East but used - Giardino di Nato

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East facing walls have been our passion during this summer. The endless research of potential cool summer crags lead us this time to the Giardino di Nato that is only 12 kilometers from Arco just next to the Pietramurata at 440 meters above sea level. 

Crag has developed by the Sisyphos Group and Giardino di Nato is similar in the style with other Sisyphos walls when it comes to bolting, grades and lines. So overall 1st hand impression is good. And the location of the crag is perfect, east face in the middle of the woods so the temperature is pleasing even during the hottest summer days.

Crag has total of 25 routes from 5c to 7b on the yellow and partially overhanging walls. Length of the routes is usually around 20 meters but there are couple of 2nd pitches which are shorter. Specification looks perfect on paper.

But then the downside. Good walls attract climbers and somehow yellow limestone has a tendency to get polished easily. That was the biggest issue at Giardino di Nato. It is not the most polished wall like Massone but still some of the more technical lines were really hard to climb due the polished rock. At the same time few of the more adventurous lines such as Il Giardino Di Nato was completely climbable due the style of the climbing. But the good news is that based on the amount of spider's web it looks like a that it hasn't been climbed in this decade.

Interesting and good looking lines but more technical ones have become hard to climb just because of the polished rock. Mixed feeling, I would like to climb in a place like this but with fresh rock.

Crag grade: 3/5
Rock quality: 3/5
Bolting: 4/5
Surroundings: 4/5
Approach: 4/5

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Giordino di Nato, 1.7.2015