Vezia

Rock climbing at Vezia, Ticino, in March 2021. Vezia is a small sport crag on the San Rocco hillside just above Lugano, a few minutes from the city.

Vezia, ~450 m / sport crag, NW-facing

3a-7b, single pitch, walls 15-20 m, around 60 bolted routes across four sectors

Vezia sits in chestnut woods on the San Rocco hillside between Vezia and Porza, a short walk from the centre of Lugano. It is split into four sectors - Sasso della Croce, the central sector, Sasso delle Lettere and the O.G. sector - with roughly sixty single-pitch routes on walls of 15 to 20 m. The SAC lists the crag at about 450 m and northwest-facing. Grades run from 3a to 7b, so most of it is easy to mid-range, and the best-equipped lines are concentrated in Sasso delle Lettere.

Bolting is stainless steel, put in by the O.G. of CAS Ticino, and the belays are set up for lowering or rappelling. Rock quality is not uniformly good, and a helmet is the standard recommendation here.

Logistics

Approach

Park in the communal car parks in Vezia, or at the top of Via alla Monda. From the main road take Via San Martino, right of the church, then a forest trail. Five to ten minutes, about 50 m of ascent.