Valtellina and Valchiavenna are the two main valleys of the province of Sondrio, north of Lake Como, and between them hold some of the best granite and gneiss climbing in the Italian Alps. Besides the famous trad slabs of Val di Mello and Val Masino there are a growing number of modern, closely bolted multipitch routes on roadside walls and on limestone and gneiss teeth in the side valleys. Morbegno is the hub for Val Masino and Val Gerola, and Chiavenna for Val Bodengo and the Acquafraggia crags; both are on the railway from Milan via Colico, but a car makes life much easier. The low valley crags are climbable from spring to autumn, while the higher routes such as those at Pescegallo are summer objectives.
GuidebookValtellina Rock Pareti - Multipitch sportivi e trad, Federico Bagarin, Alessandro Codecà (2023, Versante Sud). Buy from versantesud.it. The route pages here are aggregated by AI from public sources; climb with the guidebook.
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El Schenun, Valle dei Bagni (Val Masino); the other two crags are in Val Gerola and Val Bodengo · 1,182 m
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul (usual season) | Aug (usual season) | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| Mean daily low °C | −7 | −6 | −2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 | −0 | −5 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 8 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 |
● usual season. 1991-2020 averages at about 1182 m; rain is for a 10–25 km grid cell. Weather and climate data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
Italy · Valtellina & Valchiavenna
A six-pitch friction climb on dark, grippy Masino granite that starts 20 m from the car. Mostly 5b to 5c with a 6a+ fifth pitch; 5b obligatory. A good fast outing after the area's bold trad slabs.
6a+VII-5.10b6a+VII-5.10b6 pitches150 m
Italy · Valtellina & Valchiavenna
Five pitches of slab and steeper slab on excellent granite next to La coda del Dinosauro, slightly more sustained, with 6a and 6a+ on pitches 3 and 4. Roadside and well bolted.
6a+VII-5.10b6a+VII-5.10b5 pitches130 m
Italy · Valtellina & Valchiavenna
Six short pitches up the first (north) tooth of the Denti della Vecchia at 2000 m above the Pescegallo ski area, mostly 5b to 5c with one 6a pitch. Stainless glue-ins and a summer chairlift make it a relaxed alpine half-day.
6aVI+5.10a6aVI+5.10a6 pitches95 m