I learned to climb in Boulder, Colorado, in the summer of 2004, and have always since wondered what it would be like to climb in my home country, Italy.

As a child I spent summers in a little village called Selva di Val Gardena, in the Dolomites.  I learned how to ski there; I wore my first pair of climbing shoes in Vallunga, just outside of Selva; and I did my first via ferrata, Il Cristallo, in Cortina d`Ampezzo, the famous Dolomite ski town a few hours distant.  Every time we vacationed in the Alps I couldn’t help but picture what it would be like to climb among these beautiful peaks.

Italy is not only a land of orgasmic food and inebriating wines, but a paradise where climbing on quality rock and bathing in crystalline blue water perfectly accompany your cultural experience.  The summer routine here is to enjoy remote rocks on white, sandy beaches and late-afternoon bouldering sessions, but also widen your cultural horizons with occasional museum visits.

This summer, as all others, I will go home to Italy; however, unlike other years, I will occasionally disappear and hit some crags, as well as family reunions. So, join me for a trip to four of Italy’s finest areas. Buon Viaggio!    

SO, LET THE TRIP BEGIN…