Arco bids for World Youth Climbing Championships 2015

Needless to say, Arco is in a privileged position as it played a leading role in the history of sport climbing competitions. Ever since the early 80's the town of Arco has established itself as a focal point for this emerging new sport and Arco immediately became one of the world's most advanced centres for climbing thanks to its development projects that included the crags themselves. During the same period, in 1986 to be precise, Arco hosted the second edition of Sportroccia, the two-stage climbing competition held at Arco and Bardonecchia, and since then the Lake Garda town justly formed part of that laboratory which gave birth to the entire competition movement. From that moment onwards, Arco's experience with has never ceased. It is a journey that has no equals.

Since 1987 with its Rock Master, the competition for champions in the legendary Climbing Stadium, Arco really has shaped and been part of the history of competitions, right up to present day. All the more so, since in 2001 it "invented" another great event, the Rock Junior. This annual happening is dedicated to young and even younger climbers and immediately became a reference point for youth climbing. In 2006 Arco added the Arco Rock Legends, a real Oscar for sport climbing and competitions.

All of this, 26 years of climbing history, that makes Arco unique and which in 2011 culminated with the great Climbing World Championship. An event which included 650 athletes from 56 countries, 35,000 spectators in the Climbing Stadium, 11 hours of live coverage on RAI Sport, roundups on 30 TV channels worldwide, 100,000 unique visitors during a competition weekend to the official website and 1,200,000 views on youtube. Add to this 100 accredited journalists and photographers, 30 magazines and a sports performance and organisation rarely seen in this sport. The success of the Arco 2011 World Championship provided a new impetus that resulted in the introduction of the Rock Master Festival in 2012 which brought together Rock Junior, Arco Rock Legends and Rock Master (Lead, boulder, Speed and Duel) and created above all a 10 day vertical festival at the Climbing Stadium in Arco and its crags.

Arco is now poised for this new project: the more than likely possibility that in 2015 it will host the great Youth World Championship event which will include an absolute novelty: as from 2015, the World Youth Climbing Championships will also include bouldering. Here too Arco has an important ace up its sleeve, as the Climbing Stadium already hosts Lead, Speed and Boulder walls. Good luck, therefore, for the Shanghai selection... for another world-class adventure in Arco.