Sam & Wil Dolomites 2012

Passo Giau

5 hours delay gets a little boring, and getting your dinner for free doesn’t really compensate for losing the best weather day of the week. This was the first time in the Dolomites for Wil and me, and I’d like to say we were met by stunning mountain scenery, but our 3am arrival in Cortina didn’t provide the best views. Nevermind, a good lie in, we can still make the most of the day with some sport cragging. That’s if the Polizia hadn’t shut both lower and upper mountain passes for the lycra clad brigade. Eventually we make it through as the stragglers ride past. Go-cart handling in our Fiat 500 rental car is fun, its rev-counter working hard to drag a week’s worth of climbing gear and clean underpants up the steep mountain passes. Reaching the high point of Passo Giau, even relatively uncelebrated peaks look inspiring. A small stout tower nearby dominates over the viewpoint, coach tours and bikers gazing in awe while slurping warm lager. The same thought comes to us both at once, the rock looks great and the guidebook shows a 8 pitch IV running up the Gusela’s south west wall, with only only a twenty minute walk-in.

Wil on Via Dellago

Via Dellago is a great surprise that neither of us expect, almost having written off the day to hold-ups. A few steady but interesting pitches on decent rock then we get some practice scrambling together over the straightforward upper pitches. One route down, we negotiate the giant rock crevasse onto the summit proper, then after a few victory shots begin the trudge back down the car. Tourists now retreated, we back on the road, stopping off for celebratory pizza and beer, the mood somewhat sobered by an Italian football defeat. Canezi at last, the campsite gate’s been locked up for the night, but we get the tent up then into bed, checking in will wait until the morning.

Keeping the customers happy

Monday, a late start and the forecast’s not looking so promising so we decide on an easy day doing a few single sport pitches at the base of the Piz Ciavazes. Frustratingly the weather turns out better than expected, but nevermind, the forecast is to stay fine for the next few days.

We’d decided not to take the multifuel stove, less hassle just using gas. Typically gas cylinders prove hard to track down, not that a staple diet of pizza is too much hardship. Nevertheless, lumpy milk power tea tastes amazing when finally we chance upon an outdoor shop selling the necessary article, which somehow we’d missed earlier in the week.

Wil on Messner route

Tuesday, the Messner route on North Wall of the Second Sella Tower, at last a recognisable route. Mostly solid, the coarse dolomitic limestone gives good friction and sharp pockets. Grade VI makes the climbing a little more challenging, continuously absorbing moves on great rock. We make good time again and move together for a few easier pitches, this time taking a few more coils so avoiding horrible rope drag. Drizzle starts as we scramble down the descent, but turns back to glorious sunshine later in the evening, so we put decide vary our diet and cook sausage and pasta for tea.

Wil on Tissi route

Now with gas, Pizza has to be earnt, so Wednesday we make a prompt start and plan for two routes. First the Tissi route on the First Sella Tower, straight into brutal cracks and chimneying, but eases after that. A good route with enjoyable climbing, though of lesser quality and not so consistent. This time we make several abseils down, we’re both tiring now after 6 pitches in the hot sticky weather, but our promise of pizza after two routes gives the incentive needed, so we compromise and decide on the Micheluzzi route on the Piz Ciavazes, looks a much less intimidating prospect than our intended objective, the Zeni Corner.

Start of the day

Argh, where’s my belay plate, must have left it at the Sella Towers, it was hot after abseiling. Nevermind, suppose an Italian hitch seems appropriate given the country. Brilliant rock and sustained interest give great value climbing for the first two pitches, before clouds draw in and the first spots of drizzle start to fall. Deliberation decides it’s best to back off now before descent gets difficult after the traverse pitches, think we can allow ourselves pizza, we started both routes after all. A run back up to the Sella Towers to retrieve one belay plate makes sure of the pizza.

Sam on Micheluzzi route

Thursday, we decide to give the Micheluzzi another go, swapping the first pitches, then going off route on the third. A scary bold traverse gets us back on route, and almost onto the classic traverse, before rain threatens and dramatic rolls of thunder make the decision to turn around easy. Half an hour later the storm quickly clears up and we’re in brilliant sunshine, so make the most of it and head out again for some sunny sport cragging. A few routes later and our decision to back off earlier proves correct, heavy rain and exciting flashes of lightning send us sheltering under the steep routes and glad we’re not nearing the top with no easy escape! We’re both shattered anyway, so glad of the chance for some rest.

