Registration for the twentieth anniversary of MELLOBLOCCO - which will take place in Val Masino from 8 to 11 May 2024 - are now open! Twenty years have passed since the first edition in 2004, which still attracts thousands of enthusiasts from all over Italy and the world.
This year we propose 4 + 1 days. It starts on Wednesday 8th May 2024 with the inauguration of the MELLOBLOCCO Village and the 2024 Climbing Areas, and ends on Saturday 11th May 2024, at the end of the afternoon, with the prize-giving ceremony for those who took part in the various sports activities and the closing party. "This year MELLOBLOCCO wants to send out a new message: the participants can continue their climbing activities in the valley the next day, but MELLOBLOCCO is giving up Sunday in order to make it easier for those coming from farther away to return home, to avoid overcrowding the valley on a day that is already very busy for tourists, and to avoid contributing to the traffic returning to the plain on Sunday evening.
In this regard, we would like to remind everyone to take note of and adopt the good practices for respecting nature and the host community - which, as every year, will be communicated through our channels - and to seriously consider the possibility of reaching the valley by public transport (timetables will soon be available on our website), in order to minimise the impact of the event on the area.
Thousands of climbers from all over the world have taken part in the sixteen previous editions, from beginners to world champions. Finally, there has always been a large and enthusiastic public, attracted by climbing in good company on boulders a few metres high, always known as "sassismo" in Val Masino and Val di Mello, and then by the international term "bouldering".
It is not easy to find the formula for MELLOBLOCCO's success, which lies in an alchemy of the desire to immerse oneself in a natural environment of great beauty, the desire to meet enthusiasts from all over the world, and the desire to practice a satisfying sporting activity in contact with nature, with responsible respect for the environment and integrated into a modern eco-sustainable land development policy.
A unique atmosphere awaits you in Val Masino and Val di Mello! From shouts of encouragement under the rocks to moments of silence and concentration, from physical commitment to moments of fun, from the colours of bright clothes among the rocks to the colours of uncontaminated nature: under the sun or in the pouring rain, everyone will find their own way of living these days.
On the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, MELLOBLOCCO would like to thank all those who have made all this possible over the years, from the College of Alpine Guides of Lombardy, creator and promoter of the event, to the Association of Operators of Val Masino, to the administration of the Municipality of Val Masino, to the beautiful people who have been the MELLOBLOCCO staff for these 17 editions, to the bouldering area setters. Thanks to the police, the fire brigade, the Civil Protection, the Alpine Rescue and the Red Cross who have ensured the success of the event, and to the local and regional authorities who have supported the event. Thanks to the many companies that enriched the event with their technical and human resources, athletes and personalities from the world of bouldering, climbing and mountaineering. And last but not least, a big thank you to all the Melloblocco participants who have made these 17 editions an unforgettable event!
From Friday 19 January, it istherefore be possible to pre-register on the website by simply expressing your wish to take part or, for those who wish to do so, to proceed with the online registration by securing the event bag with the event T-shirt in advance. Pre-registration, which is non-binding and very welcome, gives you the opportunity to express your interest in the event and helps the organisers to prepare the event as well as possible. By registering online and paying the €20 fee, you will be supporting the event and securing the limited-edition bag containing the map, other gadgets, and the iconic T-shirt - who knows what colour it will be this year? - in the size you want. Remember that the event bag is not sent by post and can be collected directly from the Val Masino Tourist Office on the days of the event and, if necessary, can also be collected on site during the opening days of the Info point in the following months.
Since 2004, MELLOBLOCCO has transformed the enchanting landscape of Val Masino and Val di Mello into an unprecedented meeting place, thanks to its connection with the Lombardy nature, a region with a great alpine vocation, to a streamlined organisation and to a non-competitive formula that offers everyone the opportunity to climb close to the world champions of the discipline. Climbing, music, nature, stimulating local knowledge and fun in Valtellina for the great international climbing and mountaineering meeting.