Versante Sud Les Routes du Sel French version climbing guide

Versante Sud Les Routes du Sel will reveal to you all the vertical secrets of the Western Liguria and that portion of France that crosses La Turbie from the border and climbs into the valleys up to the gates of Nice. You will discover the places that have made the history of climbing and the hidden gems untouched by the masses. Like a local, you will move between the coast and the inland, taking advantage of the seasons and exposures.

With Les Routes du Sel by Alessandro Cariga and Matteo Gambaro, you will navigate the Dark Side of Liguria: an area that over the years has seen the birth of numerous new crags and routes of a level that deserved to be cataloged in a complete and exhaustive manner with descriptions of the most beautiful climbs.

Alessandro Cariga was born in Bordighera in September 1989. Always a lover of the mountains, he approached mountaineering at the beginning of the 2000s, spending the first years of his vertical activity climbing numerous routes, both modern and classic. Only later did he discover sport climbing, to which he then dedicated himself wholeheartedly. Over the years, he has equipped hundreds of routes in the surrounding area near the border, leaving his mark on Corno Stella and Mongioie, where he participated in the opening of two high-difficulty multipitch routes, closing a circle that began almost twenty years earlier. He still lives in the extreme western Liguria, where he works as a laborer and continues to pursue his passions, striving to improve himself.

Matteo Gambaro, born in Cuneo in November 1974, took his first vertical steps in 1992 on the crags of Cuneo and Finale. After only 8 months, he reached grade 8, beginning a long competitive experience that led him to win the 2005 Italian Lead Cup with numerous international experiences, interspersed with many ascents. From 2009 to 2016, he co-founded with Elena Chiappa the first climbing village (gym, bar, and shop) in the province of Cuneo. As a National Route Setter, he has organized and set numerous national and international competitions. Since 2015, he has moved to Cisano sul Neva, starting a true vertical revolution in Val Pennavaire; he has bolted over 300 routes from 8a to 9a+ and enriched the valley with many high-level routes that were previously missing, authoring the guide "Pennavalley".