Rock Climbing around Campobasso and Potenza

The terrain in the southern tip of Italy is very diverse. For the rock climber this means there is a great variety of climbing areas from climbing near the sea to hundreds of metres up in the mountains. Therefore it is always possible to find somewhere to climb throughout the year.

The terrain in the southern tip of Italy is very diverse. For the rock climber this means there is a great variety of climbing areas from climbing near the sea to hundreds of metres up in the mountains. Therefore it is always possible to find somewhere to climb throughout the year.

The largest climbing area is at Frosolone (also known as Colle Dell’Orso), near the town of Campobasso, with over 400 routes across a wide range of grades.  The climbing here is a mixture of sloping pockets and vertical slots, of which some are very sharp on limestone rock.  The routes alternate between being sustained requiring lots of endurance, and bouldery requiring a lot of power.  Due to its altitude of over 1,200m and exposure to the wind it means the best time to climb here is from the spring through to the summer.

The Molise rock climbing guidebook describes the sport climbing in the Molise region, including the crags of Frosolone (Colle Dell’Orso) and Oratino, plus 15 other areas around Campobasso.

Around the towns of Froggia, Bari, and Lecce in the province of Puglia has a Mediterranean climate of warm winters and hot summers. Therefore the ideal time to visit is from the autumn through to the spring. Statte is the largest crag in this region with over 200 routes. There are also a number of other crags in this region, with routes available across a good selection of grades.

Further south around the town of Potenza it becomes very mountainous with many of the rock climbing areas at an altitude over 1,000m. It is at these crags that it is ideal to climb during the summer as there is snow during the winter.

To the south of Napoli is the Sorrento Peninsula there is plenty of good quality rock climbing, mainly situated on the south coast around Amalfi. The vast majority of the routes are single pitch sport routes though there are some multi-pitch routes as well, all on limestone rock. The climbing here is generally at a low altitude with some routes straight off the beach. Find out more…

The large sandstone bouldering of Bosco Gallipoli is situated in forests between Potenza and Matera. The woods are at a low altitude and the winter rarely sees snow making this an ideal year round location as the leaf cover allows acceptable climbing conditions even in the hotter periods. Unfortunately there is no guidebook available covering this bouldering area.

Southern Italy is well connected to the rest of Europe, with International airports at Napoli, Bari and Brindisi.