Trip Report
THE WEST FACE OF THE CIMA GRANDE. DULFER AND VON BERNUTH
Tuesday September 13, 2016 7:53am
photo not found
Missing photo ID#470689

On the morning of 18th of August 1913, two hardy souls began scrambling up the gully that divides the South walls of the Cima Ovest and Cima Grande. Their objective was a corner line on the West Face of Cima Grande, that would ultimately deposit them on the Summit. The two were the Austrians Hans Dulfer, and Walter von Bernuth, given their talents the approach gully would have been no obstacle. Soon they would have been at the ledge at the base of the West wall, an impressive location with a dizzying drop down the North face immediately to your left. Scoping out the best way to reach the corner line which started some 30 meters above them. The corner shoots up for 80m or so before being blocked by a huge chock stone which blocks entry into the wide chimney and walls above.

photo not found
Missing photo ID#470691

They were travelling light, they are recorded as taking a rope (Hemp or Sisal) three pitons and two new fangled carabiners. I’ve found no record of what they were wearing on their feet, either rope soled slippers, or nailed boots. Regardless they made quick work of the route, with Dulfer leading all the pitches, (The current description with modern ropes describes seven pitches to the Ringband - Dulfer probably did more shorter pitches - another four or five lead to the top). The pair thus established in five hours a new grade V+ (5.8), on an iconic Dolomite peak. Given the minimal gear, and nature of the route, much of it will have been lead with no gear, there are no spikes or chockstones on the pitches to thread, and I suspect at least one peg would have been reserved for the belays, Probably with the rope threaded through the eye, or a sling, leaving one peg to use on the pitch with a carabiner.

It was and is, a stunning achievement, by two climbers at the top of their game. They would have descended the ‘Normal Route’, nowadays much of this is done by abseil. Given their equipment and talents they will probably have down-climbed all of it. Dulfer, along with his contemporaries Paul Preuss, Tito Piaz, Sepp Innerkofler and others of that period were an amazingly bold and talented group of climbers. If you have any interest in the history of climbing the period is very worthy of study. It is quite humbling.

Like Innerkofler, Dulfer was a victim of WW1, killed at Arras on the Western Front on the 15 August 1915 (two years and three days after the West Face), killed either in an artillery barrage or by a grenade. Von Bernuth survived the war - his climbing diaries ‘1909 -1920 Tourenbuch’ have been published, but my investigation hasn’t turned up much else.

So on the night of the 28 August I find myself sleeping in the front seat of a Fiat Punto in the Refugio Auronzo car park, behind Tre Cime. The hut is locked and discomfort and a thunderstorm are conspiring to keep me awake. My partner Mike is also pretending to be asleep. Around four the rain stops and the sky clears, prompting me to try for a more comfortable couple of hours alongside the car.

I doze until dawn and eventually accept the futility of trying to sleep, likewise Mike is awake and we kill time waiting for the hut to open so we can get some breakfast. Promptly at seven in opens and we gulp down some breakfast and coffee, return to the car and rapidly sort out kit. Today we will do the West Face of the Cima Grande, it will allow us to scope out the descent of our main objective, the Comici on the North Face. Though we might need a lot of favours from the weather gods as after a week of fine weather, our holiday has thunderstorms racked up for each day.

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Dawn at the refugio.
Dawn at the refugio.
Credit: Blakey
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Having sorted out the gear we set off on the approach which takes you through some spectacular scenery, towering pinnacles, complex gullies, tottering scree and slippy limestone paste!. Eventually we arrive at the narrow col, between the Cimas Ovest and Grande. Here we pass a WW1 sentry post! Some more scrambling leads to the base of the route on a ledge that overlooks the North Face, and the East Face of Cima Ovest.

