Europe - Asmir's Wedding, Dolomites, and Italy - Lagazuoi and Tomaselli Ferrate - June/July 2010

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At the top of the route, we only had to follow a short section of narrow ridge before the faint shape of the rifugio Lagazuoi emerged from the mists. We had completed the climb up through the Lagazuoi Galleries, and had arrived at our destination for the night.

courtesy JInnes

Foggy ridge

Rifugio Lagazuoi

Boot-drying Coolnes

After getting settled into our dorm room (and placing our boots to dry on the super-nifty boot-dryer hooks they have), we went upstairs and sat down in the dining area for a very hearty and tasty meal. As you probably know from previous such descriptions from me, the typical Italian rifugio offers very good food, and this place was no exception. I splurged and went for a two-course dinner that included a very yummy pasta in broth appetizer.

Dorm Room, Rifugio Lagazuoi

Rifugio Dining

Pasta in Brodo

As we ate, the late afternoon clouds and rain slowly drifted away, revealing the awesome panorama that one gets here at this rifugio. After dinner, I took some time to head out onto the deck to take shots in all directions - down to the Marmolada, over to Civetta and Monte Pelmo, to the Tofane Group, and over to the group most of interest to us, the Fanes Group -- home to the ferrata we were about to tackle tomorrow.

Clearing on Deck

Fanes and Tofane

Towards the Nuvolao

Distant Civetta

Closeup, Nuvolau

Deck, Rifugio Lagazuoi

The Tofane

Gruppo del Fanes

Lending a helping hand

I looked closely at the face below the Punta Sud - the high point that the ferrata climbs to - looking for details regarding the route. I was most concerned about late-season snow. It had apparently been a snowy year in the Dolomites, and it was still somewhat early in the season, as evidenced by the substantial patches of snow that I could see all around. There didn't seem to be much of any snow on the face of the peak we were to climb tomorrow, but there was always the possibility that the far side or some hidden hollow had a substantial snow patch. And, if such a snow patch was on a steep slope with runoff and with no protection... well, that might be trouble. We had not brought mountaineering axes with us on this trip.

But all seemed ok for the moment, so the plan to climb the route was still on. We'd just have to keep re-evaluating as the day developed. And with that, I went inside, joined the others in the dorm room, and hit the hay.