UKC

Hello all,

I've been feeling the need to make a trip to Orco valley for a few years now. Procrastination has become a huge obstacle in realising this dream so I thought I'm make the first step, of a thousand mile journey, here.

I've decided the way I'd enjoy it more is if I drive, as I hate flying, well dealing with airlines. So has anyone driven there before? How's the trip? What route? How expensive? Tolls; avoid or just pay?

Obviously I enjoy crack climbing, I have the usual uk trad rack plus a healthy extra dose of cams. 10 in total but .5 to camalot 3. Will I need some big fellas?

What's the the bolting style like? Bolts at cruxes and all that nonsense or simply sport routes and trad routes? Lower offs on trad routes?

Route/sector recommendations? E2/3 single pitch and upto E1 multipitch or there abouts ...what ever that would relate to sport grades.

Accomodation? Cheap as possible. Happy to free camp if that's the scene there and it's accepted by the locals and authorities. But if the mosquitos are bad then a bunkhouse or alike.

Time of year? I want to go as late in the year as possible. Colder the better. Just not wet.

Any advise greatly appreciated, and if any peaks based or frequent peaks climbers are keen to tag along get in touch - I'd want to climb with you first.

Cheers,

Kyle

In reply to Kyle87:

not driven there but have driven to Chamonix, and separately from Torino to Orco before - all is fine
but lots of tolls

10 cams in total? your gonna want 3 of each in the main sizes if your climbing splitters, I normally take around 25 cams which allows you do do most styles (tips to fist)

I'd say have a no4 camalot

The only sport I did was at Bosco, very good and steep (dry in the rain). Spaced bolting. Some trad routes have lower offs, some don't

There is a campsite on the left, after the tunnel between Noasca & Ceresole Reale

The boulders(routes!) by the tunnel or Incastromania are a good place to start. As is the 'splitters' list in the guidebook if that's what you are after

I am actually really keen to go back

In reply to ashtond6:

Some of the most iconic routes (e.g. Fessure della Disperazione) are actually offwidth or have short offwidth sections so access to cams up to Friend 6 or the equivalent Camalot is useful if you want to include these. We used 2 6s on Disperazione and still had to leapfrog them or run it out (different approaches from 2 leaders).

Droide is another crag that gives good sport climbing, it stays dry for a good while during rain and is much nearer than Bosco. It saved a day for us.

If you like sub alpine multipitch there is a lot in the Piantonetto side valley (e.g. Impressione di Settembre on Scoglio di Mroz). When I went there was a local guidebook to the Piantonetto area available from the bookshop in Ceresole Reale

It is worth a drive up Piantonetto in the evening even if you don't climb there. It is also worth going up the main pass at the head of the valley (which is reputedly where they filmed The Italian Job bus scene).

In reply to Kyle87:

Just a note to say that bolts do tend to come and go in Orco. The mention of bolts in the guidebook doesn't absolutely guarantee their existence.