Dolomites, 2017!

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Tom Turrentine

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Jul 9, 2017 - 12:16am PT
Thanks everyone for the information- feeling super excited about this trip. Sept sound like a good bet on weather..
kenr99

climber
Jul 10, 2017 - 05:51am PT
I'll be around Wolkenstein for part of that time. So if want to get together to share stories and ideas some evening, that would be great.
. . (Just sent you a message. If all else fails, send me your phone thru my MountainProject account "kenr")

I'm not into the date-based itinerary concept, because I've been to the Dolomites lots of times in September (and June), and my experience is that
it Rains a lot.
. . (so now Sharon + my normal strategy is to bring along guidebooks for Arco/Adige valley, Austria, Lecco/Como, Briancon France, and Marseille/Toulon -- and wonder _when_ there will arise a long enough sequence of forecast rainy days to drive us to depart).

Part 2 of our Rain-management strategy is to bring guidebooks and GPS waypoints for valley sport crags (and the rather intesting _valley_ VFs) around Meran + Brixen + Trento. Also waypoints for the new pretty-decent-quality indoor climbing gyms in the valley cities of Brixen + Bozen.

What drove Sharon + me to switch our normal Dolomites base from Cortina to Wolkenstein is that W offers so much shorter easier driving to good rainy-day options -- and saves an hour of driving for our (expected) longer-term escape to more reliably dry rock + sunshine.

Ken

P.S. the quality of the "free" climbing on some of the Via Ferrata routes in the Dolomites is so great, it's difficult for me to give much priority to all the waiting-around-time and gear-hauling work, and questionable rock on most of the Multi-Pitch routes (not to mention paying for a guide-person). By "free" on VF, I mean climbing with hands and feet directly on the rock, clipping the cable only for protection.
Tom Turrentine

Trad climber
Santa Cruz
Jul 10, 2017 - 10:25am PT
Thanks Ken for more perspective

I'll be in Wolfenstein 3 days at least, arriving night of Sept 15- leaving mid 18th for a few days in Sesto/ and refugio Locatelli to hike in Tre Cime., then another 4 days in Cortina area (and will have car) Will like to meet for beer etc..if you are around.

Thanks for tips to manage rain days, we will be hiking most of our time so hoping rain is light enough for hiking (average totals in late september look reasonable .)

My wife is not climbing much these days, so I might take up y0ur via ferrata (never been on one) to use as protection and get in a quick climb.

I signed up for MP will try to figure out messages

tt
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Jul 10, 2017 - 10:40am PT

Have a good time...

[Click to View YouTube Video]
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2017 - 08:04pm PT
Ken & Tom

I am only going to Cortina area for the first week of my climbing, and then will be in Wolkenstein for 10 days. I too, like Wolkenstein better than Cortina. In 2013, we bailed out from W. down to the Arco area and Placche Zebrate. Did a route named 46th Parallelo. Warm and sunny, whereas the Sella Towers were freezing. I usually stay at the Albergo Silvana; nice accommodations, 3 star hotel, decent to good food for the price. That's my usual hang, bit on my 2013 and 2014 trips.
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 5, 2017 - 02:53pm PT
Wow! I'm all "Guide-booked out." Less than 3 weeks to go.

I've never done a via ferrata, so anyone here with any advice for doing so? I've seen some YouTube epics, and they look pretty crowded and are a different sort of experience from Trad climbing.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Aug 5, 2017 - 05:03pm PT
They're almost always a cluster. Do you like being a nursemaid? :-)

I would ask one of your guides for suggestions.
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 5, 2017 - 06:51pm PT
I'm not really considering doing one as a route, but several climbs I'm considering use a via ferrata for the descent, or as a partial approach segment.
kenr99

climber
Aug 8, 2017 - 04:18pm PT
Tom Turrentine wrote:
> I'll be in Wolfenstein 3 days at least, arriving night of Sept 15

Sharon and I have bought our tickets, made our reservations for Wolkenstein.

Looks like we have some overlap -- unless Sharon + I are off visiting friends by Berchtesgaden, or doing great alpine VF routes in the Dachstein group in Austria.

I'll try to send you phone + email so we can get together there.

Ken
kenr99

climber
Aug 8, 2017 - 04:34pm PT
Reilly wrote:
> Via Ferrata routes are almost always a cluster.
> Do you like being a nursemaid?

How many VF routes have you tried?
How many on off-weekend days outside the peak-crowding eight weeks from early July through beginning Sept?
How many times took the trouble to get an early start to beat the crowds?

