Melloblocco 2009: The great international bouldering meeting

Mark this date in your calendar: Thursday 7th of May to Sunday the 10th. Now login to www.melloblocco.it. Click Pre-registration and fill out the form. Done? Great, now you too are part of the Melloblocco tribe...


To tell the truth this pre-registration process doesn't need much advertising, the Melloblocco in Val di Mello, Val Masino, Italy is a ball in motion. So much so that more than 1200 climbers have already signed up 30 days before the rendez-vous.

One of the reasons for this may be that if you chose to go to the Melloblocco, you know what you're in for. You know for example that Val di Mello never disappoints – there are few places like this that unite the wandering spirit of the boulderers with their desire to climb together, wedged between the sky and the rocks.Perhaps it's also because climbers need to gather together and meet up… what is certain is that the Melloblocco has been a reality for 6 years, and all boulderers know this perfectly well! Mello No. 6 will greet them with summits, waterfalls, meadows and a thousand and one boulder problems, as well as a tribe which continues to grow in number. The tribe of boulderers who, once a year, all become Melloblockers.

In this edition the valley celebrates its recently gained official status as a Natural Reserve. This success was yearned for by the Melloblockers, the climbers and the Val Masino town council. It's no chance therefore that once again the meeting will strictly be "Mello no car", which means that to go climbing you'll travel on foot or with the legendary Mello shuttle buses. This simple yet important awareness has worked well from the outset and involved all, because the Mello tribe has proven it loves nature without the need for impositions from above.

Just like last year, the meeting kicks off with the MellobloccoBaby, the special program dedicated to school children and young climbers to go climbing and discover nature. On Friday 8 May the classic meeting begins with the launch of the hardest boulder problems, set once again by Simone Pedeferri's team. The vertical marathon continues on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May and finishes in the afternoon on Sunday with all, as usual, exhausted but happy.

There will obviously be more in store other than just the bouldering, such as the Saturday night's La Sportiva Party (as always a surprise), and the evening shows on Thursday and Friday at the Mountain Centre with plenty of videos and top climbers. Boulder clinics are scheduled, too. And as usual it'll be exciting to find out who are the big climbers who will join the Mello tribe in 2009. What is certain is that they will be scores and scores of Melloblockers

Pre-registration:
The event is open to all and pre-registration is now possible via the official website www.melloblocco.it

Evening program:

  • Thursday 7 May
    Presentation of the new guidebook "Daone prog" ed. Versante Sud, ERSAF and LEGAMBIENTE introduce the Val di Mello Natural Reserve.
  • Friday 8 May
    meeting with The North Face Climber Team, screening of the film "Pure" by Chuck Fryberger, presentation of new climbing shoe Speedster La Sportiva, viewing of new short film by Mauro Calibani.
  • Saturday 9 May
    The "La Sportiva Party" highly anticipated La Sportiva Slackline Contest.
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