The mountain guides Renato Bernard e Ètienne Bernard tell us about their trip in Sicily and about San Vito lo Capo.
Maybe Sicily, and, specifically San Vito lo Capo, is, amongst all the exotic environments that I have visited, the best place where you can link climbing with a seaside holiday.
There is no crag or rock wall where you can't see the Gulf with its clear sea, and its incredible colors...
San Vito is one of the top tourist destinations in Sicily. With the neighboring Erice and Segesta, the Saline di Trapani (Saltpan Trapan Reserve) and the Riserva dello Zingaro (Zingaro Nature Reserve) represents a tourist reference point unique in the world.
During the less warm seasons, San Vito lo Capo attracts dozens and dozens of climbers, from every part of the world.
Tiy can meet climbers from every corner of Europe, but even from the United States, from Canada, and or even Australians and Japonises.
The bar and shop “Climbing House”, is an excellent catalyst, and the Camping “El Bahira” (a few steps away from the cliff of Salinella) is a perfect accommodation for climbing or to spend relaxing days on the seashore.
But the most important thing for the climbers is that at now San Vito lo Capo offers more than 1000 pitches, well equipped, some of which are very long (40m, 20 quickdraws), for every taste and level, good even for beginners who want to lead climb.
The rock is very solid and rough limestone, sometimes even too sharp...
You can find very strange holds, and no shortage of tufas holds, pockets, reglettes, and crimps...
And, just to put the icing on the cake, Monte Monaco offers some interesting multipitches routes, up to 400m long.
The Majestic Salinella Cliff, from Crown of Aragon
Daniele Arena
Daniele Arena
As mountain guide, I can say: visit San Vito, it's worth it, you won't go back home unfullfilled.
If you are not yet confident with climbing, and with this kind of trip, contact the Fassa Guides, and we will organize a climbing trip for you.
We stayed in San Vito lo Capo for more than one month, climbing almost every day, and we never visited twice the same climbing spot. There is an incredible variety of possibility and pitches, and we never became bored of our stay.
We left San Vito unwillingly, with a longing to return, sure to find new pitches and new climbing areas, because San Vito has a great potential.
“We have left the heart in San Vito lo Capo and in Sicily.....!!”
But this is often the case, for us...
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