Sicily - Roccia di Sole

Sicily - Roccia di Sole 

An early morning with a morning swim in the mediterranean ocean after a last day out. Last day after yet an other full week of climbing. This time on the steep Sicilian limestone around San Vito Lo Capo - rocca di sole

Planning the next one with a sea view

We made a trip here 10 years ago and the climbing has definitely been developed since then. The only problem is that the local community don't seem to have realized its potential as a climbing destination
So the bolting is only supported via private founds.
The sea near cliffs has a big number of perfect easy accessed well designed climbs on steep overhanging walls with featured rocks and tufas.
Often close between the bolts and well protected in that way.

Never sleeping Wall

But the other side of the coin is that the bolts is highly effected by rost and a route can quickly become unclimbable because of the highly concentration of salt.
As I went climbing up "Bella Susanna" I actually had the information of the quality of the bolts and anchor, it was BAD! But since I till thought "can it be THAT bad? But after passing bolt after bolt with one looking worse then the other, it sort of takes the joy out of it when one start to think that it soon can become a zipper in the case of a slipper! But it a least keeps the mood up of not failing. But once a the anchor and that is shining even worse still, well it ain't just not worth it. Sometimes it is possible to lower to an other anchor on the way, but very sometimes that is!

Franco Vrei climbing at Never sleeping Wall

The stable weather makes it perfect though for a holiday trip destination in October - january with cheap flights into Palermo and cheap apartments for rent in San Vito. A sleepy village/town that has about 2000 habitants during the winter months but hosts up to 80 000 in summer!
San Vito is about 90km from Palermo and takes 1 1/2h to drive. Once there the different climbing sectors  is in about 5 - 30minutes drive away.
It's also an opportunity to stay I any of the other smaller villages around specially if you anyhow plan to do the cooking your self. Which sometimes is almost a most since the numbers of open restaurants during the week in a November month is limited

One of the most greatest lines, "Tears of Freedom" 7a+

 The different aspects of the cliffs also makes it possible to plan the whole day in the shadow. The Süd Italian sun for sure still keep the heat up for a Scandinavian so the south facing walls quickly becomes to warm on a blue sky day. But often with a bit of wind and some clouds over the sea it stays ok in all aspects. The risk of having a week rained away is close to zero!

Planning the next one, in the mood of Negroni

Most of the routes a single pitches in a traditional Sport Climbing genre. But many of the routes are quite long so finally we even got use of Anna's most humorous 70mts rope!
To recommend any routes is difficult since there are so many. Talking about humor you can get a tomato idea in the topo made by "comedian" Harald Röker and Co
But a visit to Cinema Paradiso sector should be on the schedule, all routes are just good
Same with the Never Sleeping Wall and Rocca Di Cerriolo

Anna on Pizzo Monaco

And on the plus side is also that there is a number of multi pitch climbs on Pizzo Monaco, with the named town it self visible in the long distance, climb up and check it all out. Good quality 5 to 10 pitches routes which most of them are semi bolted so a set of nuts and cams are useful. 

A bit of adventure if you say were you won't be in any traffic jams with other climbers most certain
Since the whole place is small and quiet it soon gets a bit familial, since you learn to know the people quickly. All the climbers, the few amount around, the waiters at the bar,s..and the gelato places. An other thing those Italians know to produce! So for a coffee fan that like ice cream like me, I'm sold on this place, also!
And the house prices isn't to high, if you just can stand the mass of people and hot temp summer...

Multi pitch climbing on Pizzo Monaco, "Parole al Vento"

To stay
San Vito lo Capo, Macari or Custonaci
It's possible to find apartments around 250€ for a weel
Camping at El Bahira, http://elbahira.it
Wild camping is tolerated and the ideal spot is below sector Campeggio in a deserted campsite with trees for shade (no water)

Eating out, I recommend Frutti di mare

When
October trough January/february


Equipment
Bring slings or cord to secure the rap / belay stations!70m rope, 15QD's minimum
Small set of mid size nuts, cams from green Alien to no.2 Camalot works most of the time
To be on the safe side, power drill and stainless 12mm bolts!