Two days to go, forecast for Friday decidedly pessimistic, but Saturday looks good all day, this is our chance to tick a big alpine route. I’m apprehensive, not sure I’m really up to this, telling myself another classic route on the Sella Towers would still make a great day, but know I’d go home feeling disappointed. Friday morning the rain is beating on the tent and massive crashes of thunder don’t help ease the anxiety. After lunchtime coffee and pastry things are looking much better, so soggy tent stuffed in a bag and packed in the car, we make our way to Malga Ciapela and begin the trudge up to Refuge Falier, psyched for the Marmolada tomorrow.

Refuge Falier

Bags everywhere, the hut’s full of excited Italian Alpine Club kids, might not be great for making an alpine start, Wil draws the short straw and has to endure my snoring as well. 4.30 sees us munching down stale hut rolls and jam, will anyone notice if we pinch another? 5 o’clock, bet those guys are going for the same route, we set a good pace and at 6 o’clock start up Don Quixote, 750m of classic grade VI on the Marmolada south face. We make a head start over several other teams, moving together for the first few pitches, only a few slowdowns for route finding uncertainties.

Looking down on Don Quixote

“Be careful dropping rocks”, Wil says as we move steadily, pressured by the Italian guide following behind. Nevertheless, I place the camelot he hands me and clip in his rope as I move off the belay, thinking his client at least might appreciate a good belay. Later on he demonstrates super dexterity, somehow not dropping his phone while simultaneously chatting to pals “I’m on the Marmolada” and belaying, lighting up to ease the stress of poor mobile signal.

Half way scree ledges

Pitch 5 the climbing gets more challenging and we start pitching, and by mid morning we’ve reached scree ledges halfway up. We gobble down crumbly Italian pastry slices, which have somehow survived so far, while scrabbling to untangle a jumble of rope and keep our lead. Later on Wil learns that jacket pockets offer much less confectionery protection.

Wil on upper pitches

We keep our lead and start the more technical upper pitches. Awsome rock covered with pockets and water runnels, mostly around grade V but at 3000 metres it feels hard compared to the climbing earlier in the week. Taking the crux VI pitch, inadvertently following the slightly harder direct variation, I’m thankful for the fixed gear, tenuous smearing on featureless slabs for feet, pulling on insecure finger jams and strenuous laybacks. Reaching the belay, ecstatic on making it, Wil follows and leads through. Only grade V but after the crux it feels hard to me, we both just want the top now.

Sam on upper pitches

Atmospheric swirling mists make fingers numb and wooden, hot aches taking hold, but intermittent clearings to brilliant sunshine thankfully give warm relief. The last pitches seem to take forever, but actually not too long in real time, and at 2.30 we make the summit. Shattered, but psyched to be here, this feels like an achievement, the hardest alpine day either of us has experienced, proud to have made it.

Made it!

Time still to make the cable car down, summit shots then a couple of abseils down the north side onto the glacier. Wil goes first and unfortunately misses the second abseil, clinging nervously to uninspiring pitons and leaving me to re thread some marginally better gear. Typically the rope tangles, but eventually we reach the glacier and wade up soggy snow, with freezing wet trainers tumble into the top station. Back down, we stretch out over wooden benches and sip coffee, satisfied and happy to chill out, no more challenges waiting for now. Two guys approach and ask how it was, they’re going for the route tomorrow, we chat, feeling important that anyone’s interested.

Bavarian beer tastes good as we squander left over euros, and after snoozing uncomfortably in the car we wake up aching, looking forward to home. We reach Birmingham before hitting queues for passport control, mercifully tame this time, and chat to two guys with climbing packs.

Home now, excited to tell my stories and reminisce over experiences. Summer 2013, the Comici route on Cima Grande?

Looking up at the Marmolada

More photos from the trip: 
https://plus.google.com/photos/103929906942237290345/albums/5764669851753013153?authkey=CLGf2ev1q9OLEg