[Krank]

Just booked my flights for val di mello in the summer and need some info on which guide books are worth getting. Wont be doing any bouldering so a guide to cover the routes in the area is what im after.
Suggestions for any areas that are close and should be visited would also be welcome. Any advice on wild camping or money saving tips while im there would also be very welcome.

Cheers

[Paul B]

Bad news, the camp site is expensive, they don't like you camping in the large car park and most other spots we parked up in we were getting a lot of twats blaring their horns.

We went for the Solo Granito guide which I think was a mistake as it is a select guide and it was sometimes very hard to work out which route was which. We got lost on a route there as the guide didn't really highlight the downclimbing bit. There's another one that covers the same area, made by the same people but I can't comment if its any good. Someone alluded to a ring binder guide from the Netherlands that is meant to be amazing but difficult to source. If you know which routes you want to do I'd strongly advise hitting google as in frustration after getting lost I did a lot of searching and found hand drawn topos with comprehensive notes for most things.

Route Recomendations if you need them:
I can highly recommend the bottom 2/3rds of Luna Nascente, don't forget to downclimb when you can go no further 
Ducia Magica is pretty special climbing right smack bang next to a waterfall.
Cochise - stunning blobby slab
Kundalini was also very good (shares the first pitch  of cochise and tops out where Luna starts)





The Luna hut does the best espresso I've ever had and their potato, cabbage, cream bake thing is pretty special too. Plus if you're bored their dog will chase a stone for hours. If its a hot day try an Aperol Spritz at a bar.

[danm]

When I stayed, we went for the small family run campsite further up the road to San Martino. Like all campsites in my experience in Italy, not cheap, but much nicer than the crowded site in the village!

You could be cheeky and wild camp in the Mello valley itself, some Eastern Europeans were doing this when we were there. However, they are trying to preserve the valley from the worst effects of tourism and visitor impact (it is truly stunning), and this wouldn't be in line with this. I've wild camped in many places, this isn't one I'd personally be comfortable with.

There was a great bar in town, forget the name but run by Maria? And the Luna refuge place gets a big thumbs up from me as well for coffee and tucker. The Solo Granito book has good alpine route coverage and is ok for the trad valley stuff. The Valtellina sport guide has ok coverage of mainly sport routes in the area, plus other nearby stuff if the weather means you have to head away from the valley. I say ok, because compared to modern UK guides that we're used to, the topos and access maps are pretty shoddy. So you need a bit of old school crag nous to get around and stay on line, imho.

We totally blew even finding the start of Luna Nascente one morning. Cue serious jungle bashing, terrifying slab traversing and eventual retreat to the Luna bar for an expresso recharge. After falling in love with the lass working there I was dragged off by my partner to eventually get on the route. Which we had to finish in the rain. Protectionless granite slabs in the rain = horrorshow.

Other than that, enjoy, it's a fantastic place.

[Tommy]

I think Solo Granito is the best guide for the area - you just have to be a bit prepared for an adventure on the appraoches and descents!! I found generally the best approach was to work out your intended route and then go over to Bar Monica's and speak to Simone (nice guy, husband of Monica and hardcore climber) who will gladly give you route beta on a piece of paper! 

Fiorelli's on the opposite side of the road does aaaaaamazing pizza. Good beer jugs too.

Mello is just awesome - you can't fail to have a good time. Long trad routes are excellent - the main recommendation I've seen missing from here is "Polimago" lovely scary route to the left of Luna Nascente.

Enjoy and might see you out there.

[chriss]

I have been to Val di Mello twice, once for MelloBlocco this year & just after the festival the year before. The 'normal' camp site in San Martino is expensive-ish, but if you go buy a beer or two &  chat to the staff-  they normally knock some money off the bill.
We also parked up below the crag in our van & had no problems at all. Another British guy had spent a month there in his van with no agro, just don't go pitching a tent.
I would also second Bar Monica & the pizza place across the road.
Chuffing wise it's not my cup of tea, but some Swedish guys we met did some epic bit's & said it can get fairy bold if that floats your boat.

[Krank]

cheers guys, its sounding like a good time will be had. I will order the solo granite guide and hunt for some online knowledge to go with it. Just next weeks font trip to get through and i can start making some plans for what to do in val di mello, lifes hard sometimes

[match]

Another vote for Solo Granite, though we had to debate whether we were less bad at German or Italian - went with German, this proved an error (if you get the Italian, more helpful people can sign-language translate it for you). The little climbing shop there sells several guides so you can change your mind out there anyway, including sport and bouldering ones if that's your bag. I found the grades mostly soft on steep stuff/cracks and tough on slabs, reflects the specialised nature of the climbing.

Re camping, the Sasso Remano one is very expensive, next time I'm gonna go with the little one up the val di mello road, as folks suggest. Dossing in the car in the SR carpark feasible, tho signs etc ask you not to, but like has been said I'd avoid wild camping in the valley - it would be convenient but seems selfish given it flies in the face of the preservation and climbing tourism balance that the locals seem to be aiming for. Fiorelli's beer n pizza are ace, seconded.

Route recommendations:
Luna Nascente is brilliant, Il Risveglio di Kundalini makes a great start to it. Not done Polimago, but it looks ace. The climbing on Oceano Irrazionale is v good, but the jungle bashing access will test all but the most patient/lucky. If you do this abseil down an equipped line to the left (marked on a topo we saw somewhere), do NOT pay any attention to the Alpine Club guide descent - that way lieth rotting corpses and the gateway to hell. Some of the other lines on the Asteroidi looked funky too.

