Description

Subiaco is one of the most suggestive and rich in historical places of Italy. The climbing areas lie in the Aniene Valley, where, in the 6th-century a.C. was founded the Monasteries of Subiaco, under the Rule of St. Benedict. The valley is even now dominated by the St. Benedict and St. Scolastica Monasteries, where the Benedectines collected in precious illuminated scrolls the Greek and Roman writings, preserving them from the barbaric invasion and from the religious fundamentalism and handing them down to us. Thus the Aniene Valley became one of the foremost cultural center in Europe in the whole Middle Age, and in the Modern Age too. Now it’s one of the most important tourist destinations in Italy, famous for its medieval painting cycle, its illuminated scrolls, and its beautiful landscapes.

In 2005 Domenico Intorre and Tonio Pettinella started to open new climbing routes down in the valley, on a nice limestone rock wall with tufas: “Le Scalette” (“The Ladder”).

In 2013, Domenico Intorre and Gianluca Mazzacano discovered and equipped another nice area “La Segheria” (The Sawmill), a slightly overhanging wall with crimps (old style), 500 mt away from the “Scalette” area.

In 2015-2016, then, Domenico Intorre equipped another nice wall area, “I Laghetti”, 4 Km away from the “Segheria”.

All these limestone walls have a short approach. The climbing style, instead, is quite different, as the exposure.

In “Le Scalette” areas the climbing is mainly on overhanging walls, with tufas and pockets. For the SW exposure, the climbing is recommended in the mid seasons, and only in the morning during the summer.

In “La Segheria” and in “I Laghetti” areas, instead, the climbing is “old style”, on vertical or slightly overhanging walls with crimps. For the E facing the climbing is recommended in the mid seasons, and in the afternoon during the summer.

The routes of the “Segheria” area start from two wide ledges, thus this area is not recommended for children. The space under most of the routes of “Laghetti”  and “Scalette” (not all!), instead, is wide and quite comfortable.

Approach

From Subiaco take the SS411 Sublacense direction “Altipiani di Arcinazzo”. Once at a fork (about 1 Km after Subiaco), turn left along the “Via dei Monasteri” (Monasteries Road), direction Jenne. After a few hundred meters turn right and go on a small downhill tarmac road, toward the Aniene river. The road runs along the river. The parking to the first areas (Le Scalette = The Ladder) is a widening at a concrete flight of steps. 500 meters away, at a sawmill, there is the parking spot for the Segheria area (Segheria = sawmill).  After the sawmill the small road becomes a dirt road. About 4 Km away from the sawmill, at and evident widening on the left, there is the “Laghetti” area.