The 2009 Italian bouldering festival Melloblocco is almost upon us.

Based in the beautiful Val Di Mello, the 3 day crankathon starts on the 7th of May.

You can read more about last year's event in this UKC article: Melloblocco 2008 by Pete Hill.

The organisers describe the weekend:

Just like last year, the meeting kicks off with the MellobloccoBaby, the special program dedicated to school children and young climbers to go climbing and discover nature. On Friday 8 May the classic meeting begins with the launch of the hardest boulder problems, set once again by Simone Pedeferri's team. The vertical marathon continues on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May and finishes in the afternoon on Sunday with all, as usual, exhausted but happy.

There will obviously be more in store other than just the bouldering, such as the Saturday night's La Sportiva Party (as always a surprise), and the evening shows on Thursday and Friday at the Mountain Centre with plenty of videos and top climbers. Boulder clinics are scheduled, too. And as usual it'll be exciting to find out who are the big climbers who will join the Mello tribe in 2009. What is certain is that they will be scores and scores of Melloblockers.

• Find out more at: melloblocco.it