Heading north from Sicily, in the vague direction of Salerno (the next region with any significant climbing) we needed a stopover to break the journey. Helen is a campsite-finding genius, and armed with numerous apps she came up with a small campsite in the town of Frascineto. Camping Vorea looked charming, and had a responsive owner (it makes such a difference travelling in the off season to know that a campsite is actually open, and if there will be someone there to let you in!) Best of all, it would add less than 10mins to our journey. Result!

A final confirmation shufty on Google Maps (to weed out any adjacent train line or other blight) yielded the additional information: “There looks to be a lot of rock around there” but no hits on the usual climbing apps. We rolled into the site around dusk and settled in for the night, to awake to this…

Wow! That warranted a more thorough scouring of the Internet, and sure enough http://www.Falasia.it came up trumps. “On the Ionian slope of the Pollino National Park, the Falesia Frascineto-Eianina is the major climbing area in the whole of Calabria” (and pretty much the only climbing area).

More scouring even turned up a basic topo of sorts:

Game on! It’s a 10mins walk from the campsite to the parking area so it didn’t seem worth driving, and the community has kindly signposted the approach:

There’s even an overview of the different sectors at the parking area.

There’s a mind-boggling amount of rock, but only about 60 routes recorded on the topo, though we did spot quite a few additional lines and even sectors during our stay.

Here’s an overview map of the sectors:

We started off on Sector Leoni di Montagne, the nearest to town, and did most of the routes. Here’s a view across from the opposite side, with Leoni being the bottom right cluster of crags.

The namesake 6a+ is excellent, and Ke Areks, 5b+

… and Ta Scivulisi, 5c+ were also highly recommended.

All fairly stiff. E Motra, 6c, is a bit eliminate. Further left, on an impressive-looking steep orange wall, Kippalata 6c and Skandenberg, 6b+, were both decent but sandbags. Helen did I Lametini, 6a, on the steep grey slab further left again.

We weren’t so taken with the Mama Li Turchi sector, though Helen thought the leaning flake crack of Varra Varra, 5a, was worthwhile.

Sector Vashare, heading 50m further up the hill, features an imposing orange wall (mid left in the shot below).

It only has 4 routes on the topo but some sparkly new bolts on another 4 additions on the rock. A bit of guesswork suggests that the superb orange corner is Il Diedro Basilio, 6a+, and an absolute belter!

… which would make the eponymous Vashare the route to the right – felt more 6c than 7a+, but really good regardless.

A couple of the newer routes had painted names and grades, and we did Bravi ma Lenti, 6a+ish?

Sector Calabria Rock 2009 celebrates the (first?) bolting developments in April of that year, partly funded by the community and involving prominent members of the wider Italian climbing community.

There are three obvious towers, the leftmost features a leaning square-cut yellow wall and the outstanding Dissolution, 6c

The next tower to the right hosts Mr Skiki, 5c+ and Mr Bax, 6a

… and further right you’ve got Paolo Bongiovanni, 6a+

… and E Arrivata Marina, 6c+/7a (though you can outflank the crux somewhat).

Those kept us occupied until the “Golden Hour”

… with the sun dipping beneath the hills opposite.

After our overnight stopover turned into three days of cragging, it was time to resume our journey north. It’s such a great spot, it makes sense to leave something for next time (and maybe the new development will be written up somewhere).

Views down from the crag to the pretty village of Eianina at its base.

… and over to the peaceful and spacious Camping Vorea – highly recommend as a base.