If the phrase ‘Italian Rock’ conjures images of Eurovision camp, don’t worry, this report is about rock climbing in the Aosta valley of north Italy. The last week has seen great weather in the Aosta region, and groups have been enjoying the sun drenched crags of Machaby and Champoluc regions. Here are Wayne and Sally on the nine pitch classic on the main face of Machaby. The weather has improved in Chamonix too, and the forecast looks more stable for the next few days. Today we saw six set off for the Gouter hut on Mont Blanc, followed by more tomorrow and more the following day.