Rock Climbing at Arco and the Sarca Valley

Arco is situated within the Sarca Valley and offers something for everyone, from single pitch sport routes to long Dolomite style airy multi-pitch routes on the big walls of Monte Casale, Piccolo Dain and Monte Brento. The whole area is vast with over 5,000 routes to choose from at all grades on superb limestone rock. Situated just north of Lake Garda and only a couple of hours from the Dolomites it is possible to rock climb throughout most of the year and is easily accessible if wet in the mountains around the Dolomites. The rock climbing is definitely split into 2 distinct styles, which are:

Superb bolted sport routes on limestone rock, with vast majority being single pitch, though there are many 2-pitch and multi-pitch sport routes to be found.

Long, Dolomite style big wall routes on steep limestone rock up to 1,400m long, with many of the routes in the region of 200 to 600m long. These routes often require a mountaineering approach and the placing of natural protection such as nuts and cams.

There are over 130 sport crags and 33 long multi-pitch crags in the area, with the main areas shown on the map and described below:

  1. North of Sarche there are over 10 small crags offering single pitch routes mainly in the upper grades around F6c to F8a. The exception is the larger La Gola crag with over 120 routes at all grades. Many of these crags have recently been developed and are at a higher altitude than the more developed crags. This makes them less polished and cooler in the hot weather.
  2. Piccolo Dain at 967m offers big wall rock climbing up to 450m high, some of which are bolted.
  3. Monte Casale at 1,535m is the largest crag in the area, which offers true Dolomite style airy big wall multi-pitch routes up to 1,400m long. The routes here definitely require a mountaineering approach along with the placing of natural protection such as Cams and nuts.
  4. Around Pietramurata, there over 12 small crags offering single pitch routes mainly in the mid to upper grades around F6b to F8a. Again many of these crags have recently been developed and are at a higher altitude than the more developed crags. This makes them less polished and cooler in the hot weather. The exception is the extensively developed San Siro crag, with over 70 routes at all grades.
  5. Monte Brento at 1,535 also offers Dolomite style airy routes up to 1,300m long, with many of them between 800 to 1,000m. Along with traditional rock climbing there are also some pure aid routes through various impressive overhangs.
  6. The area between Arco and Dro has the greatest concentration of crags, being the area that was developed first. There are around 20 sport crags offering well over 500 routes, with the vast majority of them being single pitch. The main crag of the area is Massone with virtually 150 single pitch sport routes ranging from F4a to F8c. There are also around 8 crags offering multi-pitch routes up to 400m long, some of which are bolted.
  7. The area around Nago has 9 crags offering over 300 sport routes at all grades. The largest of these crags is near Nago itself.
  8. The area to the west of Arco there are 5 crags offering a good range of multi-pitch routes up to 250m long that are a combination of fully sport and trad routes.

Map of the rock climbing areas around Arco

Map of the rock climbing areas around Arco

There are 4 comprehensive rock climbing guidebooks covering the general Arco to Sarche area, which are described below and can be bought from our shop.


The Arco Rock guidebook covers all the bolted sport routes in and around the Arco area, which features 130 different crags and 5,000 routes. Each crag has a location map, and a good description giving a general overview of the area and type of rock climbing to be found there. All the climbs are described with clear topo diagrams. This excellent guidebook for rock climbing and sport climbing for the Arco region is in English text. This Arco rock guidebook (revised 5th edition) is available to buy from our shop.


The Sport Climbing in Arco Guidebook covers over 4,400 sport routes, with the majority of these being single pitch routes plus with the occasional short multi-pitch route (up to 3-pitches long). It describes routes from F3 to F9a across 131 different crags.  Buy the Sport Climbing in Arco Guidebook (revised 3rd edition) from our shop.

£33.95
The Arco Walls Volume 1 guidebook covers all the long multi-pitch rock climbing routes in the in the southern half of the Sarca Valley around Arco.  It covers both trad and sport routes ranging from 100m to 500m long, with many routes between 200m and 300m long. The guidebook covers 8 crags between Arco and Dro, plus a further 11 crags around the villages of Torbole, Biacesa, Tenno, and Padaro close to Lake Garda.  Published in October 2020 this guidebook is in English text throughout, with all the routes shown on either excellent hand-drawn topos or colour photo-topos, and is available to buy from our shop.

The Arco Walls Volume 2 guidebook covers all the long multi-pitch rock climbing routes in the northern half of the Sarca Valley around Dro, Pietramurata, Sarche, Vezzano, and Terlago. It covers 14 crags including all the crags at Piccolo Dain (with routes up to 450m long), Monte Brento (with many routes between 800m & 1,000m long) and Monte Casale (with routes up to 1,400m long).  Published in May 2021 this guidebook is in English text throughout, with all the routes shown on either excellent hand-drawn topos or colour photo-topos, and is available to buy from our shop.

There are also a number of selective rock climbing and sport climbing guidebooks available for Arco that can also be bought from our shop. This includes the Alpen en Bloc 1 guidebook that covers nearly 150 problems at Arco, and the Trentino Bouldering Guidebook that covers 10 bouldering areas around Arco plus many more around Trento.
£34.95

Rock climbing at Arco - Logistics

The best time of the year to visit Arco to go rock climbing is either in the spring or autumn. It is possible to climb in the winter though the area is famous for being windy (hence is popular with windsurfers on Lake Garda) and therefore can be cold during the winter. In the summer it can get very hot though it is a popular venue if the Dolomites further north are wet. It's also worth noting that an annual competition takes place at Massone crag at the end of August/beginning of September.

Average daily temperature for Trento

As with most European sport climbing areas it is essential to take at least a 60m rope (70m is ideal) and at least 12-14 quickdraws. At some crags a small rack of wires are also useful. If you intend to climb some of the longer multi-pitch routes then it is advisable to bring a full rack of wires and cams along with duel 50m or even 60m ropes.


Getting to Arco by air it is best to fly into either Verona or Brescia airports, both of which are serviced by the budget airlines. It is also worth considering Milan Bergamo airport, which is approximately 50 miles to the east of Brescia. To fully enjoy all the rock climbing in Arco it is necessary to hire a car. Arco is approximately a 50 mile drive from Verona.


The majority of rock climbers stay in the village of Arco, near Lake Garda. This village has a wide choice of accommodation, ranging from expensive hotels, budget hotels, self-catering apartments and villas, B&B, and camping. 


Arco is also a great place to go mountain biking or try a Via Ferrata route, as well as some great walking and hiking to sample.


Via Ferratas are great fun as they are half-way between scrambling and rock climbing.  The protected routes consist of a steel cable fixed to the rock, along with metal steps, ladders, and suspension bridges.  Buy the Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites, Volume 2 from our shop. that covers the Arco area.


Mountain Biking around Lake Garda:  Around Arco and Lake Garda there are over a 1,000km of waymarked cycling trails ranging from dedicated cycling paths, cobbled and dirt roads, to mule tracks and paths, along with some ski lifts to whisk you high into the mountains.  These trails provide a wide range of routes and trails to suite mountain bikers of all abilities from beginners to the more experienced cyclist with a high level of commitment. 

£18.95