Octopus filled with couscous at Sapori di Sicilia

Topos
the Climbing guide to Sicily - Di Roccia di Sole, Massimo Cappuccio&Guiseppe Gallo
http://www.climb-europe.com/RockClimbingShop/Sicily-Rock-Climbing-Guidebook.html
“Sicily Rock” from Karsten Oelze & Harald Röker
Good link at http://www.bolt-products.com/ClimbSicily.htm
They also arrange a yearly International Kite Festival in July

Some personal favourites to climb:
Cinema Paradiso -Destra sector
West world, 6b+. Long amazing route up steep tufa wall with great holds. 35m, 13QD's
Blade Runner, 7a+. A 30m pump factory, 12QD's
Bat Killer, 7a. *** line on steep wall. 25m, 9QD's
Am Anfang, 6c+. Full on climbing, well worth doing. 20m, 9QD's

-Sinistra Sector
Block Party, 6c+. Power jugs climbing, don't miss it! 18m, 7QD's
Soul Kitchen, 7a+. Best line in this sector. A fingery crux at the top, otherwise just biceps. 25m, 10QD's
Rocca Di Cerriolo - sector
Don't worry be Happy, 7a+. Easy for the grade but great climb on good bolts. 32m, 13QD's
Safari, 7b. A thin cruxy crux. Be fast and it goes. 30m, 12QD's
Keep Cool, 6b+. Maybe the best climb on this sector! 34m, 15QD's
Signor Ratto, 7c. Steep wall with long reaches and pockets. Hard finish! 30m, 12QD's


Never Sleeping Wall*** one of the best walls around San Vito
Bella Susanna, 7a+. Great climb but the bolts and anchor is very very bad. Look out for newer bolts/ rebolted or stay away. 32m, 13 QD's
Tears of Freedom, 7a+. The best line on this wall. Tufas en masse. 35m, 15 QD's

Tufa climbing on "Soul Kitchen" 7a+

Pizzo Monaco
Parole al Vento, 6c. A five pitch route on good bolts. Very nice line on steep wall and cracks. Bring extra number of cams from green alien to #2 Camalot and some mid size nuts.  2x50 rope or single 70m. 

//On the beautiful trail I am

With it I wander...

Desert climbing - the sandstone way - Prodigal Sun

Many things makes me happy, but one top ten is flying in over las Vegas and its millions of lights

That doesn't only mean a crazy town, it means Red Rocks, sandstone and wild cracks

Just have a quick look at the topo over the area and it will make most of us realizing that life's to short. The holy bible is just its forewords!

And the add the Utah selected topo. Well, it's getting busy

Climbing, it's just the optimal satisfaction. But when it comes to areas witch are overcrowded, on bad rock and wet and rainy weather. Well then it takes a bit of fun of it, sort of.

Climbing on beautiful formations on the other hand, thats the deal.

Specially if it involves getting up on a summit and plus more when it's via a stunning splitter, a perfect finger crack and handjams. Or a full body workout chimney!

And if it also means that it's during a limited time foregone with a long flight, it's also a big plus if the weather always and every morning is blue sky

Easy? Well yes, there are places like that!

For an European it means a long flight, quite expensive as well. But the weather is there togheter with all the nice formations, just waiting to be touch, jammed and chalked up. So get the big chalk bag out, a pair of comfy frictions rubber and do the teip gloves on and go west. 

Desert climbing at its best, Nevada Red rocks and Utah with Zion and Kolob Canyons

Peter at one of the many climbs we did

For some full on concentrated climbing weeks, alternating between Vegas and Zion, Utah, the numbers of climbs are so great it's impossible to put in words. And if it by chance would rain one day, well it's probably just a good thing,because it finally means its possible to take a rest day

Peter in Red Rocks

An overall climber in Red Rocks can't be lazy though. The approaches are, to use small words, demanding, for most of the climbs. Specially when it's any of the longer and more interesting climbs that you want to do.

