Rock Climbing in the Southern tip of Italy around Campobasso and Potenza

The terrain in the southern tip of Italy is very diverse. For the rock climber this means there is a great variety of climbing areas from climbing near the sea to hundreds of metres up in the mountains. Therefore it is always possible to find somewhere to climb throughout the year.

Molise rock climbing guidebookThe largest climbing area is at Frosolone (also known as Colle Dell’Orso), near the town of Campobasso, with over 400 routes across a wide range of grades.  The climbing here is a mixture of sloping pockets and vertical slots, of which some are very sharp on limestone rock.  The routes alternate between being sustained requiring lots of endurance, and bouldery requiring a lot of power.  Due to its altitude of over 1,200m and exposure to the wind it means the best time to climb here is from the spring through to the summer.

The Molise rock climbing guidebook covers Frosolone along with 16 other areas including Oratino.

Around the towns of Froggia, Bari, and Lecce in the province of Puglia has a Mediterranean climate of warm winters and hot summers. Therefore the ideal time to visit is from the autumn through to the spring. Statte is the largest crag in this region with over 200 routes. There are also a number of other crags in this region, with routes available across a good selection of grades.

Further south around the town of Potenza it becomes very mountainous with many of the rock climbing areas at an altitude over 1,000m. It is at these crags that it is ideal to climb during the summer as there is snow during the winter.

Map of the rock climbing areas in southern tip of Italy

Map of the rock climbing areas in southern tip of ItalyRock climbing around Napoli

Rock climbing areas of southern Italy

NoCragAltitudeNo of RoutesSingle or Multi-pitch
1Petrella Tifernina300m24Single
2Santo Stefano650m33Single
3Frosolone1200m405Single
4Oratino600m101Single
5Bojano650m19Single
6Rignano il Palombaio100m48Single
7Manfredonia Olimp100m81Single
8Mattinata-Ripe Rosse500m28Single
9Pulo300m49Single
10Laterza200m24Single
11Castellaneta200m23Single
12Statte100m236Single
13Badisco10m12Single
14Ciolo30m64Single
15Bella1100m14Single
16Castelgrande1250m10Single
17Muro Lucano600m10Single
18Balvano650m30Single
19Sant'Angelo le Fratte600m37Single
20Pietra Maura1500m21Single
21Monte Vulturino1500m74Single
22Viggiano950m33Single
23Bosco Favino1300m12Single
24Matera350m12Single
25Viggiano900m45Single
26Eianina500m51Single
27Orsomarso200m91Single
28Buonvicino500m27Single
29Mendicino600m11Single
30Caronte250m20Single
31Stilo400m60Single

To the south of Napoli is the Sorrento Peninsula there is plenty of good quality rock climbing, mainly situated on the south coast around Amalfi. The vast majority of the routes are single pitch sport routes though there are some multi-pitch routes as well, all on limestone rock. The climbing here is generally at a low altitude with some routes straight off the beach. Find out more…

The large sandstone bouldering of Bosco Gallipoli is situated in forests between Potenza and Matera. The woods are at a low altitude and the winter rarely sees snow making this an ideal year round location as the leaf cover allows acceptable climbing conditions even in the hotter periods. Unfortunately there is no guidebook available covering this bouldering area.

Southern Italy is well connected to the rest of Europe, with International airports at Napoli, Bari and Brindisi.

The Molise rock climbing guidebook describes the sport climbing in the Molise region, including the large crag of Frosolone (Colle Dell’Orso), Oratino and 15 other areas. 

Buy the Molise rock climbing guidebook from our shop.

Copyright © 2008-present Climb Europe Limited. All rights reserved.