South of Rome, the next climbing of note is by the seaside town of Sperlonga. The coast is sprinkled with grey and orange crags above the busy coastal road, but there are also a couple of venues straight off the beach. One of these is in a cave, and as it was pi$$ing down, we headed there…

This really is a remarkable spot – what looks to be awesome climbing, but totally inaccessible to mere mortals, turns out to have routes from 6a upwards. And yes, they are awesome – on some huge holds to compensate for the steepness!

There was also an in situ team of Polish climbers – a youth academy, seeking shelter from the rain and enjoying a pancake feast between routes.

As the sun emerged we moved outside to the adjacent sector to soak up a few rays.

Another great day salvaged from a less than promising forecast. …

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