A bit of history

Not everyone knows that the beginning of sport climbing in Val Pennavaire/Albenga area, dates back to 1990 when the Rocca dell'Arma cliff was first discovered. This remains, and will remain, the furthest place for those coming from the highway, as it is 30 km away from the toll booth.

Exploring downwards, the Bauso, Fontana and Malavoglia cliffs get equipped. The pitches and their routes reflect the style that was in vogue during that time: vertical walls with some short precipice/overhangs here and there.

The first guidebook gets published in 1994, describing 140 pitches and 9 sectors. After a few years, routes strapiombanti also begin to appear. The first sectors of this kind start to be explored, even though it is still a very restricted area, and some high-class pitches are born. Since these kind of routes were very ahead of their time, the climbers' community was a bit skeptical especially because of some of theirs peggings which were a bit engagée.

Times goes on, the valley stays behind. A new guidebook comes out in 1999, the number of routes does not really grow probably because of the new climbing areas discovered in that period in the nearby valleys such as Valle Argentina e Val Varatello, aka Toirano, and especially Finale which was blooming at the time.

The millenium bug forecast for 2000 hit RocPennavaire: more precisely between 1998 and 1999 the valley finally gets what it deserves:
old sectors are reconsidered and enhanced while plenty of new ones are discovered, all of them are oriented towards the style that nowadays is still mainstream, enthusiasm skyrocket: the routed to be equipped were plenty while the road leading to all of them was very short. This calls for the need of a new guidebook: routes add up from 400 to 600, divided into 25 sectors, described in the 2007 edition… not bad at all!

Cliffs spring out like mushrooms, they keep on coming out even though in the valley it doesn't rain that much…once you finish one route, you find a new one straight away, between them there is always space.

Any untouched dirt road you would follow, would lead you to a virgin rock. 12 years passed by for those who were there at the time and the Valley is still surprising us, like a lover who never lets you down: work and enthusiasm keep going.

A new printed edition of the guidebook, as well as updates on the web, will be published. The sectors will be almost 40 and routes will be more than 1000.

Not all the routes will be appreciated because of their particular kind of peggings, or due to their difficulty level, but it is ok, making everyone happy is a hell of a problem!

ROC Pen lovers can relax, new routes have already been found!

We wish you a nice time and a whole lot of fun climbing in ROC PEN!