Pier Giulio Paglierani in action at the regional championship.

Merano's boulderers in top form at the regional championship

A thrilling regional bouldering championship took place in San Martino di Castrozza (Trentino) over the weekend. Even in the men's qualifying round, it became clear that the title would likely only be won by the Merano climbing team.

17 November 2025

From: pm

Four athletes from Merano dominated the preliminary round: David Piccolruaz, Alex Pichler, Dario Cadonau, and Pier Giulio Paglierani. They secured the top spots and advanced confidently to the final.

The situation was much more open in the women's competition. After the qualification round, Kathrin Mock (AVS St. Pauls), Sofia Brenna (Arco Climbing) and Emma Benazzi (AVS Meran) were in the lead – three athletes from different teams, which made for an exciting final.

The podium for women.

The men's final was pure nail-biting excitement: Davide Peterlana (Trento Boulder) set a high bar with two tops and three zones. For a long time, it looked as if no one would surpass this result – until Pier Giulio Paglierani stepped up to the starting gate. The young climber from Merano had a dream day, topping all three boulders and catapulting himself into the lead. Alex Pichler secured third place with two tops and two zones, just behind Peterlana.

The women's final was also a real nail-biter: the boulders were extremely challenging, and only Francesca Matuella (Aeronautica Militare) managed a top and three zones. This secured her the regional championship title. Behind her, it was a close race, with the other medals going to the Merano climbing team: Emma Benazzi took silver, and Nadia Insam bronze.