My favorite VF routes have such fun "free" climbing with hands and feet directly on the rock, I repeat whichever ones I get suitable weather for, each time I visit the Dolomites. I've reported on them in various places on the web.

Key disadvantage of multi-pitch roped climbing routes versus VF is that you spend less than half your time actually making climbing moves.

My big anticipation for this year is to explore the long hard VF route on Monte Agner (famous as the biggest wall of the Dolomites). Of course the VF will not be anywhere near as demanding as any of the climbing routes.

Ken
kenr99

climber
Aug 8, 2017 - 04:45pm PT
Brokedownclimbing wrote:
> I am only going to Cortina area for the first week of my climbing, and then will be in Wolkenstein for 10 days.

Just sent you a message with my phone + email, so we can try to get together when you arrive.

Ken
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
Topic Author's Reply - Aug 11, 2017 - 05:20pm PT
Kenr99-

Nothing received through today!
kenr99

climber
Aug 12, 2017 - 08:11pm PT
Just tried again to send you my contact info.

If that doesn't work, How about try contacting me thru my account
KenR
on MountainProject.com

Andy Fielding

Trad climber
UK
Aug 22, 2017 - 01:01pm PT
I've never done a via ferrata, so anyone here with any advice for doing so?

From Cortina I've done a few VF's in the area. A good introduction would be the "Michielli Strobel". Nice easy route but not so nice scree/talus filled gully descent. The "Marino Bianchi" is a good VF with great views but last time I did it, it was very crowded. By far the best VF in the area is the "Ski Club 18". I only had to pass one other party when I did this 2 years ago.
Barney Rubble

Trad climber
ALAMEDA
Sep 27, 2017 - 09:48pm PT
I kept searching this thread for recent photos and tales of daring climbers, battling the elements in search of deeper meaning, but to no avail. In desperation, Ingrid and I departed for the Dolomites to experience la dolce vita for ourselves, and to share with the huddled masses of Supertopo, yearning to climb free, the full and unedited details of our summer vacation.

If it feels like there’s a lot of non-climbing content in the thread, fear not, climbing content will follow, and besides, I highjacked this thread fair and square.

First sight upon arrival in Venice, helping hands against the elegant decay.

Navigating the labyrinth wasn't as tricky as advertised, and getting a little lost wasn't all bad.

There were attractions around every corner.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/jbldQduxa4Q]

The food was great, and the people even nicer. A traveler could go far on just a few words of Italian, though if you wanted to be certain of getting whipped cream on your hot chocolate a few more words might help.

We went to this nice little restaurant on a side canal based on a 20-year-old recommendation and weren't disappointed. Trattoria Rivetta was so empty when we got there that we had second thoughts, but there was a well-deserved line out the door by the time we left. The waiter figured me out immediately (that, just possibly, I might, every so slightly, shy away from physical contact). I mean, his hands were all over me, and on the first date. In the best possible way of course.

This cicchetti bar near our B&B was a great find!

Venice traffic jam.

This was as close to heavy traffic as we saw in our travels. The roads were great and the drivers very respectful, though there was a certain breed of Italian driver who drove with unmistakable urgency! Ah well, I was that driver on occasion as a younger person (younger being before yesterday).

We took a day trip to Florence to see Venus on the Half Shell (props to Meredith).

There were amazing sights everywhere we looked.

It may not be obvious in this photo, but clearly,...

...it's turtles all the way down.

Back in Venice, St Marks was pretty cool.

We went up St Marks Companile. The bells, the bells! They went off without warning!

[youtube=http://youtu.be/Lsm8X84cz4Y]

Such a beautiful city. Incredible views in every direction.

Though the view from the Bridge of Sighs was one you didn't want to see BITD.

Because if you did...

...this was the destination.

Ingrid got us great seats for La Traviata at the Teatro La Fenice opera house. It felt like we were in the opera house scene from the movie Dangerous Liaisons.

For our last night in Venice we treated ourselves to dinner at a Michelin starred restaurant just outside the door of our B&B. The glass of red wine I had there, not crazy expensive, lands on the all time top-3 list.

Like everything else in Italy, it was done with flair.

We stopped at a little cafe in Vittorio Veneto on our way to Cortina. Between the staff, other patrons (all locals), and ourselves we spoke a couple dozen words in common. With some pointing, arm waving, and smiling we were able to order a nice lunch (everyone pitched in). It was such a pleasant experience to feel so welcomed in a strange place. Too bad we didn’t get any photos!