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The top of the approach gully.
The top of the approach gully.
Credit: Blakey
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The start of the first pitch, the corner is above and right.
The start of the first pitch, the corner is above and right.
Credit: Blakey
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Mike came up and scoped out the start to the corner, which was running with (cold) water and covered in a thin black slime. He carefully got established and with a combination of slippery laybacking and careful bridging arrived after 35m or so at a hanging stance. A very steady lead given the conditions.

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Looking down the first corner pitch. A very steady lead on Mike's part...
Looking down the first corner pitch. A very steady lead on Mike's part.
Credit: Blakey
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I followed, the next pitch continued up the corner and was similarly wet and the crack black and slimy, despite the size of the crack there wasn’t much gear to speak of, much of what I was carrying seemed superfluous, It was easier than Mike’s pitch but it still demanded care. Thankfully it deposited me on a decent ledge, with a good belay. 20m above the chockstone loomed.

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The second corner pitch, easier than Mike's but still wet and a bit ru...
The second corner pitch, easier than Mike's but still wet and a bit run out.
Credit: Blakey
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The belays are one of the joys of Dolomite climbing. I did back it up!
The belays are one of the joys of Dolomite climbing. I did back it up!
Credit: Blakey
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Mikes pitch took a compact grey wall rightwards to bypass the chockstone, clean and dry it sported three pegs, but was a lot easier than the corner below, he shot off up it and soon was at his belay, on top of the chockstone.

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Turning the chockstone.
Turning the chockstone.
Credit: Blakey
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The wall below the chockstone.
The wall below the chockstone.
Credit: Blakey
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The East face of the Cima Ovest from the chockstone belay. It may look...
The East face of the Cima Ovest from the chockstone belay. It may look like Kitty Litter, but a 1930s route, the Demuth goes up there!
Credit: Blakey
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Above loomed a wide chimney, supposedly ‘IV’ is was indeed at the start straightforward, and I was seduced upwards without paying too much attention to protecting the pitch. I reached an awkward bit and looked down at my pro 20’ below and made a mental note to be careful….. It was all a bit of a thrash, and went on longer than it should, but eventually dragging a reluctant rope I emerged onto a ledge system and belayed below another ‘IV’ corner. Mike came up and continued up the line, belaying where it seemed convenient. We were now ‘off piste’ as far as the description went. But in a couple of more pitches landed on the Ringband from where we would begin our descent.

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Starting the wide chimney. A further corner pitch and some easy scramb...
Starting the wide chimney. A further corner pitch and some easy scrambling is hidden above.
Credit: Blakey
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Mike on the final corner, another pitch, then scrambling to the Ringba...
Mike on the final corner, another pitch, then scrambling to the Ringband.
Credit: Blakey
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The weather was glorious, blue sky and warm, we had some lunch, peered over the North Face and scoped out the three bivi shelters.
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Mike on the Ringband at the junction of the North and South faces. Not...
Mike on the Ringband at the junction of the North and South faces. Note the bivi shelter up on the left.
Credit: Blakey
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After 20 minutes we headed off along the Ringband in search of the descent. A couple of long abseils (60m & 40m) led to a section of scrambling where a confusing array of cairns didn’t really help mark the way. We followed our noses, down and around on some very steep ground to another abseil. More scrambling followed leading to more abseils.

Focused as we were on the descent (and being in a gully) we hadn’t noticed the ‘cloud’ - we could not but help notice the loud crack of thunder, rain and hail which announced the arrival of an early thunderstorm. We donned our waterproofs and continued. The storm was short lived and by the time we reached the base it had passed, and we were quite pleased with ourselves and the way we had managed the descent. Eventually we reached the gully separating the Cima Piccola from Cima Grande, we were safe. Our Reverie however, was broken by the classic Dolomite cliche, in the form of a very large rock that arrived and shattered on the scree between the two of us! Mike looked at me and said ‘I just was thinking about taking my helmet off!’

