The climbing frenzy continued in Italy...but this time with better motivation...pasta, pizza, and ice cream after a long day at the crag...Sadly, I could never convince Jake to split another pizza after we just finished our own.
Taking a tip from an Italian climber we met in Fontainebleau, we travelled a full day via high speed rail to the Val di Melo, Italy (aka Mellow Valley...hehe). Here took place the 3rd annual international bouldering festival in one of the most beautiful mountain valleys I've been blessed to see (right behind Yosemite...remember the Hetch Hetchy hike Ron?)
Albeit remote, the beautiful landscapes I've visited in Europe have been nothing short of spectacular...and well worth the time and effort to get there. And on top of seeing these beautiful areas of the world, I find myself immersed in much more rich cultural experience. OK, 85% of the people I've met along the way still speak English to varying degrees...but the conversations are often comical and obscure...like explaining why Americans use "dude" as a term of friendship instead of of the more Brittish term, "mate". Or why eating chips (aka french fries) with Heinz ketchup is a completely different dining experience than the imitation off-brand ketchup you will often find in Europe. The people here are so curious of the American lifestyle and equally open to sharing their own culture as you venture further from off the touristed sites.
So Sasso di Remeno in the Val di Melo is definitely one of these special places in the world, and I was overjoyed to be amongst some of the friendliest people in the world, the international climbing community. Here, at the Melloblocco climbing festival, every dinner table is what I like to call a "kitchen of Babel". Here 3 different languages are spoken simultaneously while twice as many camp stoves simmer the most fragrant symphony of international aromas you can imagine. And the good company continues into the night as the beer and wine is shared as freely as the conversations and laughs. Although the weather wasn't great until the final couple hours before we left, we got in plenty of quality climbing on the unforgiving granite of the Italian Alps.
Most notable, however, was the festival atmosphere itself. After a hard day of climbing, everyone convened back at the festival campground for a big potluck Italian dinner, while a reggae-hand drum band entertained the ravenous crowd. After the food and wine settled the spirit, the real party began, with on all-night DJ tent moving the 1500+ to one heartbeat. And everywhere else among the festival grounds, one could find action...slacklining competitions (something comparable to freestyle tightrope walking), fire juggling, free shirts and gear from a handful of climbing sponsors. I kicked my night off with some local firewater offered by our generous Italian tent neighbors...sugarcubes soaked for days in schnapps and orange peels. The concoction gave me the jumpstart I needed get on the dance floor as the electronica-hand drum fusion pulsed into the night. Another great part of the festival was the social atmosphere at the boulders...everyone is cheering the next person on or offering them technique advice for any given route...and the pros and begginers mingled causually at the the same boulder, as one rock could have an easy route right next to the most difficult. Here, at Melloblocco, I really felt my good travelling fortune had culminated as we experienced such a beautiful valley surrounded by all the wonderful free spirits...and all by the recommendation of a fellow climber in France.
So I took all the great energy I experienced at Melloblocco to another reccomended climbing spot, Arco, Italy. The nicest part of climbing in Arco is we spent our time with two beautiful and hilarious fellow travellers/climbers, Jessy and Costas. Arco seemed to be the classis Italian climbing spot, with thousands of walls, roofs, and caves we only saw a fraction of. After all the climbing we had done in the last couple weeks, I think I was actually more mesmerized by the best pizza and pasta I've ever tasted, with great company to share it with. Costas was a Greek madman of a strong climber, and it was nice to have a strong climber to lead all the routes that I wanted to try on a more safe top-bolted rope...Thanks, dude! The last stop in Italy was Florence, which I can't honestly say I visited, because I think I spent 75% of my time there eating pizza and gelato. Ao, although our visit to Italy was climbing-oriented and relatively short...Italy is definitley a destination I am excited to return to.
