Where to climb in Sicily? Bosco Scorace!

How did the Bosco Scorace project come about? What is behind the guidebook and what is inside its pages?

The project originated with Davide Catalano, who six years ago left his life in Milan and moved to Sicily to set up a bed & breakfast in the hinterland. He immediately intended to dedicate himself to climbing and to make a living from it. Talking to several forest rangers, they recommended the Bosco Scorace area. When he got there, he saw a sea of brambles, with sandstone boulders underneath. Having been covered for hundreds of years, the sandstone was, and still is, intact and not eroded. That’s when the development work began, and it was epic. I, Marco Ramerio, joined the project in 2018, previously living in London. Also passionate about climbing, I was constantly taking flights back to Italy. During a ‘climbing holiday’ in Sicily I met Davide. I wondered how I could help him in his endeavour and remembered the gyms in London overflowing with people, so I called my London climbing friends and we all worked together on the project. After years of working together, I chose to dedicate my life to climbing as well. A few months later Covid-19 came up, so we stopped and worked on managing and publicising the project, planning trips for the autumn and designing a guidebook for the area. We had already taken all the photos of the boulders, so in six months we managed to finish it and many brands supported the initiative, allowing us to publish it.

In addition to the guidebook, you also offer ‘climbing holidays’. Do you think this is a new form of tourism? Tell us more about these new Italian holidays.

Right from the start, we thought of proposing trips and holidays based on sport and nature, and at the beginning we worked mainly with English people. We had people who came back several times. With the current situation it has been more difficult, but we have managed to capture the attention of Italian tourists, who may not have come from far away and so could move around. The bookings are coming in and there is still a lot of interest and support. The added value in what we do, and what differentiates us from others, is that we are always there for the customer. We are not a travel agency and we don’t offer pre-made packages. We have a 9-seater van with which we go with tourists 24 hours a day and tell them about the area and know how to give them an unforgettable experience. We believe that sports tourism, especially after Covid-19, has a lot of potential. Everyone has understood the importance of nature and movement.

How would you describe Bosco Scorace and why is it so special that it is in the top 10 most beautiful bouldering areas in Europe?
It’s a fantastic place because it’s surrounded by a forest of eucalyptus. When the wind blows there is a rustling sound that creates a surreal sound. It is 600 metres above sea level and has a softer climate than the classic Sicilian climate, and being there you can climb all year round, even in winter. Also, with the sandstone rock covered by brambles for so many years, it has eroded in a special way. It has not become slippery, but has remained compact. The grain is very fine, like sand, and it’s very solid. When you climb on it you don’t feel the sand coming off, you’re not afraid of ruining it, and there are many types of holds and overhanging blocks.

What is the best climbing spot in Sicily?
It is difficult for me to choose a spot, but personally I would point to the Sicilian Dream line. It’s a 7c, quite difficult and very high but it’s a phenomenal line. A tower of rock, a giant belly, that starts off overhanging. You have to do a round of hands on the crimps to get to the slab, where you are already very high and from there you continue to climb.

Bosco Scorace is a decidedly pop guide, so much so that it is written like a comic book and with a very young and cool tone of voice. Do you think that climbing is for everyone? Which target groups are you aiming for with your project?

When I got the guidebook finished I realised that it was a product that had never been released on the market, different from all the others. Compared to sport climbing, bouldering is a sport of unity, which is done together and to socialise, like a team sport. Together you have to manage to climb the boulder, it is a very playful and fun sport. For these reasons, the communication style of the guide is also direct, young and pop. The container reflects and starts with the content. Climbing is not about taking yourself too seriously, it’s about having fun together in a very human spirit, being there for each other. We wanted to create a slang to communicate this attitude to climbing.

What is the aim of the guidebook? 

The guidebook was created to help local people and is a hymn to the love of climbing. It is necessary because it didn’t exist before. People who wanted to use the area had to make do or rely on us. From a personal point of view, the guidebook is a demonstration of vertical sustainability. I look for ways to create an economic flow among the local people. How do I help local people support all the time and work they put into the sport? They do it mainly out of love but they deserve to be helped. For these reasons, all earnings are reinvested in enhancing the area and those who live and work here.