Stomacho peloso + the overhanging finish on the Trapexio d'Argento makes a good warmup, and Nuova Dimensione on the same crag looks awesome for bold slab tiptoers (still have it to do). The slabs around the Cascata del Ferro also make pleasant warm ups (unless you try Lo Scivolo, which gives a pleasant spanking!), made more fun by the sight of drowning canyoners being spat out of the Cascata itself at frequent intervals. If you want to get away from it all, stroll right up the valley to the Placche Dell'Oasi and bumble up Via Baader/Uomini e topi, enjoying the views.

Finally, Mt Qualido is awesome. Really really cool. We only did the Magic Line, which was less of a magic line than a series of linking slab pitches and a stunning crux through a shield of granite hanging in space, but some routes there looked unbelievable. 15-20+ pitches, kinda big wally, with the best bivvy known to man lurking underneath (ask locals for the Hotel ;-).

[Paul B]

We also parked up below the crag in our van & had no problems at all. Another British guy had spent a month there in his van with no agro, just don't go pitching a tent.

It does beg the question where they were going to turd. There was a fair bit of turd-age behind some of the closer boulders which really doesn't seem on. Its not in Spain.

[chriss]

We also parked up below the crag in our van & had no problems at all. Another British guy had spent a month there in his van with no agro, just don't go pitching a tent.

It does beg the question where they were going to turd. There was a fair bit of turd-age behind some of the closer boulders which really doesn't seem on. Its not in Spain.

The sport crag by Sassa Remano has a toilet which is open pretty much all the time. It stinks & is not that well looked after, but better than the bushes.....
Agreed there is to much shitting in climbing areas. Climbers should use any facilities available or dig a hole & bury it.

[cofe]

A bunch of rock athletes are heading to Mello in the spring for my bro's stag do. Although we're on a collision course with camping, does anyone know if there are any bunkhouses or the like in the area? Ta.

[dave]

Good thinking word. I'd rather sleep in a hirecar than camp.

[LJ]

Yep would be good to know if there is something other than camping as i haven't found anything other than hotels and camping. I get the impression that it is because it hasn't been developed as a ski resort that ?nothing/little exists. There are chalets in a town called Sondrio? which is at the bottom of the valley and then along the motorway about 30km away. Personally i'd rather camp it up than commute that far, haven't looked at he other surrounding areas those places just came up whilst searching for places in Val Masino. You'll love camping if not chaps, we can hold hands and sing songs..............

[dave]

louis whats the main village/base in mello called? I'll have a look on tinternet. there must be some gites etc.

[Andy B]

You'll love camping if not chaps,

Fuck that shit.

There's got to be somewhere round there. Having said that both Dutch and I have had a look, with no joy yet, but we are a bit SEN when it comes to interweb searching.

[cofe]

I'm fine with camping as long as The Sausage makes me porridge and coffee every morning, I have a campig chair, and Rocketman Rob Smith is there every time I turn to my right.

[cofe]

Dutch doesn't even know what the internet is.

[Andy B]

I'm fine with camping as long as The Sausage makes me porridge and coffee every morning, I have a campig chair, and Rocketman Rob Smith is there every time I turn to my right.

Sounds like you need a bunkhouse then.

I'll spit in your porridge and coffee every morning if you make me camp.

[cofe]

Spit sounds like heaven compared to the Baldrich cappucinos I was drinking last year.

I'm all for a spunkhouse by the way.

[Paul B]

You can obviously stay at the Rifugio's although I'm not sure how many beds they have etc.

When we were there some Italians had hired out a 'room'. It had a huge bunk across the left hand side with about 4 bunk beds underneath it and some kind of a makeshift kitchen in the corner. It slept 18 hommes and I bet if f*cking stunk in the morning. That was just out of the car park on the left.

[cofe]

Thanks Paul. Rifugio might just have been the search term I was looking for.

[LJ]

As far as i remember its called Val Masino and then maybe San Martino right at the top of the valley. Banks has my guide so cant check exactly and thats all google maps brings up. My web skills are also somewhat on the moronic front. Andy you can be big spoon if your nice. Isn't Dutch in charge of all things cooking/comfort when we are there whilst we go bouldering?? It is his stag after all

[cofe]

Who's sorting out the fucking strippers more like?

[LJ]

This is taken from the Melloblocco website http://www.melloblocco.it/up/pdf/AlberghiENG.pdf

Who's sorting out the fucking strippers more like?

Well i thought i would get the ball rolling on the first night.... you could do the second if you like.... ill get a rota sorted

[cofe]

Banks has the best rack. I'll look forward to his Wobbly Wednesday.

[dave]

I'll spit in your porridge and coffee every morning if you make me camp.

You're already camp enough as it is sailor.

We need to get down with this refugee vibe, one time.

[Andy B]

You can obviously stay at the Rifugio's although I'm not sure how many beds they have etc.

When we were there some Italians had hired out a 'room'. It had a huge bunk across the left hand side with about 4 bunk beds underneath it and some kind of a makeshift kitchen in the corner. It slept 18 hommes and I bet if f*cking stunk in the morning. That was just out of the car park on the left.

That sounds like just the thing we need. An 18 homme in a bed love train.