Climbing in Italy

[danielgfolk]

My wife and I are headed to Europe in a week and we were planning to climb in Arco and the Dolomites in Italy. Just a day or 2 in each or maybe just one of them.

Has anyone been there? Good easy to moderate routes? Where should you or should you not stay?


Thank You for you help,


Daniel

[ynp1]

Do you really think the clowns on this site really go climbing some place other than the red???

If you read any of there post you can see that don't really get out much...

[Feanor007]

Hi Daniel,
I did both last year.
Arco is blazing hot and the limestone is wicked polished. The Ruppe Secce Sud face of Mt. Colodri has F5/6 multipitch stuff and the other faces of Colodri have longer and harder things. It is readily accessible from the main Arco campsite which is nice but a bit pricy. If you PM your email I can send you a 100+ page PDF guide book

The Dolomites are amazing. For only 2 days I would do either Sella Group Vajolet. Sella Pass has lots of options of varying lengths. 1st Sella Tower is OK but short. Kaspanoff on 2nd Sella tower is a nice 5.8+ 9 pitch route. Vinatzer on 3rd Sella is reputed to be better and is even longer. The route I wanted but didn't get is Fedele on Piz Pordoi in the same area. 1000m, 28 pitchs, 5.7, cable car descent. Sella is a mad house though. Tons of people, tons of traffic.

Vajolet is a gorgeous valley with 3 main ares: the Rosengartenspitz (20 pitch 5.9), Punta Emma (nice low commitment routes) and the Vajolet towers. Vajolet towers are 3 4 pitch towers which are climbed in succession. All can be climbed at ~5.7. The N Ridge of Delago tower, the first Vajolet Tower, is the best ridge route I have ever done. Only 4 pitches, but 2000+ feet of exposure on oneside. It was featured on the cover of climbing some years back. There is a great .10+ 3 pitch crack route on the Stabler Tower (3rd. Vajolet tower).

Beta Sella is available on SummitPost and Mountain project. Better for Vajolet is harder to get. The main English language guidebooks suck. The German ones are much better and the topos are worth the price even if you can't read German.

I would also consider Bregaglia, just north of Lake Como. It is a real Alpine setting with massive granite walls. Albigna has amazing semi bolted trad (kind of like NC) right near a nice hut. And if the weather smiles you might take a crack at my summer goal: The Cassin on Piz Badile. 28 pitchs up to 5.9, one of the 6 classic N faces of the Alps. I have PDF guides for these as well.

To see my photos from last year at all three places check my flickr:
Arco
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachstone/ ... 641078185/

Dolomites
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachstone/ ... 641076799/

Bregaglia
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachstone/ ... 656018583/
I will be in Bregaglia 25 July through 15 August as well.
Best
Zach

[jhwatts]

So did you actually climb any of these routes Zach or did you just read and memorize all the beta so it sounds like you did? Just kidding. When you going to back in town. Would love to catch up.

Joe

[TradMike]

Never been there but definitely on the bucket list

Who wouldn't want to cruise this place?

[Feanor007]

Joe- yes
Mike, the big face is either pordoi or civases. Both have casual (to a degree) 1000m routes up.