Tuscany rock climbing

Tuscany is well known for its beautiful landscapes, medieval villages and its rich artistic legacy.  Within this beautiful landscape there are many fantastic limestone crags that offer a wide range of rock climbing, from single pitch sport routes to long 200m+ multi-pitch routes across a wide range of grades.  There are even some big wall routes up to 1,000m long at Pizzo D’Uccello. The multi-pitch routes range from classic routes where some trad gear is required between bolts to more modern fully bolted routes.

The range of rock climbing available in Tuscany is very wide and varied, and the map shows the main rock climbing areas within this beautiful region.  This information has been extracted from the two rock climbing guidebooks for the area.  The “Tuscany and Elba rock climbing guidebook”, details 91 different crags and many 1,000's of mainly single pitch routes.  The “Tuscany Walls rock climbing guidebook” details 221 classic and modern long multi-pitch routes across 26 different crags.

The Apuan Alps rise above the coast between the towns of Carrara and Viareggio and in parts reach an altitude of over 1,000m high.  Situated within the Apuan Alps are a series of crags ranging from single pitch sport routes to long multi-pitch routes. Most of the multi-pitch routes are between 100m and 250m long, though there are some longer routes such as the classic 1,000m route (24 pitches) on Pizzo d’Uccello’s north face, called Marathon, graded F6b+ (F6a obl).  The main rock climbing areas of the Apuan Alps are Carrara, Massa, Alta Versilia, and Sant’ Anna di Stazzema.  There are 26 mainly single pitch crags, plus 13 long multi-pitch crags across a wide range of grades.

Camaiore (Il Camaiorese) is without doubt the best sport climbing area in Tuscany that is situated between Viareggio and Lucca.  The Camaiore area consists of 25 limestone crags that provide some very powerful single pitch sport routes.  The area is mainly known for its superb climbing on tufas or through overhanging roofs, but also offers a variety of different climbing styles.  At Camaiore you will find routes mainly in the F6b to F8c grade range, with many routes in the higher grades that attract the top climbers from around the world.

Climbing in Tuscany is not all about pulling on hard routes with many crags offering plenty of single pitch sport routes across a wide range of grades.  Some examples include the extensive Le Rocchette crag (again near Viareggio), and Trombacco that also has some multi-pitch routes.  These crags are typical of the climbing in Tuscany as they are situated in beautiful woods, where it is possible to climb throughout the year, due to their high altitude.

The island of Elba is one of those magic places where it is possible to combine a climbing holiday with family and friends.  The beaches and beautiful scenery make the island of Elba a popular holiday destination, and is only one hour on the ferry from the coast.  Also situated on the island are 8 separate crags that offer everything from sea cliff climbing to multi-pitch routes, with many mid-range routes (from F5’s through to low F7’s).  The majority of the routes are single pitch sport routes with some bolted multi-pitch routes up to 170m long on the Monte San Bartolomeo crag.

There are two rock climbing guidebooks that cover the extensive climbing found throughout Tuscany, which are:

1. The “Tuscany and Elba rock climbing guidebook”, details 91 different crags and many 1,000's of mainly single pitch routes. 
2. The “Tuscany Walls rock climbing guidebook” details 221 classic and modern long multi-pitch routes across 26 different crags.

The best time of the year to rock climb in Tuscany is either the spring or autumn, though some of the crags are at an altitude of over 1,000m making it possible to climb in these areas in the summer. 

Getting to Tuscany is very easy with international airports at Florence (Peretola airport) and Pisa (Galileo Galilei Airport) with connections all across Europe.