Dolomites, 8th - 14th July 2023

Felix and I formed one rope, while Mario and his friend Rolf joined us as another on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We stayed on the Camping Alla Baita to the north of the Lago di Misurina. The shower and wash block here was very primitive, and I don't intend to go back there before this is improved.

Sat. 8th July: Torre Wundt, Mazzorana, IV+

Torre Wundt

Driving down from Germany we got to the campsite at the Misurinasee at 11:15 and set off for the Torre Wundt at about 12:00, reaching the start at maybe 13:30. We ignored the signs that it was clouding over and likely to start raining, and started climbing. Felix and I had reached the second belay and Mario and Rolf the first when it started to rain, whereupon we abseiled. I wondered at first whether we should have waited it out, but in fact it carried on and we were soaking wet by the time we reached the Fonda Savio Hut for a bowl of soup.

Sun. 9th July: Averau, Alvera, IV+

We left the campsite at around eight and got to the Fedare Hut on the side of the Passo Giau just before nine. From there we walked up to the top station of the chair lift and traversed across to the bottom of the easy ground at the bottom, then scrambled up to the bottom of the south face, which was not difficult, but exposed in places, and I wouldn't have liked to have come back down that way. There were lots of parties (five?) above us, and we had to wait for ages both to start and then at every stance. It was five o'clock before we got to the top.

Averau, Alvera, traverse pitch

The rightwards traverse in the fourth pitch was just super, with big hand- and footholds and just one mildly tricky move right before the next belay. This pitch was the best of the route, but there was some other worthwhile climbing on some of the others. The way down included a steep and exposed via ferrata. The next time I will take a via ferrata set with me, or at very least keep my harness on and clip in with a sling.

Mon. 10th July: Torre Wundt, Mazzorana, IV+

This time we completed the climb in good weather. Thick iron ring pegs at the first four belays. The third pitch is graded with III in the Bernardi guide, but is more like IV or IV+. According to Felix I placed nine runners on this pitch.

Torre Wundt, first abseil

We got the descent wrong at first. The correct descent is:

1. Walk over the summit ridge to an abseil anchor at its westernmost end.
2. About 10 m directly beneath this abseil anchor is the point where the gully a part of which is climbed by pitch 6 (Benardi guide) reaches its highest point before falling off again to the west. Abseil down from the summit ridge and down the westward side of the gully (rightwards looking out) to a ring anchor on the north side of the ridge connecting the main summit with the west summit, perhaps 20 m in total from the summit ridge.
3. Abseil several (three?) more times, each time about 20 m, to more ring anchors.
4. From the final ring anchor abseil as far as possible (e.g. almost 30 m if abseiling with a single 60 m rope), then descend an exposed path, trending leftwards (facing out, probably northwards or northwestwards). Skirt around the base of the cliffs on the north side of the mountain crossing one or maybe two cols until the top of the gully is reached which descends to the left of the south face, and descend this relatively easily to reach the bottom of the south face.

 11th & 12th July

Weather forecast uncertain and so went walking.

Thu. 13th July: Monte Popena Basso, Mazzorana, IV

We walked up the path starting just to the left of the Hotel Dolomiti on the side of the main road by the turning for Camping Alla Baita and Drei Zinnen. The the ground at the bottom of the face itself is flat, but the last few metres leading up to it are scree and rubble which are steep enough that a nervous partner might be glad of a rope.

Monte Popena Basso, Mazzorana

The route was pleasant with thick iron ring pegs and glued in pitons at the stances, other than at the top, at which there was just a piece of old rope tied to a dwarf pine, and good climbing almost throughout. Felix stepped on a loose block at the start of the last pitch, which fell the whole height of the route without hitting the face once before landing on the screes below. Before the rope came tight he scraped down the rock, getting scratches on one arm, both knees and one ankle. It started to rain just as Felix was seconding this pitch.

From the top we traversed about 30 m to the right (north) to meet up with a track which led upwards (south) to meet up with a marked footpath which traverses the mountain from north to south, and followed this in steady rain southwards over the summit, descending pleasantly and easily to the cluster of restaurants at the southern end of the Lago di Misurina.

Fri. 14th: First Sella Tower, Steger, IV+

From the Locomotive we headed along the left (north) side of ridge leading to the start, which ended in an exposed climb of a few metres to reach the foot of the route, for which we roped up. The next time I shall continue along the right (south) side of the ridge after the Locomotive.

On the First Sella Tower, Langkofel in background

I enjoyed the climbing more than I remember enjoying it last time. The best two pitches were those immediately above the rightwards walking traverse. Most stances had thick iron rings, but the stance at the right hand end of the traverse and directly below the crack of the first of these pitches only had one old peg, which I improved with a Friend and a Camalot. The second of these pitches had several pegs runners and one bolt. I found this easier than I remember it from my ascent with Ingo in October 2006.

Wrong descent from First Sella Tower

We got the descent wrong here too at first. We traversed the summit but then tried to descend the slopes to the left (looking out, i.e. the east) of the exit of the Trenker Crack, i.e. still on the First Sella Tower, finding a bolted belay before the ground steepened which looked like an abseil anchor. We abseiled almost the full 60 m from this, but the rope got stuck and didn't pull through. We then spent ages trying to find the way up the correct descent in order to rescue the ropes. After having reached the top of the route at half past four it was eight o'clock before we got back to the car.

The correct descent is: Traverse the summit of the First Sella Tower to the col connecting this to the Piz Ciavazes, and cross this col onto the Piz Ciavazes. Walk and then scramble down from here, following a path and at times cairns. This descent now has many bolts, so it should be possible to belay a nervous partner down here.

The last few feet back to flat ground

Felix and I down-climbed the last few meters from the abseil ring from which Ingo had insisted on abseiling seventeen years earlier. I also found this easier than I remember it from my visit with Ingo.