Three unmissable crags in Ferentillo, the sport climbing capital of Umbria

There Ferentillo crag it is one of the most historic climbing areas in Umbria and represented the first approach to the rock for generations of climbers. It all began in 1978, when Silvano Lepri and other CAI companions began to venture onto the walls of today’s Isola sector armed with slotted nails and interlocking nuts.

They immediately realize the enormous potential of these walls, but also the fact that another type of material is needed to equip them, and end up abandoning the project. This is also due to a different concept of climbing, closer to mountaineering than to the current idea of ​​sport climbing. 10 years later, after countless exploits around the world and on the advice of Luciano Santi, he arrives in Valnerina Luigi Mario known as Gigi, Alpine Guide, Roman skiing and mountaineering instructor.

The two choose the sector ‘Mummies’ for the convenience of the approach and the abundance of easy-to-equip routes, and they began to bolt the itineraries with a more modern and sporty concept, giving birth to what is today Ferentillo. The first route to be equipped is The north of the Igor, followed by ten routes in the same sector and others in the Isola sector.

Gigi, realizing the enormous amount of work necessary to equip the routes in the area, forms the GAST, a sport climbing group from Terni, involving climbers from the Roman environment such as Andrea di Bari, Roberto Ciato, Laleh Brown and Maurizio Savini. From the very beginning, it was possible to involve the local administration in bolting: the municipality of Ferentillo was one of the first in Italy to authorize and even finance the equipping of climbing areasand then also the stainless steel riveting.

From here the development of Ferentillo has never stopped, and today the area has over 400 routes from 15 to 120 meters (including multipitches), suitable for climbers of all levels.

Mummies

We are in the most historic sector of Ferentillo: here are the majority of the easy and medium grade routes in the entire area. Here there are also several multi-pitch itineraries, where the rock is compact and has better grip than the single pitches below, which are more worn due to high attendance.

“The climbing style here is very varied, we can find slabs, rods and even overhangs. Together with the adjacent “Isola” sector It boasts more than 70 routes, with all levels of difficulty. The crag is exposed to the South and very close to the town of Ferentillo, in the Precetto area.

The strong point of this sector is that, despite being very close to the road, with approach reduced practically to zero, it is immersed in nature, and therefore perfect for those who want to spend a day in the open air without doing who knows what hike to reach the crag “, tells Monica Delicatesco-author of the guide Umbria Rockpublished by Versante Sud. “Furthermore, the area was recently made safe with maintenance works, which mainly concerned the positioning of anti-rock nets above the walls”.

Balcony

“Il Balcone is one of the most evocative crags in the Ferentillo area: immersed in the greenery of the forest, it is probably the jewel in the crown of the whole area”, says Delicati again. The vegetation, the quality of the rock and the panorama have contributed to giving the Balcony this record. From here, on the clearest days the view extends as far as the Marmore waterfall.

The first routes in this sector were bolted in July 1988, and in the autumn of the same year Ferentillo’s first 8a, Bird, was climbed. Thanks to the excellent bolting and variety of climbing, this crag is perfect for medium level climbers, with more than 90 routes from 5b to 8b+ with plenty of intermediate sixths and sevenths. The climbing style varies from overhangs to technical slabs, with also resistance lines, edges and pipe routes.

The historic route of Balcone, certainly not to be missed, is Mago ’89, a 7a+ overhanging reeds and concretions inside the first cave. Halfway up the wall there are also routes with grades that are more accessible to those approaching this sport: “safety underwear” 6a; “Elena’s garter” 6b; “Federica’s thong” 6a.

Saint Lawrence

The San Lorenzo crag, equipped in the 1990s and rebolted starting from 2013, is made up of several small walls and stands inside a grove. It has various exposures and is very convenient thanks to the short approach, in fact it can be reached in a few minutes on foot.

“This sector of the Ferentillo crag stands out considerably from the more common and varied style that characterizes the area. Here, a particular type of slab climbing is found, sometimes with small “rods” on limestone consisting of a series of pillars immersed in the woods. This environment represents the “summer” sector of Ferentillo, thanks to the presence of the forest and its exposure to the East, which makes it ideal for climbing in the afternoons of the hottest season”, explains Monica Delicati again. “The only disadvantage of this area are the mosquitoes, which however can be kept away using mosquito traps, so much so that some of the names of the streets refer to them”.

A new sector, White Tower, has recently been added here. dedicated by Manuel Paparelli to Bianca, a girl who lost her life climbing in Ferentillo in 2015. The names of the streets are those of the stars and constellations. The routes are short and continuous, on overhanging slabs, notches and pipes.