Early May in Italy’s Val Masino always looks pretty much the same. Crash pads as far as the eye can see, climbers sitting around with coffee in hand, and an endless stream of people heading along the trails between the boulders. From May 6 to 9, over a thousand climbers from around the world gathered here once again for Melloblocco 2026—four days when Val Masino lives and breathes bouldering.
And this year, OCÚN was part of it too.
Mello vibe from day one
Melloblocco has an atmosphere that pulls you in right from the first day. From early morning, the whole valley comes alive—the trails between the boulders fill with climbers, crash pads pile up beneath the blocs, and cheers and the typical “Dai!” can be heard from the forest.
Some climbers spend hours dialing in a single sequence on a project, others bounce from boulder to boulder chasing as many tops as possible in the main Melloblocco challenge spread throughout the valley. And then there are those moments when a group of people who didn’t know each other five minutes ago suddenly end up sharing beta, spotting, and waiting together to see if the next attempt finally goes down.
But Mello isn’t just about climbing.
Climbing doesn’t stop even after sunset
Every evening, the entire festival village in San Martino transformed into a place where climbing was the talk of the town long after the sun went down. This year’s program was truly packed—talks, film screenings, workshops, slackline sessions, and concerts.
Over the four days, climbers like Jacopo Larcher, Barbara Zangerl, Melissa Le Nevé, Domen Škofic, and Nicolas Favresse took the stage. They discussed iconic boulders in Valle, big walls, life around climbing, and topics such as cleaning rocks and respect for the local environment.
One evening featured Lele Ticozzi’s film Cleaning the Boulders, another included a talk with Laura Pineau and a screening of The Queen Swing. One of the most popular sessions was definitely Once Upon a Time in Mello, where Jacopo Larcher, Barbara Zangerl, and Silvio Reffo shared stories about legendary local boulders and old projects in the Valle.
And that’s exactly what gives Melloblocco its vibe. In the morning, you’re working on the beta for a project, and in the evening, you’re listening to stories from people who’ve spent years on the best lines in the world.
OCÚN Crack it: how strong is your hand jam?
Things stayed busy at the OCÚN booth all four days long. Some people stopped by to check out the gear, others just came to hang out between burns. But the biggest attention grabber was definitely our “jamming” challenge, powered by the @pitch.six force board.
The challenge was simple—stick your hand in the crack, lock in a hand jam, and find out how much power you really have.
It was pretty fun watching groups of people instantly gather around the force board. Cheering each other on, comparing scores, trying to perfect the jam, and endless debates about whether thumb in or thumb out works better. Some people gave it a go just for fun, while others treated it like the finals of a World Cup. :)
When the festival noise fades out for a bit
We were also stoked to meet up with our ambassadors Valentina Chemiakina and Anze Peharc. Besides spending time at the booth, we headed out together to local boulders and sport crags around the valley, with a couple of photo sessions straight on the rock. And honestly—it’s hard to imagine a better backdrop than granite blocs hidden in the forest or long routes high above Val di Mello.
There’s still something about Melloblocco that a lot of climbing events seem to lose over time. It still feels raw, climbing-focused, and real. It doesn’t need huge production or flashy show elements because the important stuff happens right there on the rock and between the people around it.
Big thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth, tried the “Crack it” challenge, or just came over to chat. Four days on granite, plenty of sends, shared beta, and exactly the kind of moments that make Melloblocco special. That’s exactly why events like Melloblocco still have their magic.