to friends. He had just turned… 50. We climbed the traverse and quick-ly reached the summit. Warm hugs for il Vecchio, but between Torio and me only a handshake.Our scared glances were those of two possible and potential assassins.The only thing missing was De Andrè singing “Il pescatore”!From that day on, never again, during the first ascent of a route, have I thrown even the smallest stone from the cliffs of Finale, apart from one oc-casion, but that’s another story.

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