Monte Colt – Parete San Paolo (Arco) · Arco & Valle del Sarca · Italy
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: high
A new and already popular beginner's multipitch at the southern end of the San Paolo wall. Two good pitches at about 5c, a wooded middle section that is mostly walking, and two more pitches finishing with a slightly overhanging start on big holds. The hard moves are short, closely bolted and can nearly all be aided.
The route
Via degli Amici is in the right-hand part of the San Paolo Sud sector, the first rock you reach coming from Arco. Bergsteigen.com calls it a shining star among the routes of the wall because of its solid bolts, varied but never really hard climbing and good stances, and expects it to become a classic for people starting out on multipitch routes. It is not continuous: the three middle pitches cross steep earthy, wooded ground. The climbing that matters is at the bottom and the top.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5c | Looks harder than it is. UIAA 6- for a move, otherwise 5. |
| P2 | 5c+ | Starts with a traverse. UIAA 6 for a short passage, otherwise 5. |
| P3 | 2 | A traverse right, then wooded ground: a linking pitch with a few elementary moves on steep earth. |
| P4 | 2 | Wooded linking ground. |
| P5 | 2 | The last of the wooded transfers. Bergsteigen.com mentions an earthy gully in this middle part of the route. |
| P6 | 5a | UIAA 5-, otherwise 4. |
| P7 | 5c+ | A small, slightly overhanging start on good holds, well protected (UIAA 6), an easier traverse right and a few more vertical metres at 6-. You come out on the path: belay on a tree, with the route book just before it. |
Getting there
From the A22 take the exit Rovereto Sud (Lago di Garda Nord) and drive via Nago to Arco. In Arco cross the bridge near the castle rock and turn right at once onto the narrow road towards Ceniga, signed for the campsites. Pass both campsites and continue towards the Pizzeria Lanterna. There are a few parking places just before it (gulliver.it mentions a lay-by for three or four cars on the right); if they are full, park at Camping Arco and walk ten minutes more. The road between the Lanterna and the Roman bridge is closed to traffic. Buses run to Arco and Ceniga.
About 15 min. Coming from Arco, at the start of the San Paolo cliffs, where the olive grove on the west side of the road ends, a path leads up to the wall. At the rock, go left for a few minutes, passing left of a small, obvious crack-and-roof (a single-pitch sector), to the start. The name is written at the base.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Parking marked on bergsteigen.com
Point from bergsteigen.com touren/klettern/via-degli-amici-parete-san-paolo
Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 45.93713, 10.89403 (route base) · Parking: 45.93860, 10.89670
Getting down
On foot. From the end of the route go briefly uphill, not along the red rock ledge to the left. On the crest, either turn left for the 'alpine' quick descent, an exposed track with fixed ropes on the steep sections that leads straight down to the road near the parking in about half an hour, or follow the hiking path left to the northern end of the San Paolo wall and walk back along the road towards Arco (about 45 min).
Retreat
Bail not documented
Retreat is not documented. You walk off from the top and neither source describes abseiling. The route is short, the bolts are close enough to aid the hard moves, and the middle third is wooded walking ground.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
East facing, base at about 100 m. Bergsteigen.com marks March to November. Do not go when it is wet: the linking pitches in the middle are on steep earth. Allow about 3 h for the climb.
Sun on the wall · E-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 5 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| Mean daily low °C | −3 | −2 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 13 | 9 | 4 | −1 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 6 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 8 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 527 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
10 to 12 quickdraws, a few slings (one for the tree belay) and a single 60 m rope. No nuts or cams. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Via degli Amici.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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Committing
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.
