Dolomites Climbing: 7-days trip

Multipitch climbing in Dolomites: a guide to challenging climbing in breathtaking landscapes

---

Vajolet Türme - Spigolo Piaz - Delagokante (max IV+, 100m, 5 pitches) - Dolomiti, Gruppo del Catinaccio

---

7-days climbing trip with via ferrata routes, hut hikes, and good relax!

Multipitch Climbing spots:

1/ Campanile Val Montanaia - Via Normale (max IV, one section V, 250m, 9 pitches) - Dolomiti Friulane

2/ 1st Sella Turm - Delenda Carthago (max. 6b, 170m, 6 pitches) - Passo Sella, Canazei

3/ Vajolet Türme - Spigolo Piaz - Delagokante (max IV+, 100m, 5 pitches) - Dolomiti, Gruppo del Catinaccio

Some info.:

• 14th–22nd June
• Travel by car from Zürich
• plan the spots to climb in advance, but be ready to change ontime due to weather change
• book the huts, online or by calling
• bring your SAC membership, you have discounts at huts

---

Here the day-by-day program. We created an idea before leaving, but we changed during the drip due to some fast weather changes. Here the final program:

**Saturday 14th - Sunday 15th: Dolomiti di Sesto (Sextener Dolomiten) - 3 Cime di Lavaredo (Drei Zinnen) - Hike&Via Ferrata

**On saturday, we left Milano by car and arrived to Auronzo di Cadore. The car trip was quite long, c.a. 4:30h, and we made some stops to eat, and also to already enjoy the characteristiques Dolomites landscape: we realised we made the good choice for this climbing trip!! ;)

On Sunday we wake up early (very, around 4.30am, we wanted to start!) and we did the hike to the Cime.

You can reach the Cime easly by car, by parking at Rifugion Auronzo… I DO NOT suggest this option. We chose to reach the Cime by walk: after the village Giralba, a street named Strada Val Marzon leads to a small parking from where you start the hike.

Advice 1: we used AllTrails and Ourtdoor Active to find hike paths to the Cime.

The hike was simply AMAZING! I cannot stop to say “That’s amazing, incredible, that’s not possibile”… Ask to my partner, he was almost annoyed by my enthusiams ahah.

Advice 2: we mixed hike and via Ferrata, more via Ferrata around the Cime), so bring your via Ferrata material, really! We did a part of the Passportensteig Via Ferrata

Statistics: We did a 12 hours hike-via ferrata, but this can be reduced. We just wanted to do everything, and it was worth it!!!

3 Cime di Lavaredo - View from Monte Paterno - Via Ferrata Passportensteig

Monday 16th - Tuesday 17th: Dolomiti Friulane -Multipitch Climbing of Campanile Val Montanaia - Rifugio Pordenone

On monday morning we left by car to reach our first climbing spot, FINALLY! The Dolomiti Friulane have narrow and long valleys going throught the typical peaks and towers of Dolomiti landscapes. It’s a wild area, perfect for climbers ;)

The climbing spot can be reached from the Rifugio Pordenone (Val Cimolaia, localitá Cimolais). Click here for the webpage: Rifugio Portenone

By car, from Auronzo di Cadore to the Rifugio Portenone, is about 1.45h.

—

Nota: on the way, we found 2 very nice singlepitch climbing spots:

1/ Erto*****. exp: west south est, approach: <5min, limestone, total of 150+ routes: Sector C 5a-6a, Sector B 5b-6c, Sector A 6a - 8a. Attention: Family-Friendly, maybe crowded sometimes

2/ Falesia di Cimolais - Ponte Gotte ****. Around 25 routes, 6b/6c. Link to the topo (italian): Falesie Ponte Gotte

—

We arrived at Rifugio just in time for dinner. The place is really charming: intimate, well equipped, super friendly people. We were lucky: we were the only guests for that night. We booked the so colled “Casette sugli Alberi’’, here the link. Those are small wood rooms for 2/3 people, with just matters: very cozy, and intimate.

“Casette sugli Alberi”. That one on the left was our home :)

***The climbing:

***The Hut Keepers knew everything about the Campanile Val Montanaia climbing. First, they climbed the Campanile, then they had climbing guide books. So, look at the climbing books, but more useful (and nice) to directly ask them!!

The climbing is not trad in the sense that all the belay stations are well-equipped and visible. BUT, there are very few spits along the routes. So, for us, it was trad. Some nice blogs can be found here: Normal Route - In Montagna and Montagna365 - Via Normale

Info:

- lenght: 250m

- pitches&difficulty: 9 pitches, III and IV, one section V

- avg. climbing time: 3/4 hours

- 2 half-ropes of 60m

- 1 set of friends

- 12 quickdraws

- Slings and carabiners

Useful Advices:

- the climbing is for people with very good experiences in alpine multipitch

- leave (very) early in the morning, since the approach, the climbing, and the rappel will take a lot of time

- bring enough friends. Even if the difficulty in not high, the climbing is not easy: you will thank yourself to have brought the right friend

- before start each pitch, study with attention the route you are gonna lead on the topo

- trust your partner, good communication, and enjoy!!!

