Fantastic climbing line close to Arco
World famous destination, Arco, on the northern tip of Lake Garda is a fantastic climbing spot. There are so many possibilities here, with a great variety of climbing styles and grades. It has become so popular that many routes on the most famous cracks are so polished they are hard to climb, even if the grades are low.
Of course, if you are willing to climb longer routes there are many possibilities for finding good rock and amazing lines. Multipitch climbing is still something not everyone who climbs at the crags try. So there are vast numbers of routes you can select for your climbing trip to Arco. Here you can find a good number of classic and modern lines: https://www.arcomountainguide.com/en/sport/rock-climbing-multi-pitch-lake-garda-arco-trentino-dolomites/
But today we would like to talk about a less known place, only a few minutes drive from Arco. It is a fantastic location if you’re interested in climbing something different. The wall is called “Placche Zebrate” due to the darker and lighter patterns of rock (zebra striped slabs). The wall starts on the left side and grows higher as you move to the right. There 2 pitch routes on the left and routes with over 10 pitches on the right. The grades are varied and most lines are fully bolted. Even though sometimes the bolts are a bit far apart, they are still safe if you can climb confidently on the grade of that pithc. All the anchors are in place as well.
How to reach Placche Zebrate
To reach Placche Zebrate you can drive north from Arco. After a short drive you will see Mount Brentei on your left and once you reach the town of Dro you can park the car by the bar (Bar delle Placche) or in a public car park located exactly where the path starts. In fact this short path takes you to the bottom of the wall in approximately 15 minutes.
Mon Cheri, Placche Zebrate
Today we’re going to talk about a route called “Mon Cheri”. It is probably one of the most beautiful slab climbs on this wall. Prepare your camera and be ready to take some amazing pictures, especially at sunset when the last rays of sun hit the wall while the valley floor below becomes darker.
If you are planning to climb this line make sure you have the right shoes. You will need a softer sole that allows you to smear against some rounded edges. So sharp pointy and hard soles will not be the best here.
The maximum grade of the route is 6b+ (we found one sequence that could be graded 6c). There are 8 pitches with constant difficulties of about 6a/6b. Your feet will be put to the test! The whole route is around 300 meters. Rock quality is generally good but the holds are starting to get a bit polished due to the high number of climbers attempting this route. The slab is very smooth and the climbing style is peculiar. You need to have great confidence in your footwork. We found it easier to climb with softer shoes that allowed us to smear on the smooth footholds.
Except for a few moves, which were hard to understand, the whole route was really enjoyable. You can also climb with a single 60 meter rope, as the descent is on foot along the path.
Once you reach the top of the climb, walk to the left side on a narrow path until you reach the main one. Be careful not to throw rocks off the path as they might fall on climbers underneath you. We descended to the car park in around 40 minutes with the help of head torches. (Extra tip: Make sure to bring one with you on your climbs as it could always be useful!)
Read or related article about Placche Zebrate: https://6bpump.com/a-stunning-climbing-location-by-lake-garda-placche-zebrate-arco/
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