Climbing partner October Dolomiten

Hi,

will be through out October around the Dolomites, looking for a climbing partner. Gear, car, topo's, experience, all available, belaying for free!

best
T

What do you mean by "around" the Dolomites?

What sort of climbing do you have "experience" for?

Cortina d'Ampezzo is usually thought to be a key town in the heart of the Dolomites. It's about as far north from the equator as Snoqualmie Pass in the state of Washington. Or for an East coast perspective: like Montreal, Canada.

Lots of the favorite Dolomites multi-pitch trad climbs are on peaks like 8000 - 10000 ft.

hint: There's already some new "winter" snow showing on north faces.
Lots of the mountain huts are unwardened and easy-access lifts are closed by the end of September.

Of course there's lots of great lower-altitude climbing areas not far from the Dolomites, so it might be a valuable back-up if your meaning of "around" includes those.

Ken

Ken,

living just few hours away by car I've been climbing there till end of October the years before, of course mainly south faces easily, north faces depending on the year/ circumstances as you said. I dont have any plans yet in particullary where to go, it all depends on the temperatures and the overall weather situation, there is always Arco if nothing else goes (though not the Dolomites I count it as almost south Tirol).

Huts and lifts are not essential for climbing though usefull- I usually avoid both.

If interessted to climb with let me know, would be happy to share more on my "experiences" and other info if needed.

Cheers
T

boogiecha wrote:mainly south faces easily, north faces depending on the year/ circumstances as you said.

kenr wrote: South faces makes sense. I was climbing on a north face today, and defintely had to make some moves with my feet in the snow.

Yesterday on the Serauta (NE) ridge of Marmolada there were some patches snow on the approach trail at 2400m / 8000ft. More sustained snow sections on N-facing rock around 2800m / 9200ft, but not more than 10cm, most less than 5cm.

Today I was lower NW facing, 2000m / 6500ft. Saw no snow on Via Ferrata Sci Club 18 by Cortina.

What great rock climbing. Though the VF cable was available for me to use for protection, I did almost all my climbing moves "free", with both hands and feet directly on the rock - (not grabbing or standing on the cable or its anchors or steel rungs for Aid). Although I did most of the climbing in (tight-fitting) approach shoes with climbing-rubber soles, for two of the harder sections I changed into my La Sportiva Katana lace rock shoes, which I love for limestone (fitted tight enough so I can't wear them for the full route).

Lots of fun 5b moves, and several up in 6a / 6a+ territory. (There's a sport crag on the same wall with pitches mainly in the 6b / 6a / 5c range, so that fits what I was finding and enjoying.)

I was using a Skylotec Skyrider VF cable auto-belay device, so I couldn't fall very far (very different from taking a fall with a normal VF kit). So I felt I could climb pretty close to my limit (unless there was something protruding close underneath -- which sometimes does happen on a VF route: steel fixed aid stuff).

My second time on VF Sci Club 18. Ride lift of Faloria half-way up to the start of the route, then after finish approach hike and climbing, snack bar at the top, and ride lift all the way back down to parking.

. . . (Cheating) . . .

Ken

No shortage of snow above 2800m altitude on Civetta today (on E slopes as well as N). And though it was cloudy the whole time down lower, I had sunshine near the top -- so bright white.

Although the snow (and verglas ice, and wet rock) held me back from "free" climbing moves up high on the route VF Alleghesi, I felt very lucky to climb a great peak in "easy alpine" conditions.

Alleghesi is a great route: fun rock, variety of climbing situations and views, and long. But the descent of the Via Normale was also long, and not much fun - (it wasn't the snow that bothered me, but the slippery scree).

Ken

Already snowy above 2800m? Have returned last week from Wallis/ Swiss, the first snow there was just above 3300-3500 before I've left. But that was ten days ago and I've left before the new Low came in, that might be the snow you've seen today on the Civetta???

If the sun comes out again for couple of days- as it use to do in September/ October, this snow should be gone quickly for a very short while.

It seems you're having fun there? You've mentioned "climbing" the VF Sci Club 18, with plenty 6a moves if free climbed. Nice one! Soloing VF's without using the cable is a cool thingy to keep in shape and still being "belayed" if no partner around. Does it work well with the minimum of VF harness belaying radius you have (1meter around the cable?)? I've heard that falling into the most VF harnesses (2 meter fall?) can lead to serious consequences, but since I'm not into VF's I could be wrong!? Maybe I should think of that solution instead climbing each pitch 2 times when soloing with my soloist!

HHmm, Civetta, my big dream... not this year anymore...

Best
Tomi

Last night it snowed down to 2000m. I have a photo of my car with snow at Passo Fedaia. I could see even the hiking approach trail to the NE Serauta ridge of Marmolada had several sections now buried in snow (where I had hiked easily on Tuesday).

So it's safe to the say that the summit of Civetta is now deep in snow, so I was lucky I got to climb it yesterday.

Last year in France I as able to do high alpine routes at 3800m in late September -- but every year is different.

Via Ferrata: You're right about the problem with taking a high-factor fall on a normal via ferrata kit. That's why I use the Skylotec Skyrider: It's like a rope-solo device, only for steel cable.
. (But for VF routes without many opportunies for climbing "free" near my limit, then I just use a normal VF kit, because it's lighter and quicker).

The new English-language climbing guidebook for the Dolomites (by RockFax) now has descriptions of Via Ferrata route right next to classic multi-pitch routes. (Maybe that will lessen the tendency of visiting American climbers to laugh at the idea of enjoying a VF route).

Ken

Went up north for the weekend, climbed the Middle Watzmann (2700m) with my long-time ski mountaineering partner who lives not far from Berchtesgaden. We climbed the (non-difficult) Wieder route ("little E face") which turned out to be fun and interesting -- notable for a wide diagonal slab ramp -- among other interesting climbing.

A couple of patches of snow added just the right "alpine" spice to the rock climbing. This was after walking across sustained snow around the remnant of the Watzmann glacier on the approach, then later some deep snow (30cm and more) on sections of the N-facing descent from the Hocheck (N summit) down to the Watzmann hut.

The W facing traverse alongside the ridge from the Middle to the Hocheck (N) summit had lots of snow (compressed to icy by many VF climbers) and verglas -- we were glad to be able to grab the steel cable.

Great outing on a famous peak. We started from Hammerstiel parking, used mountain bikes up to the "Benzinkurve" for the approach to the Watzmannkar valley (and easy descent). The only part I didn't like was the upper two-thirds of the descent from the Hocheck to the Watzmann hut: irregular and knee-pounding.
Felt much better as we stopped at both the Watzmann hut and Mittekasealm for snacks on our descent -- nice way to do it.

Less snow than the Dolomites. So it's more a function of where the key storms hit than how cold it is.

Ken