Dolomites - Cortina Area - Rackless?

Another advantage of having a car is that it can enable you to get away from wet or cold weather. Which has been happening more often in recent years in the Dolomites -- second year in a row we had substantial snow around July 1. On July 1, 2013 they actually re-opened the lifts for downhill skiing on Tofana.

We found that escaping is easier when we chose the western Dolomites like around Grodental or Eggental, instead of the eastern Dolomites like around Cortina. When it got cold and wet up high, we went down to the Adige river valley and found rather good sport crags, even two nice indoor gyms in Bozen + Brixen, and some fun via ferrata routes in spectacular low-altitude gorges.

Of cours with a driving a little farther south to around Arco there's lots more sport-climbing, also lots of multi-pitch routes (but not for when it's hot).

Another option which sometimes helps to escape moisture is to drive north over the Brenner Pass into Tirol Austria (for which we had brought guidebooks). Much quicker from the western Dolomites than from Cortina.

Plenty of great climbing in the western Dolomites -- just need different guidebooks (multiple volumes for multi-pitch Trad, also a separate book for Sport + bouldering).

Note that the Munich airport (MUC) might actually be shorter driving to the Dolomites than the Milano airport.
Also for many airlines and airline partner groups, there are more flights using Munich than Milan. So if you need to change your plans, you have more options on dates you find you need. Sometimes in summer all the non-expensive seats in and out of Milan are already fully booked, so even if you're willing to pay a change penalty, the alternative flights are frighteningly expensive.

Ken

wankel7 wrote:Going to be spending a few days in the Dolomites with the lady. I will be rackless but would love to get at least one day in of multi pitch. I have found a few guiding services but their quote was over 300 euro for the day. Is that pretty much the going rate? Any suggestions? We were looking to stay at Rifugio Dibona or Rifugio Lagazuoi but open to any ideas.

I did pretty much the same thing you're thinking of a couple years ago: trip with the lady, didn't want to bring gear but wanted to climb. Never hired a guide in my life, but I did then and don't regret it for a second. Yes, a certified mountain guide is pretty expensive, but it was worth every penny. Pretty much zero chance of biffing the approach, getting off route or epic-ing. Those things are fine in real life, but not something you want to deal with when on vacation with your girl/wife. Met my guide for a beer the evening before to suss out abilities (he was sussing out mine), and the next day I got to do an ultra-classic big route and it was really just like going climbing with one of my bros while the lady spent the day exploring Cortina. Not once, before, during or after did I regret the monetary cost and I ain't a rich man.

Find a guidebook, pick a classic route in the area within your ability, find a guide, and go do it! You'll never regret it if you do, but you'll always be pissed off that you went all the way to the Dolomites and didn't climb a big one if you don't.

The plan has again changed :p

Looks like we will do two days of hiking around Rifugio Averau where we are staying. And then head into Cortina, rent some ferrata gear, and do Michielli Strobel.

Has anybody done that route? I was wondering what the average car to car time was...I have seen around six hours.

Renting a car through Hertz. Picking it up in Venice and returning it in Florence. $210 for four days. AAA was a great discount to use.

Just spent a weekend at Sella pass. Lots of sport routes, some are better protected than others. Also several via ferratas (klettersteig) in the area. It's also a one hour drive from Cortina.

Any guide book by Mauro Bernardi is great. It's all in German, but the basic descriptions are easy to figure out.

If you're an AAC member, you can get a UIAA hut stamp that will allow you to get European alpine club discounts at the huts.