Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Vol 2: Southern Dolomites, Brenta and Lake Garda

by Graham Fletcher, John Smith

Overview

Guidebook to the via ferrata routes of the southern Italian Dolomites. This guide covers via ferrata routes in the major mountain ranges of Civetta, Schiara and Pala as well as those to the west in the Brenta. A significant addition (and, as far as we are aware, not previously published in any English language guidebook) is the inclusion of routes around the northern end of Lake Garda and the Piccole Dolomites north of Vicenza. Here the mountains are generally lower and you can enjoy ferrata climbing over a much extended season, with some routes accessible for most of the year. This is the second in a series of two guidebooks to the via ferratas of the Italian Dolomites. (Volume One covers the eastern, northern and central areas of the Dolomites, while Volume Two completes the picture, focusing on the southern, Brenta and Lake Garda areas.)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849653633
Publisher:	Cicerone Press
Publication date:	02/17/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	16 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

John Smith has been walking and climbing around the world for around 30 years. He has a passion for Via Ferratas, and this volume is the result of many enjoyable days in the Dolomites. Graham Fletcher started climbing over 30 years ago. After a busy professional career he took early retirement and has now returned to climbing.
Graham's love of mountain sports started when, at the age of 14, he was dragged up his first VS by the noted Yorkshire climber, Alan Austin. Climbing remained a major passion until it had to take second place behind a busy professional career, which allowed for little more than annual holidays throughout the alpine regions. After retirement he and wife Meg moved to the west coast of Ireland where, living in the midst of the Twelve Bens, he had the opportunity to make up for lost time! However, Graham, and wife Meg, have incurably itchy feet! After Ireland, they spent some years dividing their time between the Lake District and the Dolomites, before settling for a while in Italy. Home for the next few years was a little village at the foot of Mt Agner, one of the giants of the southern Dolomites. Graham had begun his exploration of the Dolomites as far back as 1997. He was immediately drawn to climbing via ferratas, partly by the sheer audacity of the bigger routes, but also by their historic resonance. Exploration of the area round Lake Garda showed that climbing via ferratas could also be a year-round activity, not just confined to the summer climbing season. After the years spent researching the guidebooks with old friends John and Marion, Graham and Meg are now able to make time for other mountain sports, such as mountain biking and skiing. However, perhaps inevitably, their feet have started to itch again, and they recently sold up to head for pastures new. Watch this space!
Although John has a great love of travel, walking and climbing mountains around the world, he moved to Leeds over 30 years ago and has a firmly rooted base in beautiful Wharfedale in Yorkshire.  Having said that he is a member of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club in the Lakes and “compleating” the Munros has spent many splendid mountain days in Scotland. His first visit to the Dolomites was not until 1998 when he fell in love with the spectacular mountains, culture and Via Ferratas. John talked himself and Marion into jobs working with a fledgling Colletts Mountain Holidays spending two full summers in Arabba.  In ticking off VF routes with a growing passion, he recognised the need for an up to date English language guidebook and also found that many routes existed which were not printed at all in English. A friendship with Graham and Meg Fletcher led to the guidebook writing project for Cicerone Press. Even though a lot of hard work was involved, the project was really rewarding; researching the routes and working with Graham was a shared labour of love with many enjoyable and exciting days in the Dolomites.   As well as re-visiting favourite VF routes, a continuing love affair with Italy has led John and Marion to spend time in the Sibillini mountains (Umbria) and Gran Sasso (Abruzzo). Further research considered the possibilty of another VF book covering the far north eastern corner of Italy, the Carnia / Julian Alps. Although several good routes were climbed in the area John decided not to take on any further guidebook work and now leads walking holidays with HF Holidays and has plenty of ideas for new personal mountain travels. (However much you do, there’s always plenty of new things out there waiting.)

Table of Contents

CONTENTS Route Listing Key to Diagrams Preface INTRODUCTION How to use this Guide Route Groupings When to Go Travel to the Dolomites Accommodation Local Transport Telephones Map Availability and Place Names Weather Route Grading Equipment Cable Etiquette What to Wear? Accidents and Mountain Rescue Some History Geology Flora Wildlife ROUTES AND BASES Bolzano Valle di Primiero and San Martino di Castrozza Agordino Belluno Bassano del Grappa Vicenza Brenta Trento Riva, Lake Garda Rovereto APPENDIX 1: Glossary of Mountain Terms APPENDIX 2: Index of Routes in Grade Order APPENDIX 3: Index of Routes by Mountain Group APPENDIX 4: Mountain Rescue APPENDIX 5: Useful Addresses APPENDIX 6: Bibliography