Walls, Wires and a Scorching Week: Milan's Climbing Scene Delivers Thrills and Records

A nineteen-year-old climber from Sesto San Giovanni topped the men's boulder final at the CityRock Milano Open on Saturday, taking the podium at the purpose-built competition wall inside the Lambrate sports complex on Via Massimiano after a tiebreak with a rival from Bergamo. The crowd — roughly 340 spectators according to event staff — spilled onto the adjacent courtyard in 34-degree heat, watching projections of the route on a screen rigged to the warehouse wall. It was the biggest turnout the summer edition of the event has ever drawn.

The timing matters. Europe is grinding through a brutal July heatwave — France recorded more than 2,000 excess deaths at the height of recent extreme temperatures — and yet Milan's climbing clubs are reporting their highest active membership in at least five years. Counterintuitive, perhaps, but organisers say the surge in extreme weather has pushed more urban athletes toward structured, coached environments rather than spontaneous outdoor sessions. The city's climbing gyms are filling early, and the weekend competitions have become de facto social hubs for a younger generation of athletes who came of age watching sport climbing debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

From the Gym to the Rock Face

The action wasn't confined to the indoor wall. A group of 22 climbers affiliated with CAI Milano — the Milan section of the Club Alpino Italiano, headquartered near Piazza Cavour — completed a guided via ferrata circuit above Lecco on Wednesday morning, a route that gains roughly 700 metres of elevation over the Grigna Settentrionale massif. The outing was part of CAI Milano's summer programme, which this year runs from June 14 through September 6 and includes 31 scheduled alpine and rock outings. Registration for individual trips costs between €18 and €45 depending on guide ratio and transport logistics.

Meanwhile, Vertical Mammut, the outdoor retail and training outfit on Corso Buenos Aires, ran its third consecutive Thursday evening clinic this week focused on crack climbing technique. The session drew 18 participants — a record for a weeknight slot — and the shop's event board shows a waiting list of 11 names for next Thursday. The clinic costs €25 per person and includes harness rental. Staff say demand has roughly doubled compared to the same period in 2024.

What the Numbers Say — and What Comes Next

The broader data backs up what practitioners are seeing at street level. A report published in May by the Federazione Arrampicata Sportiva Italiana counted 147,000 registered sport climbers nationally, up from 98,000 in 2021. Lombardy accounts for the largest regional share, at approximately 23 percent of total federation membership. Milan's own indoor climbing infrastructure has expanded accordingly: three new walls have opened in the metropolitan area since 2023, including the 1,200-square-metre Blocco Sud facility near the Porta Romana redevelopment zone.

The outdoor calendar now shifts toward the Lecco and Valmasino sectors through August, where limestone and granite respectively give climbers routes ranging from single-pitch sport lines to multi-day alpine objectives. CAI Milano's next guided rock day is scheduled for July 12, targeting the Sasso Cavallasca crags near Como — spaces remain, and registration closes July 8 via the section's online portal. For those staying closer to the city, Vertical Mammut is hosting a free outdoor intro session on the boulders of Parco Monte Stella in the M5 neighbourhood on July 6 at 7 p.m. — shoes and chalk bags provided for beginners. Given how quickly this week's events filled, showing up early is the only reliable advice anyone in Milan's climbing community is offering right now.