Woke up to snow in Cortina and went hiking with friends Dawn & Bob Rugo from Berkeley.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/7cMqumPDPnM]

This area was on the front between Italy and Austria-Hungry during WWI with ruins everywhere.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/pWrVIrCUfXg]

Strange to find something as luxurious as a bathtub here given that more soldiers died from starvation, exposure, and avalanches than from bullets! Must have been officer's quarters.

We spent a couple days climbing with the guide Ingrid hired for us. What a luxury!

Gery (Gerhard) was very knowledgeable about the area, supremely competent, and totally chill. Who could ask for anything more? Sort of like climbing with Justin.

On the summit of Cinque Torri Grande. The guy on the left of the photo was trying (unintentionally, I presume) to kill his wife with some inventive techniques that I hope never to see again!

Since the route my heart was set on was hopelessly out of condition, we climbed the nearby Spigolo Giallo (Yellow Edge) on Cima Piccola following the right skyline for 13 awesome pitches.

It was drizzling when we started and didn't stop till we hit the summit. We caught up to another party on what was supposed to be the easiest stretch of climbing. Unfortunately, being lower angle, it was soaking wet, very slippery, anda, anda, the rock was all pointy! (props to T. Knight, or whoever wrote that funny cartoon BITD)

[youtube=http://youtu.be/ZGyO5u9pPys]

Above the "easy" bit Gery took a variation to pass the other party making a traverse with spectacularly overhanging terrain above and below. The day prior Gery managed to pass 3 or 4 parties on another multi-pitch route with Ingrid and I in tow! He dragged me up this beast in 4 hours. Not too bad!

Following the traverse was the easiest climbing of the route, but spectacular doesn't begin to describe it. This was fairly typical of the Dolomites, very featured rock that allowed passage through amazing terrain at reasonable grades. Hey, isn't the guide supposed to place some gear for the 2nd?

At least the cruxes were steep enough the be dryish.

It felt like we had gotten away with something doing the route in such marginal conditions. It would have been great to do something on Cima Grande, but this felt like counting coup on a sleeping dragon.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/hs4MOrvo5Zo]

While Gery and I were tempting fate across the way, Ingrid, Dawn, and Bob climbed the Innerkoffler Via Ferrata. Apparently, the route was named for a soldier who fell to his death during a skirmish on the mountain.

Traveling in the Dolomites is very civilized with refugios all over the place.

The gang elected to maintain a higher level of adventure by making their own lunch outside the refugio. I might have been tempted to duck in for a quick cappuccino, adventure be damned!

I can't personally attest to the quality of the route, but there sure was a lot of smiling going on.


Looks like they had pretty good views of the Tre Cima...

...and wild terrain with a backdrop that couldn't be beat.

Summit victory!

Cortina was a great base to explore from,...

...surrounded by incredible scenery. Our cell phone photos don't begin to do justice to the Dolomites.

The skiing might be pretty good in the Dolomites as well. There were ski lifts everywhere, including a couple on this slope. Note the people in the center foreground for scale.

Goodbye Cortina!

Next time to Italy I think we should consider a door tour. These bronze doors we 15+ feet tall.

With beautiful inner doors.

There were doors for every taste.

Including questionable taste.

Peek-a-boo doors.

Inner/outer doors were fairly common as were Dutch doors (Italian style).

Even beat up old prison doors were pretty cool. I hope I look this good when I'm 500 years old!

A clock tour could be fun.

These 24-hour clocks were fairly common.

At least in the Doge's Palace in Venice.

They even had clocks that told what the stars were up to. So much to see in Italy!

Ok Supertopo, post up the goods.

Zander

climber
Sep 29, 2017 - 08:18am PT
DOLOMITES!!!!!
Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
Sep 29, 2017 - 09:38am PT
Thanks a lot for the great virtual tour!
Sounds like you had a "trip of a lifetime" kind of experience!
The Yellow Edge is an amazing line.
Rick

Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Sep 29, 2017 - 09:48am PT
Brunelleschi! Spigolo Giallo! Cicchetti! Cosi Fan Tutti!
Nice slide show!
Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
Sep 29, 2017 - 12:09pm PT
Barney Rubble! Thanks for taking the time to post the fun stories & all those great photos. Most inspiring!

(Although the report was a little short of fine-wines/alpine hut photos.)


And I can only add, on our 2014 Brenta Dolomites trip we worked our way north through Verona & Arco. All involved liked those places much better than Venice.


Arco castle & Arco area, from up high, after an easy Via-ferata.
Barney Rubble

Trad climber
ALAMEDA
Sep 30, 2017 - 09:36am PT
Thanks guys, we had a great time. I'll try to find the same joy in doing laundry today.

Thanks Fritz for taking up the torch, and for reminding me to get label photos of memorable wines!
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