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Another abseil.
Another abseil.
Credit: Blakey
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Mike scrambling the last section.
Mike scrambling the last section.
Credit: Blakey
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This prompted as speedy a descent of the path as our aging knees would permit, and we eventually reached the track between the Laverado and Auronzo huts. We stopped in the sun and took off our helmets, sorted gear and continued to the hut.

We dropped off the kit at the car and checked in, and went for a doze in the room, it had been a long 24 hours! After about half an hour we were woken by a huge clap of thunder, opening the shutters we witnessed the arrival of the real afternoon storm (about 1 - still early) the back of the Cima Ovest was barely visible, and what you could see was sobering with with several huge waterfalls gouting onto the scree below the face. The rain hammered for a further couple of hours then subsided, but it stayed grey and miserable. (The shelters on the Ringband would provide considerable protection even in these conditions - but being caught on any climb or descent would be truly grim).

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Hmm!
Hmm!
Credit: Blakey
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The next day dawned dull and damp, the forecast had not improved, and the hut was very expensive. We decided to cut our losses (we are nothing if not very prudent) and head out of the mountains to Arco, which we did, sport climbing, climbing shops, Pizzerias and Gellateria beckoned. The sun shone and it didn’t rain!

As to the Comici, next year maybe....

Steve



  Trip Report Views: 3,391
Blakey
About the Author
Blakey is a trad climber from Newcastle UK.

Comments
Stewart Johnson

Gym climber
top lake
  Sep 13, 2016 - 07:59am PT
Exellent!
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Sep 13, 2016 - 08:09am PT
Cool!
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Author's Reply  Sep 13, 2016 - 08:24am PT
I was a just over 103 years behind the FA!

Steve
PhilG

Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
  Sep 13, 2016 - 08:26am PT
Excellent post.
Thanks for taking the time to give us this history and report of you climb.
Great Job!
couchmaster

climber
  Sep 13, 2016 - 08:48am PT


Fantastic trip report! Love the history part too, thank you.

Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
  Sep 13, 2016 - 09:03am PT
A fine job of climbing lads & I do enjoy your writting style & photos too. More reports please!
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
  Sep 13, 2016 - 09:36am PT
A heartfelt thanks! Love doing and seeing the historic routes - it's a good way
to stay humble, not that I've an alternative. Just back from Zermatt, Mürren,
and Cham where I feasted on the history. Also JUST missed being in the news
on the Vallee Blanche cock-up! Well, great job by the rescuers, a c*#k up by the
designers IMHO. That exact scenario had fatal consequences some years ago.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
  Sep 13, 2016 - 01:12pm PT

A TR with everything. History, adventure, slippery when wet, struggle, rockfall, safely home... great writing and photos...

TR dichtung...
nah000

climber
now/here
  Sep 13, 2016 - 06:22pm PT
really appreciate this... the history at the beginning was both icing and some of the cake...

thanks!
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
  Sep 15, 2016 - 05:50pm PT
A great TR! I'm glad you pointed out the Demuth on the NE corner of the Cima Ovest. That route was one of my best ones I accomplished in the Dolomites during my all-expense paid trip to Europe in 1963-64; all at U.S. Taxpayer expense, too. The only drawback was that green set of clothes I wore for 11 moths of the year.

I'm familiar with the approach route for the Dulfer, as my partner from the Demuth (British climber Lew Brown) and I stumbled down the gully in the dark after rapping and downclimbing into the chasm from the Ovest ringband. That was 1964, and in the dark we stumbled into an unseen barbed wire entanglement from the Great War.

Kudos on an excellent route, and thanks for a fine write up.

NEVER underestimate these classic early routes, as they were established by true virtuosos.
Al Barkamps

Social climber
Red Stick
  Sep 15, 2016 - 07:35pm PT
Is it this Dulfer to which I owe the mother of all wedgies?
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Author's Reply  Sep 16, 2016 - 07:49am PT
There was still some wire in the gully, but not much. It's quite unstable so any WW1 debris is probably long buried at the base. During my first visit back in the 70s there was a load of stuff, old desiccated boots , tins and suchlike. It's all gone now.

