Saturday. Sunny. Clear skies. We decide to do a via ferrata on Paternkofel near the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. After breakfast we head off, not realising we’re about to join the rest of Italy (and a few other countries) who all decided to converge on the Tre Cime! By the time we get there the …
Tears on Tomaselli…
Via ferrata Tomaselli was the first via ferrata I climbed, way back in 2004. In the process I discovered that ferratas are a whole lot of fun! So the next year I came back, this time with an itinerary that included some top grade ferratas! And in the years since I’ve dragged my friends along, …
Success on the tower of Sabbioni
I wake at about 5 am with the sound of raindrops on the tin roof of the rifugio. A few minutes later the pitter-patter turns into a downpour Noah would have thought was the start of the great flood. Thunder crashes and rolls across the hut. It sounds like we won’t be climbing Torre dei …
Realistic beginning…
Monday. After a leisurely breakfast, having decided that Sorapiss is out of reach for today, I suggest to Barbara that we take an easy walk to Rifugio Galassi, at the base of the climb to Antelao. Perhaps a somewhat more realistic beginning to our nearly three weeks trekking in the Dolomites. About an hour later, …
Rifugio San Marco
Sunday. Today we’re making our way to the beautiful rifugio San Marco, where we’ll be based for the next few days. Ever since my first visit many years ago, after a particularly long day in wet treacherous conditions, coming from rifugio Vandelli via ferrata Vandelli, when Andy and I arrived after almost all the dinner …
It’s Dolomiti time…
Climbing and hiking in the Dolomites during July and August has become a summer holiday ritual for me. For the past 17 years, I’ve spent every July/August bar 2016 amongst the massifs that make up the Dolomiti. To me, it has become ‘Dolomiti time’. Over the years I’ve had the company of some of the …
Change of plans…
As soon as we set foot on the mountain, we realised that we’ll need a change of plans… A quick search last night for a possible trip led us to Graustock Klettersteig in the Engelberg area. Into the bag went the ferrata kit, along with the new superlight cutting board I got for father’s day, …
Back to Brüggler!
Barbara’s had a tough week and decides not to join Bert and I climbing. Instead she’ll go off and do something ‘less energetic’ – like a five hour walk from Arosa to Davos. Much needed (and treasured) time just to herself! So we head back to Brüggler… When I let Bert know, he says “ok, …
Mythen. Mystified. Miffed…
A few years ago Barbara and I were on top of a peak or ridge somewhere when she pointed out the Grosser Mythen to me. Since then, we’ve often talked about climbing this impressive free-standing peak. Its name apparently deriving from the latin word ‘meta’ for pyramid or cone, the Grosser Mythen, rises almost 500 …
A Sunday stroll
Trying to find the best weather, we discovered that the Engelberg region would be dry, even if not exactly sunny. We thought we’d take a look at Titlis from the other side of the valley for our Sunday stroll. We set off somewhat earlier than the day before and from Engelberg station we make our …