UKC

I've noticed ryanair have got flights for nothing to genoa at the start of november, anybody know if there's good bouldering nearby and if it's worth a quick trip, say 4 days ?

In reply to mark credie:

Loads of stuff a bit further west along the coast - "Finale". Bolted Limestone cliffs etc. Probably also bouldering, but don't know of any specific bouldering guides.

Hope this helps

In reply to mark credie:

Liguria is fantastic limestone routing area. Pick up guides which have sections in english in Final Borgo ( the old town part of Finale Liguria). Bouldering does exist up there but there aren't any guides. I found stuff to do myself but you'd be daft not to get on the routes. It is a big tourist attraction for Germans, who tend to come down as family units so it is hard to pick up partners, however there are a number of campsites in the area where I'm sure you wouldn't have any problems finding partners from.

In reply to mark credie:
Just back from a week in the area and whilst Finale is fantastic for climbing, I couldn't find much bouldering as such. Most of the routes are fairly long so unless you enjoy traversing the base of the crag or jumping off from 10 foot up, it can be a bit frustrating there. There is an excellant guidebook - called Finale 2K and featuring a rather attractive female on the cover - but it doesn't mention any bouldering. There are a couple of gear shops in Finale Borgio who may be able to help.

If you like soloing long easy routes then try the north arete (lo spigolo) of the Rocca di Perti - 500ft, 3b max (and only in the middle third), but fantastic exposure. Also try Pian Marino, 30ft routes with big buckets near the top.

Good website for the area www.arrampicate.it/index_en.htm
There are hourly trains to Finale from Genoa, but getting to the crags by bus is more difficult.

Let me know if you do find any decent bouldering - my wife likes going to the area!!

In reply to Chris Moor:
Did you not find any DWS in the area? I noticed some small areas from the train some years ago and thought I could bimble (nice word) about if I was in the area.

In reply to sutty:

I'm still searching for the perfect bouldering beach and I guess there are a few nice coves around there.
I think there is a really long traverse somewhere, and the sea is still really warm, so I'm sure there's fun to be had. Not sure if I'd do it on my own though...

Just remembered another area to the east of Genoa which apparently is highly regarded for bouldering - Punta Manara, near Sestri Levante, about an hour on the train. We went to the area in June to avoid the jubilee - like I said my wife likes Liguria - and we walked around the area one evening. Unfortunately as we were trying to find a way back to Sestri in failing light, I didn't have much chance to check it out, but it's a nice quite spot and looked promising. I think if you do a google search you might find a few references to it. Sestri's a nice place (Riva is a dump), and there's also good walking around Portofino and Cinque Terre.

In reply to Chris Moor:

There is a fantastic bouldering beach just down the coast from Finale Ligure hidden on the nose of a peninsula with a ruined castle on top. I think the nearest town began with a V. It was just a short bus ride. No-one in the climbing community knows about it so it offers a whole new unexplored territory. You have to scramble down a dodgy system of rotting ropes to get to it but when you are there wow! A large 45 degree overhanging cove, beautiful white sands and warm Med. swimming. It could do with a good clean up but actually proves pretty durable once you've brushed off the loose sand which seems to be largely from sea wash. My wife and I stumbled on it flicking through some tourist mags. When we got there it was full of bronzed naked men slapping each others buttocks and eye-ing me up, but if you can cope with that then check it out.

In reply to purple_steve:
Varigotti i presume - about 5km east of Finale ?