UKC

Evening all!

Just planning an April trip and wondered if anyone has been around April and if it was decent conditions? Also any accommodation recommendations would be ace! (Looks like the camp site is either shut or full according to booking.com).

Hoping to find good routes around 7a-8a, has anyone been on this range of route out there? I'm not fully decided if it is the best destination but Im picking between here, Oltre Finale and going back to Chulilla (think Chulilla might be too hot!?!) 

thanks in advance  

I'm pretty sure the El Bahira campsite is open in San Vito Lo Capo. They speak good english so worth giving them a ring to find out. There are plenty of quality routes at those grades either close by or a short drive away. 

Sicily is a big small island, Em, and and a bit tricky to get around. If you are just referring to San Vito lo Capo, yes, conditions will be good in April, but it will be very warm, and much of the climbing is south facing or prone to humidity. All good if you can cope with that.

Ive not climbed harder than 7a+, or been with someone climbing harder than 7b, but every route we did at these grades was 3 stars.  The routes tended to be long and sustained rather than bouldery, which suits me. 

The campsite is usually open all year round, but failing that there is apartment accommodation in San Vito itself.

Sicily is an extraordinary country, diverse, cheap, historical, and welcoming. I'm tempted myself now...

John C

thanks guys for the help there, 

I haven't heard about humidity being a problem hope it isn't as we've decided this is where we'll go now haha! I'm not good climbing in the sun but there seems to be enough crags to go at if you get up early / start late or hide in a cave. Will be heading out the very start of April so fingers crossed it will be ok! 

After reading the whole guide we will base at San Vito lo Capo, and you're all right the campsite is open they were very helpful by email and there are loads of nice looking places on air bnb as well! 

Flight are super cheap, apartments also very reasonable, weather looks good, beaches look lovely AND the food will be good.... all in all it looks a very good alternative to a Kalymnos style climbing trip that feels like a holiday!! Makes me wonder why it's not more talked about! Looking forward to it now in this cold weather!!   

We're in San Vito lo Capo after Xmas and over NY, in an air-bnb villa. Cheapest place to go on EasyJet that had sport climbing.

its worth hiring one of the cabins on the campsite, not much more cost and more room in baggage allowance.  Also a short drive to Never Sleeping Wall provides the most amazing tufa climbing. Only possible drawback from your point of view is that from my recollection the crags excel in upper 6s lower 7s- maybe not so much in harder grades compared to Kalymnos?

thanks Kevin, I'm looking at the cabins or flats at the campsite and also at apartments in town. It all looks lovely! 

You're right there are less routes than Kaly in the 7s but there looks plenty enough for two week trip, I got the guide for the whole island and we will have a car so there looks to be loads to go at! 

Never sleeping wall looks immense!! 

have a good time! Love some tips if anything comes to mind after you've been, routes / places to eat / any helpful beta! My only concern is rainfall but there looks plenty of crags that stay dry in rain so just hide in a cave f it rains! Have a good trip  

+1 for El Bahira campsite, it’s great. We stayed in a caravan type thing which was fine and really cheap.

id say that April may be getting a bit warm by then (well, it would be for me anyway).

There’s some decent multi pitching nearby closer to the town too plus some great alternative crags to the SW called crown of Aragon and never sleeping wall. These will be a bit shadier.

Had a good trip there a couple of years ago but found Sicily quite a large and unwieldy place to explore for a week’s cragging trip. It is beautiful and varied but demands a good chunk of time and willingness to move bases if you want to get a real sense of the place.