Monte Colt – Parete San Paolo (Arco) · Arco & Valle del Sarca · Italy
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: medium
Six pitches of steep wall and corner climbing up a pillar, almost never below 6a. Closely bolted and on good rock, so it works as a first 6b+ multipitch. The slightly overhanging slab on the last pitch catches out tired arms.
The route
A compact sport multipitch on the Parete San Paolo near the path to the hermitage of San Paolo. It starts up a steep wall, follows a pillar by steep corners and finishes on the pillar itself. Both sources praise the bolting, which is as close as on a single-pitch crag, and bergsteigen.com says the rock is always very good. Gulliver.it adds that a few sections have loose material and need a little care.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6b | The first wall: 6a climbing with a 6b section. |
| P2 | 6b+ | 6a to a short corner with the 6b+ crux of the route. |
| P3 | 5c | A corner and an overhang. |
| P4 | 6b | 6a, then a 6b corner, then 6a again. |
| P5 | 5a | The one easy pitch. |
| P6 | 6b | A 6b section on a slightly overhanging slab, then the final arete at 5c. Gulliver.it warns this can feel hard if you have little in reserve. |
Getting there
Arco is at the north end of Lake Garda. By car leave the A22 Brenner motorway at Rovereto Sud (Lago di Garda Nord) and drive via Nago to Arco. Buses serve Arco and Dro. Either drive from Arco along the west bank of the Sarca past the campsites to the Gasthof Laterna, or go to Ceniga (a suburb of Dro) and cross the Roman bridge to the car park before the driving ban. The road between the Laterna and the waterworks near the San Paolo hermitage is closed to traffic, so the last part is on foot or by bike.
About 15 min. From the start of the access path to the hermitage (Eremo di San Paolo), leave it almost at once and take a path left to the wall. Follow the foot of the wall past a signpost stone until the path drops briefly and comes back to the rock. The start is here: 'Pant' is carved into the trees and there is a block with a bolt stud without a hanger. The route Themis is 6 m to the left; Porci con le Ali is about 20 m right and clearly higher.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Parking
Parking marked on bergsteigen.com
Point from bergsteigen.com touren/klettern/via-pantarei-parete-san-paolo-arco
Contains the route point and parking. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 45.94390, 10.89950 (route base) · Parking: 45.94799, 10.90055
Getting down
On foot, about 30 min. From the top take the path that goes right along the wall until it meets the descent trail, and follow that back down to the road and the parking.
Retreat
Bail not documented
Retreat is not documented. The normal descent is on foot and neither source describes the belays or an abseil line. The route is short (six pitches) and closely bolted.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east to east facing, base at about 110 m. Morning sun; best in spring and autumn. Bergsteigen.com gives 2 h for the climb.
Sun on the wall · SE-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Arco & Valle del Sarca are not available yet
What to carry
13 quickdraws, two slings and a single rope of 55 m or more (bergsteigen.com lists a 50 m rope in the fact box and 55 m in the gear text). No nuts or cams. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Via Pantarei.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Italy · Arco & Valle del Sarca
This is the archetypal long, easy Arco slab, first climbed in 1971. It wanders up the lower bands and then improves into a superb water-worn chimney system in the upper half. It is very polished and very busy, so start early. Original grade 6- UIAA per bergsteigen.com; gulliver gives 5c max.
5c16 pitches400 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Arco & Valle del Sarca
A succession of short walls and slabs separated by ledges, with the first two pitches shared with Amazzonia. The crux is a single 5c/6a move just below the P5 belay. It's a relaxed, well-protected outing above the Sarche gorge.
5c10 pitches250 m
Italy · Arco & Valle del Sarca
An easy, relaxing sport route on low-angle Zebrate slabs, trending left to right to join Cane Trippa at the fifth belay. It's an excellent first multipitch. Gulliver gives UIAA III / II–III / IV / IV–IV+ for the first four pitches, converted here.
5b6 pitches240 m
Italy · Arco & Valle del Sarca
Eight sustained pitches up the wall opposite the Laterna restaurant, rarely easier than 6a. The crux is a short overhanging wall on pitch 5 that can be pulled through on the bolts. Less cleaned than its neighbours, with some broken rock on pitch 6.
6c+8 pitches220 m
Around 6b+ · about 6 pitches
Croatia · Dabarski kukovi (Velebit)
Four steep and technical pitches of 6a to 6b+ followed by two easy ones up the water-runnelled top of Rujičin kuk. The hard climbing is on compact, less featured rock than Paklenica and relies on footwork, including two delicate traverses. A quiet inland crag that is far cooler than the coast in summer.
6b+6 pitches145 m
Read the cautions
Italy · Sardinia
A sea-level start reached by abseil, then seven short pitches up the seaward face of Pedra Longa. The third pitch is a wildly exposed traverse above a line of roofs; two easy pitches on rock that needs care lead to a technical 6b and 6b+ finish on grey slab.
6b+7 pitches175 m
Austria · Ötztal
A mix of slabs and steep, juggy passages in the Sonnenblume sector, mostly around 5b to 5c+. The one hard move is a small roof on pitch 4 (6b+), which goes easily on aid.
6b+5 pitches170 m
Turkey · Aladağlar
Often named as the best route in the massif: seven even pitches of 6a to 6b+ that move from delicate slabs and giant flutings through a steep, rough wall to mountain-style ground at the top. The 6b pitches are no harder than the 6a ones, but the bolts are far enough apart to keep you thinking.
6b+7 pitches235 m
Read the cautions
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.