The Dolomites and Via Ferrata 2007

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Thursday, July 19

The Big Leagues

Another clear day dawned in the dolomites - our fifth straight day of clear, perfect weather. However, now that we were several thousand feet higher than in Riva del Garda, the temperatures were refreshingly cool.

View from the town

We had spent some time during the previous evening preparing for today's climb: The ferrata Bolver Luigi, which climbs a wall below the towering Cimon della Pala. As is usually the case with something new, un-tried, or un-tested, especially when it involves an increase in difficulty, I felt a little bit of trepidation. This was our first true 'high-alpine' grade 4 route (one grade down from the hardest in the fletcher / smith guidebook). The guidebook's wording warned of a long approach consisting of exposed scrambling where a 'certain head for heights' is required. Also, since I had not yet fully calibrated the book's descriptions of climbs to my own climbing experiences, the true degree of what was being described was still unknown to me. In fact, looking back on it, I wasn't much concerned about the actual ferrata itself - it was the nature of the unprotected scrambling that worried me more. Also of consideration was that I had to consider the safety of the others in our group, and so therefore had to be mindful of their skills, mentality, and experience levels.

On the positive side, it sounded like a great route - "One of the finest in the dolomites", it proclaimed. Sounded like a good one! We planned to climb the ferrata, then hike to a high-altitude alpine rifugio - the Rifugio Rosetta, where we would stay the night. This was to be the first of hopefully several stays in mountain rifugios over the duration of our vacation.

Based on my guidebook's recommendations, I had strongly suggested that we bring crampons and an ice ax, for there was supposed to be the possibility of steep snowfields on the descent route (this caused much grumbling on the part of people who don't like carrying extra weight).

courtesy PChen

S. Martino Chairlift

Quickly packing up and heading to the bottom of the Colverde-Rosetta chairlift system, we arrived shortly after 8am. There was a large pack of what looked like schoolkids, perhaps out on some sort of summer field trip. They didn't look like they had any climbing gear, so we weren't too worried about them clogging up our climbing route.

If we'd been a bit more forward-thinking, we might have guessed where they were headed: the Rifugio Rosetta - and our ultimate destination for the day, too.

Colverde Chairlift

Figuring out the route

Bar Colverde

After being whisked to the mid-point of the lift system (at Colverde), we immediately started on the steep path that leads up to the base of the climbing route.

Warning signs

We were close to the wall now, and it loomed up high and flat above us. I scanned back and forth across the wall, trying to discern the path of the approach scramble, and the path of the ferrata itself. Wasn't possible from this distance. There were a few other ferrata climbers ahead of and behind us on the trail, and I hoped that we wouldn't get stuck holding anybody else up. I really dislike having to hold others up.

courtesy DBoyd

South wall

Beautiful morning sun

Heading up 706

Soon we'd arrived at the start of the route, marked by a big iron plaque. Our guidebook said we had 35 to 40 minutes of exposed scrambling ahead of us, and again I'm hoping that this is the type of exposed scrambling that I'm comfortable with, rather than the other type.

Route Plaque

The scrambling portion turned out to be a climb up a steep (but less steep than the wall out of which it juts) prow of rock. It is definitely class 4 (north american class 4) scrambling at first, but the holds are excellent and the rock is sound. Higher up, much of the scrambling is actually just steep hiking, albeit with a bit of airiness. After about 30 minutes of this, I relaxed, because it was obvious that this was the type of scrambling that I am (and apparently, all of our group) quite comfortable with. My mind was able to dial in an increase in the brain-to-guidebook calibration: *that* particular type of exposed scrambling description would now worry me much less if I came across it again in a future description.

Scrambling upwards

A break at the wires

After about an hour of scrambling upwards, we reached the start of the wires. This was where the fun started! The route led up, steeply but not vertically, over very sound rock.

The view back down

The quality of the rock was fantastic, with good little knobs of climber-worn polished dolomite to use as hands and footholds. Overall it is a very airy and exposed climb, but not consistently so - there are places along the climb up the wall that are much less exposed. About halfway up, by my guesstimate, is the best part of the route - a rising leftward traverse that was distinctly steeper and more exposed, but still with excellent holds.

Silhoutted Pu

Down at the start of the climb, I had decided to try and see if I could climb this route 'free' - meaning, using the wire only for protection, and climbing entirely on the rock. I was quite pleased that I was in fact able to do this, even on the crux section of the route. What a great way to practice climbing without all of the usual encumbrances.

View from the wires

With all of my worries about the difficulties of this 'serious' route fading away, I thoroughly enjoyed this climb.

Pu, too, was beside himself as the beauty of the Pale revealed itself to us, and he was also having a ton of fun climbing on this excellent rock.