Mountaineering in the Italian Dolomites

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

THIS IS NOT A WALKING EVENT. It will involve mountaineering at high altitude with an element of technical difficulty. Previous via ferrata experience is NOT essential but you will need a head for heights and scrambling skills. We won’t be doing anything desperately hard but this will still be a definite step up from the kind of activities we typically do as a group in UK mountains.

You must come properly equipped. To do via ferratas you will need to bring a climbing harness, helmet, via ferrata lanyard and a couple of slings and carabiners. For any high altitude scrambling and hiking you will need an ice axe.

The Dolomites

Meet at: Pizzeria Lo Sfizio, Piaz de Ramon 32, 38035 Moena TN, Italy. The plan is to meet socially for a couple of hours on the evening of Saturday 21st June before beginning the week’s activities the following morning. We will be leaving to travel home on the morning of Saturday 28th June. Some of us will be driving and car sharing though of course others may prefer to fly. The nearest international airports are Verona, Venezia and Innsbruck. Details of various travel arrangements will appear in the comments section nearer the time.

Forming the ancient natural frontier between Italy and Austria, The Dolomites are considered by many to be the most visually stunning mountains anywhere in the world. The sight of their lofty, spire like jagged pinnacles soaring skywards and stretching into the distance as far as the eye can see is truly breathtaking. Needless to say the possibilities for adventure in these magnificent mountains are endless.

Our plan is to enjoy a few big mountain days exploring some of the many dramatic peaks and ridges in the region without entering into the realms of serious Alpine mountaineering. The Dolomites are of course the home of the via ferrata and this activity will be an integral part of the trip. There will also be plenty opportunity to do some scrambling and hiking. Either way the objective is to reach high altitude mountain summits in the 2,500 to 3,000 metre range. We will be looking at peaks such as Sassolungo, Monzoni, Latermar, Cima Bocche, Sass De Putia, Torre Exna, Col Di Liana, Piccolo Lagazuoi, and Spiz Di Tariciogn to name a few.

Other pursuits such as rock climbing will also be on offer along with anything else you might fancy in this spectacular landscape. Feel free to do what ever you want on any given day. If necessary we will split into smaller groups/pairs so everybody gets the chance to do something they are happy with.

Photos from our previous trip to the Italian Dolomites can be seen here:

https://www.meetup.com/sheffield-mountaineering-rock-climbing-meet/photos/34655798/

Difficulty: Via ferrata of easy and moderate grades, scrambling and hiking at high altitude.

Experience Required: Some previous big mountain scrambling or rock climbing experience in the UK with our group is an essential requirement for anybody who wants to come on this trip.

Maps: Tabacco 05 Val Gardena – Alpe Di Siusi, Tabacco 06 Val Di Fassa, Tabacco 07 Alta Badia, Arrabba – Marmolada, all 1:25,000 scale.

Guidebooks: Via Ferratas Of The Italian Dolomites: Vol 1 North, Central and East ranges; Via Ferratas Of The Italian Dolomites: Vol 2 Southern Dolomites; Day Walks in the Dolomites, all published by Cicerone.

Accommodation: You will need to arrange your own accommodation. We will be based in and around the town of Moena in the Val Di Fassa region. A few of us have already booked an apartment there. There are many holiday apartments in this area along with other options such as chalets and campsites. These can all be found on Booking.com and Laterooms.com or just a general Google search.

If everybody wants to contribute £12.00 towards our substantial Meet Up fees and the additional costs incurred in organising this trip such as maps, guidebooks, printouts etc, that will be great, thanks.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a package holiday or guided tour and there is NO insurance provided. Mountaineering can be a dangerous activity and you attend entirely at your own risk. We will do everything possible to keep you safe but we are NOT responsible for any accidents you may have. By signing up and coming to the event, you agree to all of this. We highly recommend that you take out your own insurance.