Melloblocco, the gift that keeps on giving

Melloblocco has a special gift: it makes things happen – small things, big things, and everything in between. The final day, Saturday, is perhaps the richest in this sense. What follows is just a sample of the countless moments that made this edition unforgettable – beautiful because unexpected, unplanned, and serendipitous. Chances are, if you were there, something made you think: this is truly the Mello.

The "TickMarks" workshop, run by La Sportiva together with Melloblocco's route setters, focused on sharing good practices for working on and around boulders, both in theory and practice. The group – a mix of amateurs and pros – did their job, cleaning moss and branches off several blocks. As it happened, Andrea Pavan's keen eye spotted some still‑visible arrows on one of the freshly cleaned boulders. The thing is, Pavan has authored several "Mello Boulder" guidebooks (Versante Sud), yet he didn't recognise that boulder, nor could he find it in "L’arte del buciùn", the very first historical guide. So the boulder remains nameless. But from a bit of digging, one thing is certain: it was definitely climbed back in the 1980s, then nature took over – until Saturday, 9 May 2026.

Matilde came to Melloblocco by chance. She doesn't climb and knows little about those who do. Yet she happened to give a lift to James Pearson on his way to the "Squalo nero" boulder in the camping sector. The drive was short, but when they parked, James learned that Matilde's great‑grandmother was born and raised in Bagni, and Matilde learned that James climbs really hard. For the record, "Squalo nero" was the only one among the prize‑money boulders – in both men's and women's categories – that nobody topped. Just one of those things that happen at Melloblocco.

"PRIZE MONEY BOULDERS" – WHO TOPPED WHAT
"Melloblocco 2026," says Nicola Noè for the organisation, "once again confirms its role as an international reference in outdoor bouldering, with a very high level of participation in both women's and men's categories. The quality of the performances and the spread of tops made this a particularly interesting edition, with a large, international field of athletes of absolute technical quality."

The women's offering allowed for a remarkable density of high‑level performances, with athletes from Italy, France, Austria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Poland and Spain. Miriam Fogu topped 9 boulders, confirming exceptional form and great reading skills. Behind her with 8 tops are two big names: Barbara Zangerl and Melissa Le Neve. Strong showings also from Giulia Medici (7 tops) and Ema Galeova (6 tops). The long list of athletes with 3‑6 tops highlights a very high average level and a particularly solid, varied female field.

Women. 9: Miriam Fogu (ITA). 8: Barbara Zangerl (AUT), Melissa Le Neve (FRA). 7: Giulia Medici (ITA). 6: Ema Galeova (CZE). 3: Katarina Zimova (CZE), Lucia Malacarne (ITA), Rugile Tamosiunaite (LTU), Jana Svecová (CH). 2: Lavinia Martinelli (ITA), Nina Arthaud (FRA). 1: Marta Aviles (ESP), Leonia Zajac (ITA), Eugenia Lavrushkina (POL), Eliska Handlirova (CZE), Anita Masiero (ITA)

In the men's field, with 8 tops, James Pearson stands out – including 3 flashes – alongside Gabriele Moroni and Stefano Carnati, who delivered an ultra‑high‑level performance. Just behind with 7 tops is Stefano Scarperi, followed by a very competitive group with 5‑6 tops, including Jacopo Larcher, Silvio Reffo, Leonardo Colombo and Davide Bassotto. The presence of iconic athletes like Elias Iagnemma and Charles Albert added further technical and cultural value. The results confirm an extremely solid men's field, with a nice balance between experienced climbers and rising young talents.

Men. 8: James Pearson (UK), Gabriele Moroni (ITA), Stefano Carnati (ITA). 7: Stefano Scarperi (ITA)
6: Jacopo Larcher (ITA). 5: Leonardo Colombo (ITA), Silvio Reffo (ITA), Davide Bassotto (ITA). 4: Charles Albert (FRA), Elias Iagnemma (ITA). 3: Stefano Togninalli (ITA), Marco Bufalo (ITA), Stefano Parzani (ITA). 2: Petras Kastanauskas (LTU), Kevin Rudisi (ITA), Juri Unterkofer (AUT), Yannis Gautier (FRA). 1: Mattia Bernardini (ITA), Alex Tighe (FRA), Isacco Capuzzi (ITA), Arturas Volkovas (LTU), Raffaele Tangari (ITA), Elias Bignold (ITA), Francesco Morandi (ITA), Ignas Kisielius (LTU), Marco Mollo (ITA)

"The overall quality shows that Melloblocco can attract international‑calibre athletes while keeping its inclusive, open‑to‑all spirit," concludes Noè. "The variety of styles, the quality of the boulders, and the response from the athletes made this edition rich, intense, and technically one of the most significant in recent years."

Melloblocco 2026 is sponsored by La Sportiva (Title Sponsor), Decathlon (Main Sponsor), E9 and Brazz (VIP Sponsors), and C.A.M.P., Versante Sud, for Outdoor People, Lyofood and Ecogrid (Premium Sponsors).

The media partners of Melloblocco 2026 are Planet Mountain, Montagna TV, Desnivel, Lacrux, Gory, Epic TV, Vertical-Life, UP Climbing, Climbing Radio, Fanatic Climbing, eMontana and Wogu.

Melloblocco is organised by the Porte di Valtellina Tourism Consortium with the support and collaboration of the Municipality of Val Masino and APICI International Climbing Park, with the support of the Lombardy Region, the Province of Sondrio, BIM Adda, the Valtellina Mountain Community of Morbegno and the Municipality of Morbegno, in collaboration with long-standing promoters Michele Comi, Nicola Noè and Stefano Scetti, and with the support of the Val Masino Operators’ Association and the Val Masino Climbing Association.

Info: www.melloblocco.it