As to the wedgie, Al, yes it will be this Dulfer you can blame your deformity on.
skcreidc

Social climber
SD, CA
  Sep 16, 2016 - 06:01am PT
Great TR! Loved reading about all the history.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Sep 16, 2016 - 06:01am PT
My goodness ! Thank you ! I'm still enjoying the ride. My wife visited the Dolomites, with Germans, in the '90s. They used the Via Ferrata, to gain the starts of climbs.
She has always told me how much I missed out on.
Thanks for sharing this it is a great write up of great climbing & interesting to the
Lifer's, that still get it.
My Goodness, The Mrs is always right! I sure missed out.
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
  Sep 16, 2016 - 08:23pm PT
Another super Blakey TR-thanks so much for the history and your recent sojourn to the Dolomites. 103 years later! wow.
Brokedownclimber

Trad climber
Douglas, WY
  Sep 16, 2016 - 08:26pm PT
Speaking of relics from W.W. I, I found a spent 8 mm projectile on one of the routes I climbed in 1964. Deformed and bent, but the brass jacket still intact. The Demuth was my final Dolomites route before returning back to the U.S. Rated then as UIAA Gr. V, A1; we misread the guidebook and didn't have etriers, so we free climbed to whole thing; rated today as 5.10 b/c done all free.
Enty

Big Wall climber
  Sep 17, 2016 - 12:41am PT
Nice work Blakey!
crankster

Trad climber
No. Tahoe
  Sep 17, 2016 - 07:29am PT
Great report and photos! Thanks for sharing.
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  Sep 17, 2016 - 01:34pm PT
A very fine and informative TR!

Thanks for sharing your classical bent with us.

For more history of early climbing in the eastern Alps check out Doug Scott's survey from Big Wall Climbing.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2083895/Great-Pioneers-of-the-Eastern-Alps-Doug-Scott-Mountain-1974
Fuzzywuzzy

climber
suspendedhappynation
  Sep 17, 2016 - 11:58pm PT
Great climb and tr,!! Many thanks!
Lee S.

Sport climber
Denver, CO
  Sep 18, 2016 - 04:47am PT
Great read. Thank you for sharing.
Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
  Sep 18, 2016 - 09:54am PT
Steve,

As you know, the game is so much richer when one knows the history.

And the Tre Cima area has some of the richest, from alpine warfare in World War I to the likes of Preuss, Comici, Cassin, etc.

Thanks for taking us along!

A recent Smithsonian Magazine article by some authors with a climbing background describes the horrors of the fighting in this most beautiful range.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/most-treacherous-battle-world-war-i-italian-mountains-180959076/?no-ist
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
Author's Reply  Sep 18, 2016 - 01:11pm PT
Hi Rick, I hope you and yours are well.

I read the link, it's a detailed account!

You know my military background, my partner on the Dulfer, Mike is also a retired Officer. UYou can't but imagine what it would be like to try and fight in that kind of terrain. It is truly three dimensional with tunneling, mining and counter-mining thrown in for good measure. Add viscous weather and you have a hellish mix.

The article mentioned an incident of fraternisation on the Tofana, I'm not surprised given the soldier had the common enemies of terrain and weather!

I was in the Dolomites a few weeks earlier but was again chased away by the weather, After a wet mornings climbing Tim ad I explored some tunnels on the Falzarago Pass. their wartime function and utility was beyond me, but they had expended a lot of effort creating them!

Steve
laurel arndt

Trad climber
phoenix
  Sep 19, 2016 - 01:00pm PT
Really do miss climing there, makes me maudlin....while missing out on a climbing day (due to weather) we did the Via Ferrata Kleiner Lagazuoi, which has an amazing amount of war memorbilia
tim_b

Trad climber
Long Beach, CA
  Sep 20, 2016 - 03:25pm PT
Awesome. Especially loved all the pics !
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