**Tuesday 17th evening - Thursday 19th: Canazei - Multipitch Climbing at Passo Sella - 1st Sella Tower

**Immediately after the climbing at Campanile, we left by car with direction Canazei. It was a long ride (around 2.5 hours), but we decided to drive the same day so that we would have had a fully rest the day after :) PS: being in a very good relationship with your climbing partner really helps in this tiring situations!

On Wednesday 18th we rested: we woke up, we had our breakfast, and we visited around Canazei. We went up to the Belvedere di Canazei (by cable car of course, was our rest day!) and we just relaxed: nice book, nice lunch, nice nap. Batteries fully recharged :)

On Thursday, back to climbing!!! We decided to go to Passo Sella, and we climbed the First Tower (1st Sellatürme). We chose the Delenda Carthago route ***** (6b). First: landscape AMAZING! You have the view on those incredible dolomite picks, those vertical lines… and you just feel like to climb them all.

Leave early in the morning, because it gets crowded and quite hot during the day. We started the climbing at 8am, and we were the first ones on the route… amazing feeling!

info:

- exp.: sud

- length: 170m, 6 pitches

- difficulties: 1. 5a 55m, 2. 6b 25m, 3. 6a 30m, 4. 6a+ 20m, 5. 6a 20m, 6. 6a 20m.

- approach: from parking, 15min by walk

- avg. climbing time: 2.5h (we did in 1.5h)

- 2x60m ropes

- 12 quickdraws

- descent: by walk, 1h from the top - very nice view

Honestly, this was the best multipitch I (we) have ever climbed (until now): the rock is simply excellent, the protections are very safe, the lines are super enjoyable, and the landscape almost unrealistic!

We reached the top, we watched the other climbers aroud, and we enjoy the view.

PS: after a climbing, you always need to enjoy the view, climbing is not only a sport, it’s an experience in the most beautiful landscapes! We went down in time for lunch, and we relaxed for the rest of the day: that’s the beauty of climbing early in the morning :)

**Friday 21st – Saturday 22nd: Gruppo del Catinaccio (Rosengarden) - Multipitch climbing at Vajolet Türme

**The Vajolet Türme were on our list since the beginning of our plan. Take a look at some pictures of these towers… and you will understand why these were on our plan ;)

Canazei is very close to Catinaggio and we managed to do the car trip, the hike, and the climbing all in one day. It was demanding, physically and mentally, but it was so worth it that we forgot about our tiredness at the end of the day.

From Canazei we drove with direction Rifugio Stella Alpina Spiz Piaz, where we parked the car.

Advice: we left the car there for one night, and we got a fine… we did not see any no-parking signs… so, get informed before parking there. From there, we hiked until Rifugio Re Alberto 1 (Gartlhütte) 2’621m: 4km, D+ 640m, 1h30.

The climbing: we started around 12pm, and we climbed the Spigolo Piaz - Delagokante.

Info:

-exp.: sud-west

- length: 100m, 5 pitches

- difficulty: 4+ max (alpin), 1. 4 for 30m, 2. 4+&2 for 25m, 3. 4-&2 for 25m, 4. 4+&3 for 35m, 5. 2 for 30m

- 2x60m ropes

- belay station well-equipped, protection quite far, bring friends!

- 12 quickdraws

- descent: rappel in 4 stops

Even if the grade was “low”, the climbing was not easy: the lenght 2. and 3. are very exposed, and the distant protections make it harder. But, OMG so beautiful!!! In particular the lenght 2., the Spigolo, is truly a breathtaking climb. And when you arrive at the top, you say to yourself:”This is really the climbing experience I am looking for!”.

After the climbing, we stayed in the Rifugio Vajolet for the night: good dinner, and amazing night view on Vajolet Türme.

Vajolet Türme - Spigolo Piaz View from the Spigolo Piaz, 2nd Pitch

**Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd: Driving to Innsbruck and fun water-park

**Our climbing journey ended, and it was the time to relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Our tradition with my climbing partner is to find a nice “water place“ where have a good and refreshing swim (in summer, during winter we look for sauna). We found a super fun place near Innsbruck: Area 47 - Tirol (click on the name to access to the website).

There, we found:

- adventure swimming-pools

- lead and boulder climbing, with also deep water solo climbing

- adventure park

- and wake area (water surf)

We had very much fun, we enjoyed the sun and the relaxing time: a non-typical Sunday for climber is also cool :)

MSL-Tours

Alessandro Cucchi