Pietra di Bismantova Rock Climbing

The sheer vertical walls of the Pietra di Bismantova dominate the landscape of the northern Apennine mountains and beg to be climbed upon first sight. Thankfully, the rock type obliges with steep-for-the-grade climbing on the rock's natural ripples. The formation is made of calcarenite, a sandstone-like limestone, of which this formation is the most famous example.

There is a great variety of styles available: though vert or just-past-vert face climbs in the 5c-7c range are the area's signature, you'll also find no shortage of cracks, chimneys, and dihedrals, as well as a number of sectors of uber-steep, perma-draw-clad routes (the steep amphitheater accessed from the summit is a sight to behold). The sometimes fickle rock yields surprisingly few full-length multipitch free routes for a limestone crag of this size (maybe a dozen or so), but those that exist are stellar both for their character of the climbing and the sheer exposure.

As the rock is effectively a sandstone, it is recommended to avoid the area shortly after rainfall.