For any of the climbs like in Black Velvet or Pine Creek, expect at least 1-2h for the approach. 

On the other hand, there are climbs just minutes away as well. But then you won't be on any of the 10-15 pitch routes, or even longer ones, that is to be found in Red

Summit of Angels Lamding after Northeast Buttress

When the crack technique has gotten in to place and the sandstone feeling has entered, there is maybe time for a trip to Zion

The less spoken variation of Yosemite, the valley of the greatest sandstone walls yet to be found

How many places are there where you park the car or drop out from the shuttle bus a and walk a few minutes just to get at the base of a 10 pitch big wall climb, really?!

Chimneys and off width, thats the thing

Unimpeachable Groping 5.10b

The climbs around Zion is a bit more adventurous though, compared to Red Rocks. Just because the climbs them self are a bit more demanding. Most of the longer routes often involves some kind of off width or a chimney or two. Great pitches if your into it. But since it often also means unprotected climbing, it's a bit of up head focus

Also the sandstone is a bit softer so placing gear is a bit more demanding

Crack climbing at its best, Zion!

This area hosted a bigger sand desert than Sahara before it transformed into compressed sand and raised up to beautiful mountains with an elevation up to 8´726feet. Giving us climbing routes in a stunning environment

The Navajo sandstone shines like red gold and dominates the area. But often the softer whitish stone of Dakota and Carmel formations is to be found higher up just beware. It's like climbing on crackers! But, over all super friction, as long as the hold holds

So it ain't a place to learn how to climb this features! Even the single pitch climbs are demanding ones and there is no area where it's possible to walk around putting up a top rope

A couple of bolted routes are to be found but get ready for trad climbs with a range from Rp's to big bros. Sometimes needing the whole range on one and single route

But ones your into it, it's heaven

Just the pure satisfaction of having an easy uncomplicated approach like the one to Moonlight Buttress, a heavy classic, make a 12pitch, sustained one, climb to the summit. And then there is the most perfect trail all the way from Angels Landing  back to the bottom, which takes you back down in an hour!

Not a single rappel, no bushes just a pleasant walk on concrete!

Nothing to miss, Big Dog burgess and beer, Vegas

After a 10 days climbing around with a friend of mine he had to turn home

I on the other hand had almost 3 more weeks before my flight was booked aller retour

At first it felt like, well maybe it was a little to much…but it changed after the first days evening. With a cup of fresh coffee in my hand, sitting at the Red Rock view area after a nice day solo climbing

The night couldn’t pass quick enough to get on the next one and the next one and…

Soon the days came in to a pattern. I choose a route, went on it and had a kicking day climbing. Walked back out, found my coffee evening spot and did a bit of reading.

Cooked dinner and found out the next days climb…great living the life!

Me and my Partner!

After five days in Red Rocks which sent me on solo tours as ”Tunnel Vision” and ”Dark Shadows" 5.8, 10 pitches*** to Rope solo routes as Walker Spur 5.10**, La Cierta Edad 5.10c, fem repl** at Icebox canyon, Edge Dressing 5.10b and Risky Business 5.10c

It was time to head on towards Zion again. My favourite place and second home

I made a couple of 2-3 pitch routes as "Cynthia's handjob" 5.10, and "the Gypsy Curse” 5.10

But I felt it was time for something bigger so the focus went for Equinox. A 9pitch 5.10

I felt good so I left most of the climbing gear, brought only the ropes for the rappel and a couple of mid and one bigger cam just in case to solo the thing

Turned out to be as big adventure as said. Crazy climbing with exposed climbing, with the chimney on the second pitch being full on climbing at 5.8!

Northeast Buttress, Angels Landing, Zion

Prodigal Sun

Next big one had to be the 50 classic route ”Prodigal Sun” at Angels Landing

A steep big wall at 5.8 C2. Not the hardest one to find but sure enough a stunning route

First climbed, also solo, by the Zion crag master Ron Olevsky in 1981

I went up to the wall one afternoon to fix the first couple of pitches

My only issue was that the ropes I had was a 60m lead rope and one 6mm tail rope..

