Versante Sud Presolana climbing guidebook* Trad/Multipitch|Trad And Multi-Pitch Guidebooks

Versante Sud Presolana: Classic and Modern Climbs on the Queen of the Orobie Mountains. Behind Bergamo, the Valle Brembana, Valle Seriana, and the distant Val di Scalve deeply shape the pre-Alpine ridges that rise from the plain until they taper off against the Orobie range. These mountains and valleys are embraced by the broad sweep of Lake Como and the deep furrows of the Valtellina and Valle Camonica. The Bergamasque Prealps and Orobie Alps reveal themselves unadorned, on clear winter days or after summer storms, to those traveling the highway between Brescia and Milan, possibly heading towards more distant alpine destinations. Within these valleys lies a varied and unexpectedly beautiful environmental heritage, highlighted by peaks and walls where significant chapters of climbing history have been written. The undisputed queen of the entire range is the Presolana, not just a simple mountain but a complex and articulated massif, a long bastion rising between the Valle Seriana and Val di Scalve, its profile defined by its five summits and recognizable from every perspective. We dedicate a detailed monograph to its lunar limestone walls, over 250 routes, and rich climbing history, including technical reports with clear and precise diagrams, accounts of the first ascents and repeat climbs, and reproductions of valuable historical archive materials, all complemented by numerous photographs to complete the story of the Queen of the Orobie.

Maurizio Panseri, born in Bergamo in 1964, lives in Olera, a small historic village immersed in the woods of Alzano Lombardo. Since adolescence, he has been passionate about the mountains and has explored the entire Alpine range. The Orobie and Bergamasque Prealps remain his “home” mountains, to which he feels deeply connected and which continue to amaze him. He has always documented and narrated his moments in the mountains. He has collaborated with numerous industry magazines and has published with Versante Sud: “Valli Bergamasche – Falesie e vie moderne” (2016), “MTB da Bergamo ai laghi di Endine e Iseo” (2018), and “Scialpinismo sulle Orobie” (2021).

Matteo Bertolotti, born in Osio Sotto (Bergamo) in 1980, works in the distribution of art cinema. In 2003, he founded the website sassbaloss.com with friends to publish route reports of repeated climbs. To date, he has climbed about 1400 rock and high-mountain routes, from the Dolomites to Mont Blanc and from classic big climbs to more sought-after ones. He does not disdain artificial climbing and often enjoys spending days hanging from aid gear. Passionate about old mountain books, he is a national climbing instructor at the Valle Seriana School and has been a member of GISM (Italian Mountain Writers Group) since 2013. He has published with Versante Sud: “Pietra di Bismantova – Vie e falesie sulla perla dell’Appennino emiliano” (2021) and “Ghiaccio delle Orobie” (2023).