Varazze stands right at the junction of the Alps and the Mediterranean. It’s a diverse place where the elderly retire, where beautiful people surf big waves on winter weekends, and also where one of the most difficult boulder problems in the world was set up. Thanks to the former bouldering world champion Christian Core, his wife Stella Marchisio and Marco Bagnasco (the strong local who discovered and cleaned hundreds of boulders including Gioia 8c+) over the last 13 years Varazze has become a popular destination. Climbers now come here in search of perfect blocs and epic fights on beautiful serpentine rock that changes from grey granite in some sectors to a rusty sandstone in others. Every sector is different, and each provides options to climb at different times of the year. Antro dei Druidi and La Cava are for the sunny Italian winter; Il Giardino, Stella, and other gems are for climbing over the water and swimming during the hot summer; and in some other places like Lilliput the wonderful colours of chestnut trees make climbing in autumn a sublime experience. A new guide with over 1000 problems from V0 to 8C+ (and over 200 above 8a) is near to publication, but if you don’t have the old one it’s easy to find locals climbing to help you solve the mysteries of Varazze.