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Best guidebook for Sicily/Advice for American Climber

Original Post
Princess Puppy Lovr · · Rent-n, WA · Joined Jun 2018 · Points: 1,756

I am going to Sicily in the end of September with my wife. I want to climb some in the morning with her belaying me and then doing tourist stuff the rest of the time. Any general advice? There appears to be 4 guidebooks and unsure which one is the best for a week there. I think we are going to be staying in San Vito and I generally like to climb around 7a/5.12a in difficulty.

Alan Rubin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 10

Good question as there are indeed several overlapping books. Di Rocca di Sole (I think that's the name) is the pretty comprehensive guidebook to the sport climbing options (does not include most of the multi-pitch and trad areas) on the entire (very large) island. There is an English language edition and it is quite good, though I don't know how up to date the latest version is. However,since you will be in the San Vito area (where there is plenty of climbing), you might be better off with one of the books focused on that region. The Rockfax Sicily guidebook is, I believe, the most up-to-date and has very thorough coverage of the Capo San Vito and nearby areas as well as a selection from the Palermo area. It is very good and I like the Rockfax books, but I know that there are folks who feel that they are undercutting more local publications so don't use them. I have seen two smaller (and less expensive) publications: Sicily Rock and Sport Climbing in Sicily--one of which I believe is a local production, but can't comment on how thorough or up-to-date they are (up-to-date is significant there, as the area is still very much a work in progress with new routes, sectors, and even crags constantly being developed)..Personally, if I were to go back, I'd go with the Rockfax guide (only Rocca existed when I was there a decade ago), but I'm sure that you'll find any of them worthwhile. 

It is a great area, with plenty of "tourist stuff" to mix with the climbing. I particularly enjoyed the very picturesque mountaintop town of Erice and the nearby ruins of Segesta--both a fairly short (under an hour) drive from the Bahia campground--which is a great place to stay with apartments and even a (small) villa for rent if you don't want to camp--and many routes right above.

Princess Puppy Lovr · · Rent-n, WA · Joined Jun 2018 · Points: 1,756

Thanks!

Jim Titt · · Germany · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 490

Rocca de Sole is completely out of date regarding San Vito, the only source for the rest of Sicily though.

Sportclimbing in Sicily from Vertical Life was out of date in 2013 when it came out because we withheld about 250 new routes which appeared in that years Gebro Verlag guide. It was written in 2 weeks which tells you everything!

 The guide from Gebro Verlag (the 7th edition) is actually the newest, it was written after the Rockfax guide but came out earlier, which is "better" I couldn't say as I haven't seen the Rockfax. Only that the author has climbed every route bar two.

Plenty of historic tourist stuff around!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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