The Dolomites

 Landing in Venice  was like landing in different universe. It was hot, and I had to adapt to driving on the wrong side of the road in mad traffic, in a manual car with the gear stick on the wrong side, understanding none of the road signs. It was easy to adapt though and the car is much better than the one we had in Ireland.



Dave Pugh met us in the arrivals hall and we quickly got to know each other again on the ridiculously scenic drive through the mountains to the attractive little mountain village of Arabba. A lunch stop along the way confirmed all we had been told about Italian food.  It was so tasty and the coffee so good, and cheap! Our plan was to climb a peak the next day, and after pizza and many beers we walked back to our hotel in the rain with doubts about the weather forecast. 

Photo: Dara




However it dawned fine so Dave and I headed to Corvara, taking the gondola and chairlift  to an alpine plateau close to the start of a via ferrata on Piz Lech. These "iron roads" are rock climbing routes equipped with steel cables, steps and ladders, allowing us to climb really quickly and safely up outrageously steep cliff faces. It was huge fun, strenuous at times hauling up on the hardware, but we reached the summit OK, with its typical iron cross, and had lunch in the mist.





VF on Piz Leche



Our route went up the pillar in the centre of the photo.

Dara meanwhile explored Arabba and walked the local mountain trails through beautiful forests and immaculate grassy glades. The town church was surprisingly elaborate.

We finished the day with coffee and cake before driving to a very cool high mountain hut, Rifugio di Dibona. The rental car company wouldn't be impressed with road we had to climb to get there. Dave had stayed in the hut before and was on good terms with the owner, Nicola.  The huts are well-equipped, more like an alpine hotel, with hearty food, espresso machines and full bar.


Photo: Dave P

Dara set out on her own mission the next day, walking the steep stony mountain tracks to visit two huts, the Rifugio di Pomedes and the Rifugio di Guissani.


Photo: Dara


Evening view from Rifugio di Dibrona

Dave and I set out to climb the Via Ferrata di Lipella, on the mountain Tofana di Rozes. It was a grade harder than the day before and much longer and more demanding. We saw a mob of chamois on the walk in. 


The first part of the route was through 500m of WW1 tunnels through the rock.


Photo. Dave P





 Lots of traversing followed, at first on an easy path, then on wires along increasingly narrow and exposed ledges through huge vertical cliffs. The last and most strenuous part was hauling up the wires on vertical wet polished rock, with virtually no foot holds.

Photo: Dave P








 Eventually, quite late in the afternoon, we followed easier ground to the 3225m summit. The weather had been dry fortunately but mountain mist swirled around all day and there wasn't much of a summit view.



Despite what looked like a massive and long descent we zig-zagged down through scree-covered ledges to completely circumnavigate the mountain. We arrived back at R. di Dibona to reunite with Dara, just in time for a late dinner. Beer and wine included of course. 10.5 hours, 24km distance, and 1376m of ascent - so a bit knackered!



In the morning we woke to a perfectly clear day, and headed down to the mountain resort town of Cortina to get ready for our trek.  Cortina is a little like our Queenstown, quite touristy, but beautiful old buildings, chalets with brightly coloured flowers in the window boxes, and a backdrop of stunning mountain scenery. Tomorrow we get on the bus to get to the start of the Alta Via 1 Northern section.  

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