So, the next day I went back early morning and jummared up on first the 6mill…over the roof, oh that was actually a bit scary. With a heart bit high and over rest puls I clipped in to the lead rope and continued up to yesterdays high point. Happy!!

Since I left as much as possible in the car, as my head torch (there was a perfect full moon though) the only thought in my head was 

-race towards the top

And with the same luck as on Moonlight Buttress, there was none around to slow progress. I could just climb without needing to bother about others

Still, the climbing isn’t super easy and with my minimal rack it was often a little to close, but the bolt ladders felt and saw good out enough so I just clipped one by one and pulled the rope with me to save time

And after what felt as a hard work out I stood on the Angels trail, gathering the rope togheter. Just happy and looking forward to an easy descent down the concrete back to the car. A 2h walk after an eight hour climb. No record I´m sure, but a great day out!’

close now, the last pitches of Prodigal Sun

"the Challenger" 5.10d

  In total I climbed 129 pitches during the 24 days stay, not counting the ones I doubled when rope soloing

So after the last day of climbing, at Pine Creek back in Vegas. ”the Challenger” 5.10d

Which I had the pleasure to do with two friends it felt quite ok to pack the gear up, kick back and relax for the flight back home...

When to go

For Zion I have found the best climbing temperatures in october/november. In December it can be a little unstable actually weather wise.

But overall it's possible to climb from September out to early spring

During the summer months it gets very warm

The same would be for Kolob Canyons, even though it's higher elevation

a bit tired after a long day on the wall, at Angels Landing

For Red Rocks it's a bit of same. The summer months is just to hot, but it's always possible to climb in the shadow. But in november I have experienced such cold days so I really want to be in the sun. I guess it feels even colder when you are suspecting the opposite?!

Gear and equipment

Compared to the well known Indian Creek, were its useful with same size on the cam devices and were it can be handy with 5-10 cams in the same size.

Red Rocks and Zion is more irregular and mostly it's ok with a rack that holds a set of two of same size. But come prepared with everything from small tricams to 6" or bigger

A standard rack holds a set of cams from 0.2" - 5" and a set of stoppers, best is to have offsets wires and a handful of quickdraws

A single 60m rope and a 60m tail line or twinn ropes works best

Where to stay

The hotels are  in general very cheap in Vegas during the weeks. Just have in mind that at most places there is a resort fee which wary from a couple of dollars up to 20 or more

There is also often good deals with the Motels

But this also means quite a long drive out to the climbing

Closer to the "loop" is the Red Rock campground

For 15USD/night you get a private spot to pitch the tent on, a campfire site and if your lucky even a roof. But beware if it's windy!

There is one place at the camping where there is water. There is taps all over, but 99% of them are dry

At the visitor center there is clean toilets and water as well

The water in Vegas is ok to drink, but it's a lot of semi taste

The Camping in Zion is right at the spot at the entrance to the park, two campgrounds which one is first arrive first served

The Watchman campground is possible to pre book. Which is a good thing to do if you arrive on a weekend in October or during a holiday

The park has about 3million visitor per year so even though there is a lot of suites and motels it's very difficult to get a place sometimes. And wild camping is very difficult with a lot of private land

Cheap deals can be found in Hurricane or st George, but its a 30min drive away, at least

Food wise there is a grocery store in Springdale, the town of Zion, but everything is much more expensive off course

More info about Zion

Eat

There is a number of good restaurants and pleasant cafés. So a decent coffee ain't a problem. And don't miss the ice cream next to Pioneer hotel

For a good coffee the Cafe Soleil is a favorite

On the opposite from Pioneer is a very good Mexican restaurant

Cafe Oscar also serves very good food

For decent beer or a bottle of wine to be taken to the camp, there is a liqueur store at the Steakhouse on the right hand side when driving in to Springdale

And off course Big Dog in Vegas

//Work hard, play harder!