Founded by Lorenzo Pernigotti, mountain guide and skipper, Vertical Sailing Tour is rooted in a lifetime spent exploring the vertical world, from high mountains to the open sea.
This vision took shape along the Mediterranean coasts, where a background in mountain sports evolved into an approach based on adaptability, technical competence, and respect for natural conditions. Adventure, in this context, is not about intensity or accumulation, but about presence: sharing good food, meaningful moments, and time lived fully and consciously.
Origins
Vertical Sailing Tour was born in 2013 from a simple but radical idea:
to bring a mountain way of thinking to the sea.
It began during an informal sailing trip around Corsica with a group of friends. None of us were experienced sailors, but all of us shared a deep familiarity with the mountains. We used the boat as a means of access, anchoring in remote coves, swimming ashore, and moving inland to climb, trek, and explore the terrain.
That experience revealed a natural connection: cliffs rising directly from the sea, routes accessible only by boat, and days shaped by weather, daylight, and physical engagement. Without knowing it, the first Vertical Sailing Tour had already taken place.
Over time, this intuition became a structured practice. Sailing skills were developed, certifications obtained, and the Mediterranean carefully explored to identify coastlines where sailing, climbing, and trekking could genuinely coexist, not as separate activities, but as parts of a single, coherent journey.
What defines Vertical Sailing Tour is not the combination of activities, but the mindset behind them.
Sailing and mountaineering share the same foundations: calm decision-making, adaptability, technical precision, and acceptance of uncertainty. Whether managing a boat at sea or moving through complex terrain, the approach remains the same, use only what is necessary, read conditions carefully, and take responsibility for every choice.
This philosophy values simplicity and engagement. Daily life on board reflects this: managing resources, adjusting plans, solving problems directly, and working with what is available. These moments, recovering an anchor, navigating changing weather, moving efficiently before conditions shift, are not inconveniences, but integral parts of the experience.
Transforming this approach into a professional project also required navigating challenges beyond the field: logistics, group dynamics, communication, and the structure of a sustainable operation. Today, Vertical Sailing Tour works with a small team of professional skippers and certified IFMGA Alpine Guides who share the same values and guiding principles.
We operate customized sailing, climbing, and trekking journeys across the Mediterranean, including Sardinia, Corsica, Kalymnos, Croatia, and Spain. Each tour is shaped by conditions, context, and the people involved.
This is not about escape or consumption.
It is about returning to a direct relationship with sea, land, and decision-making, one journey at a time.
✔ Pioneers since 2013
✔ 500+ guests from 30+ nationalities onboard
✔ 10,500 nautical miles sailed
✔ 490,000 vertical meters climbed
✔ 19,000+ pitches conquered
✔ 5-star reviews on Google
✔ Certified travel agency – Book with confidence and security.
✔ Expert travel guidance – Our experienced travel agents help craft your perfect journey.
✔ Seamless booking – Our user-friendly platform makes planning your adventure effortless.
✔ Certified travel agency – Book with confidence and security.
✔ Expert travel guidance – Our experienced travel agents help craft your perfect journey.
✔ Seamless booking – Our user-friendly platform makes planning your adventure effortless.
✔ Certified Professionals – Skilled skippers and experienced crew ensure your safety.
✔ Stress-Free Adventure – We handle the details so you can fully relax and enjoy.
✔ Safety First – Well-maintained equipment and expert guidance at all times.
Co-founder and driving force behind VST, Antonio was a passionate mountaineer, expert climber, and talented skier. Known for his empathy, energy, and dedication, he inspired many through his skills and leadership. He tragically passed away in 2017 alongside Adriano Trombetta in a mountain accident, but his adventurous spirit continues to shape the heart of VST.
When a drone unexpectedly appeared to capture the VST crew climbing the iconic Goloritzé sea stack, we knew we had to get that footage. Behind the controls was Manuel, an openhearted and passionate filmmaker whose talent rivals that of many pros. Since then, he’s become part of the VST family, bringing his creative eye, contagious smile, and authentic Italian flair on board. Whether he’s flying a drone or breaking into salsa, Manuel lifts the crew’s spirit and captures the soul of every adventure.
Co-founder and soul of VST, Adriano was a highly skilled alpine guide and visionary climber. His expertise and passion for exploration helped lay the foundation of VST.
He tragically passed away in 2017 with Antonio Lovato during a mountain expedition, leaving a lasting legacy that continues to inspire every adventure at VST.
By chance Theo ended up on board and soon he joined the VST family. Passionate climber he is devoting his life to seek the spirit of the VST: having acquired the skipper license and training to become a climbing instructor.
His soul however is still in his home land, the countryside of Provence, making him a spirit deeply connected with nature.
Once addicted sport climber, now he finds his soul in travels, possibly with a ratio climbing-party of 30%-70%. Back at home he is not only known to be a great mountain guide, but also by being the head of the mountain rescue on the Italian side of the Mont Blane and Matterhorn.
A life dedicated to enjoying the mountains by doing all the possible mountain sports. In 2013, his vision opened up, discovering a new, immense and beautiful playground on the shores of the Med.
Ski instructor in the winter, he became a certified Mountain Guide in 2024, and he continues working full time for the VST while skippering the tours in the summer.
Don’t mess with him with the food, the parties, and all the beautiful things… As in life, there isn’t only climbing and sailing!
Technical Director of Vertical Sailing Tour Operator, an expert in tourism, professional sailor, and passionate wingfoiler. A certified snowboard instructor, he has known Lorenzo for many years. In 2024, they decided to take a step further together by building the company and leveraging Lorenzo’s decade of experience with VST to elevate the project to new heights.
From Brescia, when he is not skippering for the VST he is sailing across the oceans and exploring the most remote archipelagos on heart, but always with that stylish look and his sly smile.
Alberto is the chief guide at the VST, mountain guide since 2008. Since the beginning he has been on board with the VST and his kind personality, combined with his great expertise, are the things that make our guests love him.
From the point of Cerro Torre to the wall of El Capitan, from the desert of Saudi Arabia to the picks of Mt. Blanc, he has climbed in more than 25 countries and summited some of the most famous peaks in the world.
From Vermont (USA), he probably discovered his real Sicilian blood only when he started to sail around. the Mediterranean sea with the VST. his guiding curriculum is impressive, the mountain guide badge hides a moder hippie with tons of love ready to be shared with everything and everyone around him.
