In which we eat gelato, get rained on, and finally get some climbing done…
Day 43, 16th October 2023: Finale Ligure
It had absolutely thrown it down the previous night, which made quite the racket in our little top-floor apartment! The rain meant that there was no rush to get to a crag, so we got the bus over to Finalborgo and tucked into a coffee and a toastie.
We then headed to the Paretina di Finalborgo crag, which was just below the castle and a nice easy walk from the old town.
After getting a few nice 5s and 6s under our belts, we went for a gelato in Borgo (I got hazelnut and dark chocolate) and then walked back to our apartment in Finalpia.
After a shower we headed out for a drink, and found a bar on the square that fulfilled all our aperitivo needs. A great negroni and a platter of snacks later, we headed to a little family run restaurant and tucked into a feast of seafood pasta.
Day 44, 17th October 2023: Finale Ligure
We decided to adventure to a new climbing area nearer to our accommodation, so got the bus up the valley to Calvisio.
The crag (Bric Reseghe) was actually surprisingly busy with a couple of groups, but we had plenty of stuff to have a go on. Luckily the grades here were much more accurate that some of the other crags we’d been to previously.
After climbing ourselves out, we got the bus back to the apartment and got scrubbed. We went for a great local beer at a bike shop cum bar, then cooked at the apartment and made a mountain of pesto pasta to refuel.
Day 45, 18th October 2023: Finale Ligure
We went back to Calvisio, as there were still loads of lines we hadn’t had a chance to get on. Fuelled by delicious foccacia from a local bakery, we managed to climb a lot of routes each, which was good as there was meant to be some rain on the way.
Routes climbed and crag dogs petted, we headed back just in time to miss the bus. However, it was only a 25 minute walk back to the apartment so not the end of the world.
We went for another bike shop beer, and this time it came with a full aperitivo platter. Maybe we just looked hungrier this time? We then headed to another little gem of a restaurant, and tucked into rabbit ragu and gnocchi, squid ink spaghetti and the most enormous pile of fritto misto I’ve ever laid my eyes on!
Day 46, 19th October 2023: Finale Ligure
We woke up to biblical rain, and safe to say the day was pretty much a climbing write-off. After a lazy morning, we went to a cafe on the main square for a cappuccino and pastry, then wandered on to Finalborgo (getting increasingly soggy!). We went for a long pasta lunch and a carafe of the finest house red. It was then time for some aimless wandering of the many outdoor shops in Borgo, followed by another refreshment break.
We tried some local drinks with mixed success. The roasted wheat ‘coffee’ was significantly less satisfying than the deliciously thick hot chocolate!
By then we’d eaten and drunk everything Borgo had to offer, so wandered back via the supermarket to pick up some groceries for dinner.
Day 47, 20th October 2023: Finale Ligure
Another rainy and very windy day forecast, so another day of no climbing. We’d sampled most of what Finale had to offer, so we decided to make the most of our free bus passes and explore another town.
We headed along the coast to Noli, which had a cute medieval centre and tiny quaint streets. However, compared to Finale it was absolutely dead, which showed how much all the climbers and mountain bikers kept things going! Luckily we found a cafe and a foccaceria that were open, so we fuelled up and then had a wander around the castle and up to the top of the headland.
We then headed back on the bus, went to a pizzeria that looked more like a German tavern, and then went back to our apartment. Safe to say we were really looking forward to it being dry enough to climb tomorrow!
Day 48, 21st October 2023: Finale Ligure
After two days of not much we were keen to get going, and caught an early bus out to Orco. It was quite busy but not crowded, and we managed to get a lot of good climbs in. I also managed to get some good pets in, as there was a gorgeous scruffy terrier called Emil who was taking his supervising role very seriously.
We then headed to a nearby bar for a reviving beer, then walked to Feglino to catch the Bus back to Borgo. We sat out in a square and had a delightful dinner of mussels and seafood spaghetti.
Day 49, 22nd October 2023: Finale Ligure
Another dry day, so another earlier start. We got the bus to Borgo, then had a slightly longer hike up to our chosen crag – the impressive Grotta dell’Edera. It was definitely a novel approach to get to a crag, which involved going through a middy, slippery cave. It was definitely worth it though, as it’s such an iconic climbing location.
The climbing was pretty stiff, but I managed to toprope a 6b – albeit it not the most elegant manner!
Back in Borgo we topped up on gelato, then headed back to the flat. Again, we went for more aperitivo at the bar on the square, then picked up some groceries and made pasta and a courgette, tomato, mozzarella and pesto salad for dinner.
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