Orco Valley Climbing Festival 2023
At its fourth edition, the climbing festival in the Gran Paradiso National Park finds another incredible success.
More than six thousand climbers and outdoor enthusiasts from all over Italy and several European and non-European nations landed in the Orco Valley, coloring the beautiful landscapes on the slopes of the Gran Paradiso National Park with energy. An unprecedented success with which the event closes its fourth edition.
“We expected massive participation, especially given the favorable weather conditions and the week of rising temperatures,” comments Michele Guarneri, president of Adventure Factory A.S.D., the festival’s organizing association. “Never, however, did we think we would welcome such a large number of participants. The festival area began to fill up early in the week, first hosting several foreign climbers from Spain, France, Germany and Switzerland, some even from overseas, from nations such as Australia, New Zealand and Korea. Since Friday, thousands of climbers from the national territory have then arrived in the valley.”
The Valle Orco Climbing festival was created with the aim of bringing together mountain and outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy the beauty of a unique natural location. With a community and environmental focus, the festival can already be called established after just four editions.
The people of the climbers, who are sensitive to environmental issues and concerned about the preservation of nature, have earned the opportunity to benefit from this territory as long as they respect it and return it intact.
“All the accommodations in the valley were full for several days, from Ceresole Reale to Pont Canavese,” says Andrea Migliano, mountain guide and manager of the Fonti Minerali refuge, a support point for the organization. “All those who chose to open their doors for the weekend and host festival participants said they were extremely satisfied and look forward to repeating next year.”
A huge, colorful campground accommodated some 4,500 people in tents, RVs and vans, lending a touch of character to an already unique experience. In addition to dabbling in climbing on the valley’s boulders and historic routes, there were opportunities to participate in various activities offered by the organization, including several climbing workshops with internationally renowned athletes, yoga, highline and slackline, trekking, mountain biking, screenings, talks, live music (with a phenomenal concert by the historic group Persiana Jones) and DJ sets, as well as several climbing-related prize challenges.
Thanks to the active participation of sponsors such as Vibram, La Sportiva, Wild Country, BrewDog, Decathlon, Rupe and Rock Experience, the Valle Orco Climbing Festival was populated with internationally renowned athletes. Legends such as Tom Randall, Pete Whittaker, Barbara Zangerl, Nico Favresse, Hamish McArthur, Klaas Willems, Jorg Verhoeven, Talo Martin, Beatrice Colli, Marco sappa, Marzio Nardi, and Federica Mingolla. For four days they walked side by side with participants.
“We are extremely happy with the success of the event,” says Michele Guarneri again, “the greatest satisfaction is to be able to share this paradise with a real family, and to read in their smiles that unique mix of passion and fun that only an event of this kind is able to give. The coordination of the organizational structure and the availability of the municipal officials were essential, as was the help and support given by the volunteers and all the sponsors who believed in us. This, combined with the hundreds of positive feedback we have received over the past week, gives us the strength and courage to start laying the groundwork for a 2024 edition, which we hope will be even better.”
