Shallow cave with tufas at the Cimitero sector of ...
Description
South facing with great sea views. On a clear day, one’s gaze can wander all the way up the coast towards France.
Purportedly a more compact limestone that other spots in Finale Ligure, the rock here is great with flow stone tufas and pockets. The cliffs’ heights aren’t overwhelming at 15 to 18 or so meters but the routes are fun and climb well.
67 routes amongst the 6 sectors, with a few easy routes at 3 and 4, heavy representation of the 5 and especially 6 grades, and a few 7’s.
The sectors are:
• La Cava di Rio Fine: a quarry with short routes especially nice for beginners and children.
• Il Cimitiero: the graveyard as the most popular destination with a neat cave feature and gorgeous tufas. Nice mix of grades for everyone.
• L’Orizzonte: short crag with easier routes and a great view.
• Parsifal: small crag with one 5c and the rest in the 6 range.
• Pietra del Sole: 16 routes in a fairly compact area, some steep, some slabby.
• Canazei: a 10 meter high cave location with 6 steep, short strenuous routes.
This area has some great short routes, but, is probably known as much for its view of the Mediterranean Sea. Probably wouldn’t be a top spot if you only had a few days to climb in Finale Ligure, unless the position, hike and views were a higher priority.
Getting There
Can be done from either Borgio Verezzi or by a longer hike from Finalborgo.
The shortest approach:
Drive the coast highway (SP1 Via Aerelia) in the direction of Pietra Ligure. Around Capo di Caprazoppa, past the huge quarry which takes up the entire hillside to the northwest, take the first traffic light in Borgio Verezzi and go right, then right again (towards Verezzi) on Via della Cornice. Go straight (towards the big quarry), continue straight on Strada Napoleonica and when the big hairpin corner turning back to the left appears, look for a dirt road to the right.
Park nearby (rumor of the main parking lot being locked? If so, go back down the road or brave the rough dirt road). The approaches to the hillside crags start from this dirt road. Note that the Sentiero Natura (nature trail) starts near here as well, and climbs the hillside to the San Martino church just outside Verezzi.
The scenic (and much longer) approach from Finalborgo:
A nice long loop trail walk right from town. From the bridge across the river, just outside the entry to Finalborgo, go towards the beach for .4 kilometers, and look for the obvious trailhead on the hillside up above the road. Follow the red diamond trail up a wider trail (old road) to the left (southeast) which winds up above the big open quarry (nice views of the sea). Sort of possible to figure out a route above the quarry but there’s locked gates and the roads end and are a bit confusing. Suggest staying on the red diamond trail which winds around the summit of the hill and back down to the west, where it joins another trail at a junction (note the drainage due south towards the sea). Take the left trail marked by red circles which heads southeast to the crags, ending up at or near the parking lot mentioned in the approach from Borgio Verezzi.
On the return, finish the loop by hiking the red circle trail back up the hill to the northwest, to the San Martino church (great views!). Hike the three red dot trail back to the northeast, crossing a flat area and past the Rocce dell’Orera crag, then down down and back to Finalborgo.
The long version will take a few hours and if hot, be sure to take plenty of water. A long hike but a nice loop.
The Classics
Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Caprazoppa:
Flowstone start up neat tufa features, exact holds with great movement.Wicked steep finish on jugs. Save some juice for the top!A not-to-be missed route at this crag. A fun, fun route....[more]Browse More Classics in International
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