More than forty years have passed since Arco di Trento became one of the first major international centers of sport climbing. It was the era marked by Roberto Bassi, Manolo, Heinz Mariacher, and Luisa Jovane, soon joined by Rolando Larcher, Danilo Bonvecchio, Fabio Leoni, and many others.

From the first historic and famous crags, such as Spiaggia delle Lucertole, San Paolo, Swing Area, and Massone, over four decades, hundreds of structures have been developed, in addition to a huge number of multi-pitch routes. Today, the Arco area is among the world's leading vertical climbing areas, boasting a wealth of equipped natural features, a high-difficulty laboratory, and a widespread entrepreneurial presence related to the world of mountaineering and climbing.

The historic, now forty-year-old Rock Master, the world's most renowned competitive event in the field, has recently been joined by the creation of the important and modern FASI Federal Center, a unique facility in many ways and certainly destined for a great future.

After the now distant second issue of Up Climbing — released a few years ago — the time had come to once again dedicate an entire issue to Arco di Trento. Therefore, we have attempted to touch on all the key points related to the evolution and present of this area, in direct discussions with many of its key players: from Angelo Seneci, who will discuss the issue of overclimbing, to Vinicio Stefanello, who will recount the history and events of the Rock Master itself, to the voices of climbers like Adam Ondra and Stefano Ghisolfi, along with others who have moved to Arco.

Alongside some technical suggestions for both new crags and multi-pitch routes, illustrated by Diego Filippi, there are also other highlights, such as the return of slab climbing, with a text by Manolo and discussion and illustrations by Gianguido Dalfovo and Alessandro Zeni.

But Arco isn't just climbing, as they say, "on ropes." It's also bouldering, with the Prabi boulders, difficult hiking, such as that which can be practiced on the airy Colodri via ferrata, and trail running.

So much to discover, so happy reading!