Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 44.14120°N / 10.13635°E
Additional Information County: Toscana, Tuscany
Activities Activities: Sport Climbing
Seasons Season: Spring, Fall
Additional Information Elevation: 4265 ft / 1300 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Torri di Monzone are a small group situated in Alpi Apuane range - overlooking the Vinca Valley on its orographic left-hand side and lying just in front of the higher Pizzo d’Uccello – inclusive of four impressive towers, showing very steep and sometimes overhanging walls. The rock is a high quality limestone.

The towers from left to right:

- IL BALZONE - LA CATTEDRALE - IL CAMPANILE - LA TORRE DEI FIORENTINI

Torre dei Fiorentini - Surmenage route
Via Surmenage
Torri di Monzone - Traverse on Una via per Claudio
Traverse on "Una via per Claudio"
Torri di Monzone - A tremendous abseil along Casa Vianello
A tremendous abseil along Casa Vianello

 

Discovered in 1973, the year when it was realized the first route on Torre dei Fiorentini, today this spectacular faces can count several superb routes, often attended in reason of their technical climbing and the rock’s excellent quality. As said, the rock is a peculiar kind of limestone, showing several curious flint’s intrusion. These qualities, together with the environment’s peacefulness, make Torri di Monzone a very good place to climb. The kinds of the routes are various: some ones are shortly bolted, other ones are equipped with spaced bolts, while other ones requires the use of trad gears. Climbing way is mainly athletic on good holds with overhanging steps.

Torri di Monzone - Una via per Claudio
Torri di Monzone - Una via per Claudio

 

Getting There

ROAD ACCESS

Follow the A15 Motorway (Parma – La Spezia), exit Aulla. From here follow the SS 63 towards Cerreto Pass, then turn to right following SS 445 towards Gassano, Monzone and Equi Terme and finally on the right-hand side take the road to Vinca Valley (brown road-signes), reaching the small village of Monzone. Carry on towards Vinca and after about 4,5 kms. park the car in a little pull-out on the right, near a wooden bridge.

WALKING ACCESS

- IL BALZONE Follow the gravel road for about 500 mts. and when it turns into a path descent towards right, crossing the stream and follow a vague trail inside the wood; after about 50 mt. turn to the left and rise along a steep scree leading to the tower (half an hour from the parking).

- LA CATTEDRALE Same access as for “Il Balzone”; once on the vague trail inside the wood don’t turn to the left but continue to the right for about 150 mts. and at a cairn turn to left following a steep trail leading to the tower (half an hour from the parking).

- IL CAMPANILE Same access as for “La Cattedrale”; when you reach a steep stones’ area leave the trail to “La Cattedrale” and traverse towards right – cairns - reaching a ridge. Up the ridge to a huge cairn, descend right, then rise slant to right, reaching a fixed rope: follow it and reach a gully, then another fixed rope leading to the belay at the base of the tower.

- TORRE DEI FIORENTINI Follow the gravel road only for about 200 mts. - instead of 500 mts. – and near a cairn (red marks) head to right, crossing the stream, and rise slants to right following a good trail along a steep wood leading to the tower (45 minutes from the parking).

Alpi Apuane in winter time
Alpi Apuane in winter time
Abseil along Casa Vianello, Torri di Monzone
Abseil along Casa Vianello, Torri di Monzone

Routes overview

IL BALZONE

- All’occhio Bacchini (Watch yourself Bacchini) F7b (F7a obbl.), 210 mt. – Spaced bolts
- Jungland F6c (F5c obbl.), 140 mt. – Mixed equipment (bolts and pegs)
- Terra Rossa (Red Ground) F6c+ (F6b+ obbl), 160 mt. – Spaced bolts

Torri di Monzone - Cattedrale routes

a. Casa Vianello - b. Notre Dame de Monzon - c. Via Lattea (Milky Route) . d. Figli della lupa (She-Wolf’s Sons) 

 

LA CATTEDRALE  - Casa Vianello (Vianello’s Home) F6c (F6b obbl.), 300 mt. - Bolts

- Notre Dame de Monzon F6c+/A0 (F6a+ obbl.), 300 mt. – Spaced bolts, useful a full set of friends and nuts
- Via Lattea (Milky Route) F6c+ (F6b obbl.), 220 mt. – Spaced bolts
- Figli della lupa (She-Wolf’s Sons) F7a+/A0 (F6a obbl.), 270 mt. – Useful a full set of friends and nuts

 

IL CAMPANILE 

- Verso il mondo (Towards the world) F7a (F6c obbl.), 370 mt. – Spaced bolts

 

TORRE DEI FIORENTINI

User Profile Image
Hanging belay on the route "Surmenage"

 

 

- Ciao Ciciu F7b, 220 mt. – Very spaced bolts
- Via dei Fiorentini (Florentines’ Route) F6a (F5c obbl.), 200 mt. – A classic, the first route realized on the tower; mixed equipment (bolts and pegs). Abseils on “Avrò finito di pagare” 
- Eunuchi (Eunuchs) F6b/A0 (F5c obbl.), 150 mt. - Bolts 
- Una via per Claudio (A route for Claudio) F6b/A0 (F6a obbl.), 250 mt. – A classic route between the modern ones - Bolts; useful a set of nuts,
- Surmenage (Overwork) F6b+ (F6a obbl.), 240 mt. – Another classic route between the modern ones - Bolts Abseils on “Avrò finito di pagare”
- Avrò finito di pagare? (Will I finished to pay?) F6b+ (F6a+ obbl.), 130 mt. – Mixed equipment (bolts and pegs)
- No pasaran (They will not go beyond) F6b+ (F6a+ obbl.), 120 mt. Bolts - Abseils on “Avrò finito di pagare”
- Hasta la bagigia siempre F6b+ (6a obbl.), 130 mt. – Bolts 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Torre dei Fiorentini routes
Torre dei Fiorentini routes

a. Ciao Ciciu -  b. Via dei Fiorentini - c. Una via per Claudio - d. Surmenage  - e. No Pasaran - f. Hasta la bagigia siempre Descent: abseiling the routes 

Red Tape

There are not particular restrictions in climbing, even if all Alpi Apuane range is situated inside a natural park – Alpi Apuane Natural Park –established in 1985 to protected the milieu and mostly to try restricting the activity of marble quarrying.

Where to stay

Hotel da Remo in Monzone.

When to climb

Best seasons are Spring and Fall

Cattedrale - Unmistakable corner along Casa Vianello
Cattedrale - Unmistakable corner along Casa Vianello
Cattedrale - Climbing Casa Vianello
Climbing Casa Vianello

 

Meteo

Meteo Toscana

Guidebooks 

Tuscany and Elba Island new guidebook
Toscana Arrampicata Guidebooks

New:  "Toscana e Isola d'Elba - Falesie e vie moderne" - Mauro Franceschini, Fabrizio Recchia - Edizioni Versante Sud 2016

“Toscana e Isola d’Elba – Arrampicate moderne e sportive” by Mauro Franceschini e Fabrizio Recchia – Edizioni Versante Sud

 

External links

Arrampicare in Toscana

 

 

 


Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

Alpi ApuaneMountains & Rocks