26.04.2025

MELLOBLOCCO TEAM 2025 - Boulder setter: MATTEO DE ZAIACOMO

I am 32 years old, I work in a sporting goods store, I am president of the Rgni di Lecco group and CAAI Academician, I have been climbing for more than half of my life, I have climbed Boulders up to 8b all over Europe, in crags and deepwatersolo, I have repeated and opened routes with an alpine character on the walls of the Alps, and I have participated in a dozen expeditions of an exploratory alpine character all over the world, among all the new route on Cerro Torre “Brothers in arms”. I have always moved in the environment with total respect for the rock and the mountain, letting it dictate the rules of my mountaineering. I am against tampering with the rules imposed by the rock by artificial means such as dowel or resin. It is not for us to decide whether something is feasible or not. With this in mind, I try, within the limits of my ambitions, to always move with respect for nature, for those who have gone before me, for those who accompany me on this journey and especially for those who will come after.

I was privileged in this environment for a number of reasons, first of all living in Valtellina gave me the opportunity to learn and experience my climbing and mountaineering in Val Masino and Val di Mello. A perfect context for an enthusiast like me. Climbing has given me so much and there always comes a time when I want to render these experiences by sharing with everyone what I have experienced. That is why for the past three years I have been involved in this renewed MELLOBLOCCO project. Trying to preserve this environment that is as beautiful as it is fragile I think is an important goal for the climbing community to achieve. Due to an irreversible change in weather conditions, the masino valley suffers a fast deterioration in terms of vegetation and moss that now from year to year covers the boulders and sometimes makes access impossible, fighting this is not the solution but finding a way to live with it is what I am experiencing through the melloblocco tracing and I hope it will be an inspiration to all the people who frequent the valley.

From a technical standpoint being able to stop and imagine and create some new line is absolute motivation for me. Going up for the umpteenth time in Val Masino, the infinitesimal time I pass Filorera knowing that I am going to go clean and try a new line is of the greatest motivation. Being able to share these ideas and creations of ours with the bouldering community is in itself a gift to me.

Thanks to all the people with whom I share this experience, especially to Ragni di Lecco Andrea Pavan “the adult of the situation” who has been among my most active phone contacts for three years now. Without this synergy in the tracing together with Isacco Saini, Maximiliano Piazza, Lele Ticozzi, Alessandra Prato and the guys of SD Val Masino it would not be possible to propose anything, this is to say that I am only part of a gear that is completed with the experience of Nicola Noè, Stefano Scetti, Michele Comi, Laura and Katy and many others who with passion come together in an incredible organization.