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Trip Report

Lake Garda in Winter

To escape the cold of Germany we set out to a climbing adventure at Lake Garda and explored Verona

  • View from Castel San Pietro+ 5
  • Climbing at Nago
  • Small alleys in Nago
  • Lake Garda in Winter
golfgang
by golfgang
About Me:I love to create. Even as a kid, arts and craft days were always my favourite. Some of my favourite ways of creating are sewing, painting and pottery. But I really enjoy learing new handicrafts and trade skills during my travel read more

EuropeItaly6 days / February 2022

Highs & Lows

Climbing a multi pitch route

Freezing after sunset

Itinerary Overview

I visited Garda lake in February with a friend together. We choose the location because especially around Arco the region is really known for its good climbing spots and we hoped that the weather would be already warm enough in February to go climbing on rocks positioned towards the south. Luckily we where right, even if the nights and evenings where still pretty freezing at Garda lake.

We took a Flixbus to Trient and changed to a regional bus to reach Arco and Riva del Garda, directly at the banks of the lake. From there we walked to a camping site. The normal camping sites have been all still closed because of the winter break, so we could just find a temporary parking spot for camper vans, where we camped between all the cars and had to leave after two nights to another camping in a village up the hill. 

  • 5 Nights: Nago–Torbole
    Good climbing area
  • 1 Night: Verona
    To visit a friend and escape the rain
Nago–Torbole - Good climbing area
1

Nago–Torbole Good climbing area

Nago–Torbole - Good climbing area - Climbing at Nago
Climbing at Nago
Nago–Torbole - Good climbing area - Small alleys in Nago
Small alleys in Nago
Nago–Torbole - Good climbing area - Offseason in Riva del Garda1+
Offseason in Riva del Garda

In Riva del Garda we walked along the promenade at the lake and had nice Italian espresso in the warm sun. Our first climbing spot was Belvedere, a very sunny sector and excellently secured with a lot of bolts. There my friend, I was traveling with, tried to lead climbed for her very first time and she felt very safe. I also did some nice routes at the bigger wall and we watched the sunset above Garda lake from up there. The next days we continued our climbing routine and moved to another very  nice camping site at a family run olive oil farm in Nago, a sweet village up the hill. We tasted very delicious extra virgin olive oil. On one day we did a longer trip with the bus to some rocks at the western side of Garda lake, to do a multi pitch route. It was very exciting to do it and it was a great experience. The weather was perfect, not to hot and not to cold. But as soon as the sun went down it got really cold. Because there was no bus running back to Riva del Garda, we walked down the serpentines for three hours on an old road, along some cliffs with an incredible view of the lake.

Verona - To visit a friend and escape the rain
2

Verona To visit a friend and escape the rain

Verona - To visit a friend and escape the rain - View from Castel San Pietro
View from Castel San Pietro
Verona - To visit a friend and escape the rain - Ponte Scaligero
Ponte Scaligero
Verona - To visit a friend and escape the rain - River Adige1+
River Adige

As we saw in the forecast, the next days would be not best for climbing, we decided to visit a friend in Verona, which was 3 hours away at the other end of lake Garda. We took a bus to reach there and first explored the city on our own. The weather in Verona was not too bad and we had a cappuccino in a nice cafe before we walked through the old city center and sit at the river side. We also crossed the famous house of Juliet, from Romeo and Juliet and saw her statue. After this we met our friend and had a Aperol Spritz on top of a hill with a beautiful view on the city.

She took us to her parents place in a nearby village and we had incredible Italian risotto with red wine cooked by her father. We went to bed with a full stomach and so happy to have visited her. On the next day we explored the rest of the city and took a train back and then changed to a bus, to reach again in Nago and spent the rest of the days climbing.

Q & A

  • Anything go wrong during the trip?

    We had to escape from the rain

  • Restaurant recommendations?

    Pizzeria Officina 33, which is a no-limits

  • Tips you would give a friend?

    I would definitely recommend Camping in Grumèl.

  • Packing tips?

    Enough space in your backpack to bring home a bottle of delicious olive oil.

  • Transportation Tips?

    There is a bus going directly from Riva de Garda to Verona.

  • Any surprises?

    The old Ponale road is beautiful