Climbing in Trentino & the Dolomites

One of the reasons we traded Chicago for Trento was to be closer to climbing. But soon after we settled in, we realized that there's much more to it than just moving to the mountains.

In the beginning, we often found ourselves in over our heads. On a "warmup" 5b — run-out and polished — where falling isn't an option. At the most popular crag on a busy Saturday afternoon. Lost on an approach to a crag that has long been abandoned. Or buried for hours in five different Italian guidebooks trying to research a route without knowing any Italian whatsoever.

It's been a fun ride, and definitely a core piece of our Trentino journey. But hand on heart, some info in a language we understand would've been really nice. We haven't found much, so we decided to write our own and pass it on.