Dolomites!!!

Once Will had planted the seed of an idea in my head it wasn't about to be dislodged. I'd been hoping to make a return trip ever since I left 3 years ago, so I pounced on the idea and quickly transformed it into a plan. And so, on a Thursday evening early in July, Will and Adam descended on Watford, we packed my Skoda to the roof and set off for a 1am ferry from Dover.

Note to self - next time we're flying. The low point was being stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of Strasbourg city centre, having planned to avoid France as much as possible. But eventually we reached our apartment in Colfosco, just up the valley from Corvara and directly beneath the towering walls of the Sella Group range of mountains.

The Sella Group seen from Colfosco. The Brigata Tridentina VF skirts to the right of the series of waterfalls in centre frame

Via ferrata was the main draw of the week. The beauty of this style of climbing is that you can reach some incredibly exposed positions in relative safety and with minimal gear, and you can move many times faster than pitching as a pair and placing gear. And of course you can always haul yourself up on the cable, which results in aching biceps after a few days!

Highlights of the week include the Col dei Bos ferrata, which is also a military training ground. On our return to road level, we were greeted by a spread of soldiers advancing up the slope towards us, rifles out! Nearby are a preserved series of tunnels dug into the mountain during WWI to attack an Austrian position. These tunnels are open to explore and give a glimpse of the horrors of that war.

Adam and Will on the Col dei Bos ferrata, military vehicle in the background

Towards the end of the week we also tackled the famous Brigata Tridentina, succeeding in climbing most of the route hands on rock only, and enjoying the final climax of the spectacularly positioned and slightly rickety bridge.

Other highlights include our midweek "rest" day, which we spent downhill mountain biking in the pouring rain, and a birthday trek across the Marmolada glacier, during Will couldn't quite work up the courage to jump into a [tiny] crevasse.

A tiny crevasse on the Marmolada, which Adam and I jumped into. You can see the bedrock in this photo

The biggest adventure however was on our very first day out, still tired from the drive the day before. More to follow on that...

Unfortunately, any designs on Civetta were put on hold by the large quantities of snow which lingered from a heavy winter. Civetta is not a mountain to be trifled with. Needless to say, I will be back some day to settle this score...

Ultimately it was a thrill to be back, climbing via ferrata routes and ticking off some summits. It feels good to have our first season under our  belts and be back in one piece!

Day 1 - Vallon VF, Piz Boe summit
Day 2 - Sassongher summit
Day 3 - Col dei Bos VF and summit, Lagazuoi (WWI) tunnels
Day 4 - Mountain biking
Day 5 - Sandro Pertini VF
Day 6 - Brigata Tridentina VF
Day 7 - Marmolada hike and birthday drinks
Day 8 - Hungover hike and packing up!

Tofana di Rozes from Col dei Bos

Panorama of the Fanes mountain group

The Sella Group, seen from the flank of the Marmolada