A big guide to the magnificent Dolomites in northern Italy. This guide covers everything you need for a climbing trip regardless of ability, whether it be sport, trad, via ferrata or a combination of all three. It features most of the major areas and is the only guidebook available to have such comprehensive coverage.
Located in northern Italy, and representing a true mix of Italian and Austrian culture, these so-called ‘Pale Alps’ contain climbing of every shape and size. Single pitch sport crags lie beside kilometre-long traditional routes, with climbs which are steeped in history running parallel to modern bolted lines. The area is particularly renowned for its via ferrata, cabled routes predating the Great War which give superb access to some of the world’s most striking summits. The metal wires, interspersed with breathtaking ladders and unlikely suspension bridges, provide aerial assault courses which combine the thrill of an ascent on rock with the security of a protected mountain scramble.
Areas and Crags Included:
Catinaccio / Rosengarten: Masare and Roda de Vael (Via Ferrata), Porte Neigre, Cima Catinaccio, Punta Emma, Vajolet Towers, Catinaccio d'Antermoia (Via Ferrata).
Val di Fassa: Franco Gadoti (Via Ferrata), Magnifici Quattro (Via Ferrata), Col Ombert / Kaiserjeger (Via Ferrata), The Val Duron - Sentiero Massimiliano (Via Ferrata), Laurenzi - Molignon (Via Ferrata), Penia di Canazei, Dei Finanzieri / Colac (Via Ferrata).
Marmolada Group: Passo Fedaia and Pian dei Fiacconi, Marmolada West Ridge (Via Ferrata), Eterna Brigata Cadore - Punta Serauta (Via Ferrata), Marmolada - South Face.
Pordoi Pass: Via delle Trincee - La Mesola (Via Ferrata), Cesare Piazzetta - Piz Boe (Via Ferrata), Sas Pordoi - South Face.
Sella Pass: Sass Pordoi - North West Face, Piz Ciavazes, Sella Towers, Delle Mèsules - Possnecker (Via Ferrata), Col Rodella (Via Ferrata), Città dei Sassi.
Val Gardena: Odle Group, Sass Rigais (Via Ferrata), Sandro Pertini (Via Ferrata), Frea, Piz da Cir V Via (Via Ferrata), Tridentina Crag, Eiszeit, Torre Brunico & Mur de Pisciadù, Brigata Tridentina (Via Ferrata), Oscura della Luna - North Face, Sas Ciampac, Vallon, Piz da Lech (Via Ferrata).
Fanis / Fanes Group: Sas dla Crusc / Sasso della Croce, Sasso delle Nove / Sass de les Nu, Punte (Zimes) di Fanes, Cima del Lago, Cima Scotoni, Tomaselli - Cima Fanes Sud (Via Ferrata), Lagazuoi Nord.
Lagazuoi: Lagazuoi Piccolo.
Sas de Stria: Sas de Stria / Hexenstein.
Falzarego Towers and Col dei Bos: Torre Grande and Torre Piccola di Falzarego, Col dei Bos / degli Alpini (Via Ferrata), Col dei Bos - South Face.
Tofana Group: Tofana de Rozes, Giovanni Lipella - Tofana di Rozes (Via Ferrata), Punta Anna and Gianni Aglio (Via Ferrata).
Cinque Torri and Averau: Cinque Torri - Torre Grande, Seconda, Terza / Latina, Quarta, Quinta / Inglese, Trephor, Massi, Averau (Via Ferrata), Averau South West Face.
Cortina d'Ampezzo basin: Ettore Bovero - Col Rosa (Via Ferrata), Punta Fiames, Michielli Strobel - Punta Fiames (Via Ferrata), Ski Club 18 (Via Ferrata), Ivano Dibona (Via Ferrata), Marino Bianchi - Cima di Mezzo (Via Ferrata), Sorapiss Circuit: (Berti, Sentiero Carlo Minazio, Vandelli - Via Ferrata).
Misurina Area: Monte (Piz) Popena Basso, Punta Col de Varda, Torre Wundt, Il Gobbo, Torre del Diavolo and Torre Leo, Merlone - Cima del Cadin West Face (Via Ferrata).
Tre Cime: Cima Piccola, Punta Frida, Cima Piccolissima, Cima Grande, Cima Ovest, Sentiero de Luca / Innerkofler (Via Ferrata), Delle Scalette - Torre Toblino (Via Ferrata).
Those who know the Dolomites will realise that unfortunately this list does not include the Brenta and Pala groups.
By James Rushforth who, together with his partner Lynne Hempton, has spent several years documenting the climbs and via ferratas, and taking some amazing photographs for the book.
Card cover, 21cm x 15cm, 500 pages.
Published 2014.
ISBN: 978-1-873341-72-8.