Trip Report
Sicily! Photos only.

by nopantsben
Wednesday January 23, 2013 1:28pm
this is a simple series of photos from a short trip to Sicily a month ago that may provide a minute or two of pleasure to some in between all the political, and sexual drama. enjoy.


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Credit: nopantsben
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Climber on "Superman" at the Never Sleeping Wall.
Climber on "Superman" at the Never Sleeping Wall.
Credit: nopantsben
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Winter light
Winter light
Credit: nopantsben
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Credit: nopantsben
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Experimenting with my new camera and then lightroom
Experimenting with my new camera and then lightroom
Credit: nopantsben
bottom left corner bottom right corner
top left corner top right corner
Credit: nopantsben
bottom left corner bottom right corner
top left corner top right corner
Credit: nopantsben
bottom left corner bottom right corner
top left corner top right corner
Credit: nopantsben
bottom left corner bottom right corner

  Trip Report Views: 1,922
nopantsben 		About the Author
Ben is searching for his pants in Innsbruck at the moment

Comments
jahil

Social climber
London, Paris, WV & CA
  Jan 23, 2013 - 01:32pm PT
Very cool TR!

steve
Heyzeus

climber
Hollywood,Ca
  Jan 23, 2013 - 01:34pm PT
That's so cool, I would love to go there. Post more photos if you have them, climbing and not.
RyanD

climber
  Jan 23, 2013 - 01:35pm PT
Awesome stuff! You should be banned- Don't you know this is a climb(ers) forum? Not a climb(ing) forum! That rock looks amazing, more please!

this just in

climber
Justin Ross from North Fork
  Jan 23, 2013 - 01:39pm PT
Great photos, thanks a lot.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Jan 23, 2013 - 01:42pm PT
Sweet awesomeness!!!

I've always wanted to go there.

Italy, Cyprus, Mainland Greece and Crete are as close as I've gotten..
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Jan 23, 2013 - 01:44pm PT
Thanks Ben
That's what it's all about
nopantsben

climber
europe
Author's Reply  Jan 23, 2013 - 04:46pm PT
Thanks for the kind words..
phylp

Trad climber
Upland, CA
  Jan 23, 2013 - 04:53pm PT

Double take: when I first scanned your intro, I thought that the climbing
provided you a minute or two of pleasure in between all the political, and sexual drama of the trip.

Whew! I am relieved to re-read more slowly and find out that you are offering US pleasure.
Thanks! It was good for me.
nopantsben

climber
europe
Author's Reply  Jan 23, 2013 - 05:00pm PT
Now that would be an interesting TR . . .
Roxy

Trad climber
CA Central Coast
  Jan 23, 2013 - 05:06pm PT
nice mid-day break from work!

thanks nopants for the stoke!
Sierra Ledge Rat

Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
  Jan 23, 2013 - 08:31pm PT
Any trouble with the mob? When I was in Sicily in '87 they warned us not to let the women out after dark, lest they be kidnapped by the mob. Any such issues there nowadays?
neebee

Social climber
calif/texas
  Jan 23, 2013 - 08:36pm PT
hey there say, nopantsben...
thanks for the very nice trip report...

had not seen pics of cicily... they are just showing up,now too :)
drljefe

climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
  Jan 23, 2013 - 08:45pm PT
Outstanding photos. The sun rays one is epic.
kaholatingtong

Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
  Jan 23, 2013 - 08:54pm PT
holy crap, you have some really incredible pictures here!
Leggs

Sport climber
Made in California, living in The Old Pueblo
  Jan 23, 2013 - 08:57pm PT

amazingly beautiful light you captured... thank you for sharing. I could look at these all day.

~peace
nopantsben

climber
europe
Author's Reply  Jan 24, 2013 - 03:20am PT
No trouble with the mob...
limpingcrab

Gym climber
Minkler, CA
  Jan 24, 2013 - 03:34am PT
Awesome pictures! Great angles and light and editing and everything, looks like the new camera served you well. Thanks for sharing.

"Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha... "
Jennie

Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
  Jan 24, 2013 - 08:17am PT
Great photos! Thank you.



Any trouble with the mob?

American tourists bring money to Sicily… so the mafiosi avoid troubling them. Pickpockets and purse snatchers in Palermo are probably the most significant nuisance to travelers.

Women hitchhiking or walking by the roads are often taken for prostitutes. A guy waving his wallet at a woman usually means he thinks she’s that kind of working girl. (Prostitution is legal, brothels are illegal) Sicily can on occasion be mean to women alone.

Some men in the rural areas carry shotguns. Supposedly for wolves… but wolves are very rare. The shotguns are apparently a male tradition, even in 21st Century, but not necessarily an indication of Cosa Nostra or Stidda
stefano607518

Trad climber
italy/austria/switzerland
  Jan 24, 2013 - 07:55am PT
between all the political, and sexual drama
cmon Italy is much more than Silvio and Co. this is just our dark drama/romance/sexgate time...should finish soon hopefully.....
Look in the alps instead for some good climb, many areas (like the Dolomites where i am from) have no bolts but few old pitons and some wood wedges...
rock is not granite though ;-)

enjoy
Stefano
http://becauseflatsucks.blogspot.ch/
RP3

Big Wall climber
Newbury Park
  Jan 24, 2013 - 07:58am PT
Fantastic photography!
nopantsben

climber
europe
Author's Reply  Jan 24, 2013 - 08:04am PT
haha, I meant the drama on Supertopo not Italy.
Alan Rubin

climber
Amherst,MA.
  Jan 24, 2013 - 09:46am PT
I believe that it is totally inappropriate and unfair of you to post pictures of gorgeous, sun-warmed Med rock while those of us stuck in the northeast are shivering in below-zero temps!!!! Despite my grumpy jealousy they are great pictures. A group of us spent a couple of weeks climbing at San Vito a few years ago, great area despite the sharpness of some of the rock. We never made it over to the Palermo crags. Was the climbing and rock there similar to that below San Vito?And for those other posters who asked---no mob, but great food,friendly people, beautiful scenery, fascinating villages and ancient ruins,mostly good weather, beaches and very good and easily accessible climbing. Well worth the trip.
Tony Bird

climber
Northridge, CA
  Jan 24, 2013 - 10:54am PT
looks like limestone. i take it you're weren't at the foot of mt. etna.
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Republic, WA
  Jan 24, 2013 - 11:23am PT
What about the wine? Did you try any local stuff?
JimT

climber
Munich
  Jan 24, 2013 - 11:30am PT
Nice photo´s, better than mine for sure!
My brother and I have been there at least 16 times now, we started the development there in 2005 and still haven´t found a better area.
The Mafia naturally exist, in fact the next town but one going to the airport, Acamo, is the hotbed of activity but a few years ago they closed the place off and arrested several hundred people. And the village of Corleone is just over the hill.
However San Vito lo Capo is the holiday town for the upper middle classes of western Sicily so street crime, car thefts, break-ins, begging and such like are strictly forbidden. By the police as well!
The rock is metamorphosed limestone so some parts are pure marble and the rest not so pure, there are huge marble quarries just inland and some in the area itself but quarrying on the cliffs we use is nowadays prohibited (it is forbidden within 2km of the coast).
nopantsben

climber
europe
Author's Reply  Jan 24, 2013 - 12:35pm PT
yeah we had a lot of different stuff. some great ones, some not so great. mostly good. the tomatoes were amazing.

the rock in palermo is a bit different from the stuff around san vito, more like normal spanish limestone, but similar in quality.
Johnny K.

climber
  Jul 16, 2013 - 07:19pm PT
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