Valle Orco Climbing Festival 2026: the practical guide for attendees

From September 24th to 27th, Ceresole Reale fills up with people with taped-up hands. It’s the sixth edition of the Valle Orco Climbing Festival; this year's theme is Pirates—those who challenge established routes and decide their own path—and for us, it is one of the highlights of the year.

This isn't the flyer: you can find the dates and program on the organizers' website. This is what you really need to know before loading up the van.

Entry is free, but you must register to participate

Admission to the festival is free. But to do anything other than watch—boulder competition on natural blocks, FASI competition on the structure, workshops—you need two things:

• the 2026 race pack, €25: inside is the map of the competition blocks, without which you cannot compete, plus the event t-shirt, a Vibram recycled cotton backpack, a reusable cup, and a ticket for the final raffle
• the FASI membership card, which is mandatory. If you don't have one, you can get it for €9.

Packs can be picked up on-site from the 24th to the 27th, but they are subject to availability: if you already know you want to compete, pre-order it from the festival shop. Workshops are paid for separately and still require a membership card and race pack.

How to get there

From Turin — A5 towards Ivrea, San Giorgio exit, then Cuorgnè and up to Ceresole: about 90 km, an hour and a half. Alternatively, take the SS460 from Caselle via Rivarolo, 80 km, same time.

From Milan — A4 to Santhià, then A5 towards Aosta, Ivrea exit, Cuorgnè, Ceresole: 180 km, two and a half hours.

Without a car — GTT Canavesana line train from Turin Porta Susa to Rivarolo Canavese, then GTT bus line 137 to Ceresole. There is also a carpooling Telegram group, and this year the organizers have activated internal shuttles for the area and a luggage shuttle for those arriving by bike.

The parking area is divided into three sectors—tents, vans and campers, cars—costs €25 per vehicle, is open from Wednesday the 23rd to Monday the 28th, and does not require a reservation. A practical note that will save you an argument upon arrival: tents and cars are in separate sectors, so don't count on pitching your tent next to your car.

Where to sleep

The official campsite is a few minutes' walk from the festival area, has portable toilets and sinks, and no reservation is needed.

In the area: Camping Ai Laghetti (same hamlet as the festival), Camping Casa Bianca, Camping Piccolo Paradiso, Camping Villa sul lago, plus the Lo Sciatore camper area a quarter of an hour away.

With a roof over your head: Rifugio Le Fonti Minerali, Rifugio Guido Muzio, Hotel Sport, and Albergo Gli Scoiattoli—the latter two within walking distance of the area.

Park rules

We are inside the Gran Paradiso National Park, and the rules are stricter than people expect:

• free camping and bivouacking are prohibited outside designated areas. The festival campsite is the legal way, and even the organizers explicitly ask you not to pitch tents just anywhere.
• no open fires: camp stoves are allowed in permitted areas.
• no drones. If you were planning on taking aerial shots, leave it at home.
• dogs have serious restrictions, and the summer window in which they are allowed on valley-floor trails closes on August 31st. If you want to bring yours, write to the organizers first instead of assuming it's allowed.

Where to climb, and with what

Geologically, it is augen gneiss from the Gran Paradiso massif, rock of granitic origin; it behaves like granite under your fingers, and everyone calls it that.

The walls. Caporal and Sergent are the two icons, with classic long routes: Fessura della Disperazione, Incastromania, Sitting Bull, the Nanchez dihedral. To move with confidence on the classics, it's best to stay around 5c/6a.

The festival boulders are in three sectors:

• Area 51 — over fifty blocks, north-facing, technical slabs and compression, good landings. Suitable for all levels.
• Luna Park — south-facing, under the Droide crag, from low blocks to highballs. The right place if the day is cold.
• Pixieland — opened for the 2025 edition, between the Rifugio Fonti Minerali and the Ice Park, in the shade all day, blocks scattered among the trees.

The gear. If you're going for crack climbing: a set of cams from 0.75 to 3 with double medium sizes, plus nuts for thin cracks. Most belay stations are bolted, so if the weather turns, you can rappel safely. If you're going for bouldering: crash pads, brushes, chalk. And in any case, tape. The Orco granite is abrasive and the cracks are for jamming: without tape, you'll go home with your hands in that state.

What to pack

Ceresole Reale is at 1,620 meters, and late September is the tail end of the season: excellent friction, short days, and serious temperature ranges. It can be sunny during the day, but at night it gets close to zero. The 2025 edition saw bad weather and six thousand people showed up anyway, which says everything about what kind of crowd it is.

A zero-rated sleeping bag and insulated sleeping pad, down jacket, rain shell, beanie and gloves, headlamp (it's dark by 7:30 PM), comfortable shoes for walking around the village, water bottle, tape. The campsite has portable toilets and sinks: don't count on showers.

Find us there

We'll be there too, with a stand in the festival area, along with about forty other brands.

And this year we’re bringing something we haven’t shown anyone yet: the first pieces from the FW26 winter collection, as a preview. Hand-sewn in Italy; you won't see them online for another few weeks.

Stop by to try them on, tell us what you think, or just to have a chat. We’ve got patience and opinions to share.

See you under the blocks. 🏴☠️