Climbing in Arco for the first time: where to start
Yes, you can climb in Arco as a beginner — and you can start as a child. The right crags for a first day, the schools, when the rock is in the sun, and what you actually need to bring.
Yes. Arco is one of the places in Europe where you can climb on the first day of your life and still have a good one, without putting yourself in danger and without feeling out of place.
The reason is the sheer range of the crags here: alongside the overhangs you see in the films there are slabs, short pitches and closely bolted routes made for people starting out. Choosing the right sector matters more than the grade printed in the guidebook.
Where you actually begin.
Belvedere, above Nago. A few kilometres from Arco, reached by an easy and scenic path. The lower sector has short pitches on a slabby wall: the right place for the first times, and the view over the upper lake does no harm.
Falesia Family, at San Martino. Opposite the little church, next to the famous Policromuro at Massone. It was equipped for children: a kids sector with easy routes and a junior sector a step above. Seventeen routes in all, from the very simplest to grades that will keep a teenager who already climbs busy.
Massone Basso. Massone is one of the best-known crags in Italy, with over a hundred and fifty routes at every angle. The lower sector, on vertical walls and grey slabs, is where you spend the second or third day, once your feet have learned to stand on rock.
Who you go with.
The first time, you go with someone who knows. Arco and Riva have mountain guides and climbing schools running half days and full days with gear included: harness, shoes, helmet, rope.
We will ask on your behalf if you like. We know who works well and who has patience with children, and it is not the same list.
When the rock is right.
The season runs from March to November, with two peaks: April–May and September–October. In those months the rock is dry and the sun warms without cooking.
In summer you climb early or look for shaded sectors: at two in the afternoon, on a south-facing slab, nobody is there. In winter it is the other way round, and the sunlit crags become the most pleasant place in the valley.
Arco rock is oolitic limestone: compact, sharp, with small clean holds. It is the same stone the Rock Master is fought on every October.
What to bring.
For a first outing with a guide, nothing: they bring the technical gear. You need comfortable shoes for the walk in, an extra layer, water and a cap.
Climbers who already have their own bring it, and find a dry room here to keep it in: ropes and bags do not end up in the bedroom.
Common questions.
Can you climb in Arco with no experience?
Yes. Several crags have sectors with short, closely bolted, easy routes suited to a first day: the lower sector of Belvedere above Nago and the Falesia Family at San Martino are the two usual starting points. Go out the first time with a mountain guide or a climbing school.
Can children climb in Arco?
Yes. The Falesia Family, opposite the church of San Martino, was equipped for exactly that: a sector for younger children on easy routes and one for teenagers who already climb. Seventeen routes in all, from the simplest to genuinely demanding.
When is the best time to climb in Arco?
March to November, with April–May and September–October the best months. In summer look for shaded sectors or climb at dawn; in winter, on sunny days, many crags stay perfectly climbable.
Do you need to bring climbing gear?
No, if you go out with a guide or a school: harness, shoes, helmet and rope are included. Anyone with their own kit will find a dry, locked room to keep it in.
