Ticino is the flagship of Swiss bouldering and one of the most beautiful bouldering areas in the world. Eliot Stephens offers bouldering enthusiasts a brand-new guidebook, "Swiss Select – Ticino's Best Bouldering," providing an overview of the three main areas: Brione, Cresciano, and Chironico.
Why go bouldering in Ticino?
The diverse landscape, excellent rock quality, and countless boulder problems of all difficulty levels attract many boulderers to the canton of Ticino every year. This region in southern Switzerland is often called the "Mediterranean heart of Switzerland"—but for climbing enthusiasts, it is above all a boulder paradise. Many claim that you can visit Ticino as often as you like and there are always new routes to discover.
Ticino's Best: 1.200 selected boulders
The focus of the new bouldering topos »Swiss Select« could be shown Cresciano (Highlight for tech lovers) Chironico (Home of the first 9A class in Switzerland) and Brione (Hotspot for hard movers). The guide covers around 1.200 boulder problems on 288 pages – this is by no means everything there is to boulder in the three areas, but according to Stephens, it's the best.
The boulders in my guide are just a small selection of what the region actually has to offer […]. I made the selection based on the quality of the boulders in terms of rock, route, moves, and holds.
Eliot Stephens
This is what »Swiss Select« offers
The new bouldering guidebook – or rather, the best of Ticino – can almost be described as a small bouldering bible. Right at the beginning, you'll find a map of the three areas, including nearby towns, mountains, main and secondary roads, and bodies of water. In addition, there's an overview of the three towns and all the bouldering zones described within them, along with their corresponding page numbers.
Also included: Important information about the region, emergency numbers and Rules of conduct for bouldering, especially in harmony with the local residents. The trilingual glossary of bouldering terms gives beginners a good start in the language of climbing.
Another bonus for bouldering nerds: the double-page spreads on the history of the area's development. Here, Stephens describes the early days of bouldering in Ticino and the development of some king lines, such as... Dreamtime.
User-friendly bouldering topo
"Swiss Select" is logically structured and easy to understand. Each region has an overview page with information about the area, access, and parking (usually including a QR code for Google Maps). A diagram illustrates how many boulders of varying difficulty levels you can expect in each area. This makes it incredibly easy for groups of varying skill levels to get the most out of a trip to Ticino.
The individual sectors are clearly depicted in the topo and provided with coordinates to help locate the boulders. Each boulder is listed with a color photo, on which the boulder problem is clearly marked. Information on the correct starting point is also included.
Important: Currently, the book is only available in English. to buy!
About the author
Eliot Stephens, from Wales, has been a passionate boulderer since 2011. In 2013, he first visited Ticino. He fell in love with the region and often made several trips a year to southern Switzerland. With his book, he aims to introduce beginners and seasoned climbers alike to the absolute highlights of Ticino.
There is almost no doubt that some of the best, most difficult and most historically significant bouldering routes can be found in Ticino.
Eliot Stephens
We also asked Eliot about his top 3 things to do in Ticino that you absolutely shouldn't miss on your trip to Switzerland:
Cresciano
La Nave Va (7C+) – “The epitome of climbing in Cresciano! Small footholds, slopers, and a high reliance on body tension and friction. For me, it's one of the most beautiful lines in Cresciano, practically begging to be climbed. For some reason, I only attempted La Nave Va on a perfect January day in 2025. The conditions here are truly crucial!”
Chironico
Big Paw (8B+/C) – “One of the most striking lines in Chironico. An absolute beauty! The enchanting lines in the rock also serve as holds, and the moves are truly exceptional. A true classic by Dave Graham! For me, this boulder was a long-term project, and I was more than satisfied when I completed it in November 2019.”
Brione
Brione Arete (6B+) – “The obvious edge in the clearing is a classic from Brione, and the setting makes the boulder unforgettable. I still remember the first time I climbed Brione Arete so clearly. Back in 2013, I was slipping and sliding in the snow on the approach and trying to avoid the snow at the topout. A gem, absolutely worthy of your crash pads!”
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Credits: All images were taken by Eliot Stephens made available