UKC

I have spent good time of youth (and I am still young) travelling alone, hitch-hiking around, eating virtually nothing and sleeping in ditches, bus stops, etc.. Now we've got a trip in mind to Italy, Dolomites and I (we) would like to be more organized as not having a shower for a week will probably make my climbing partner look for someone else! We are mainly interested in long and easy-ish (around HVS) multi-pitches.

Can someone tell me how to get around Dolomites as cheap as possible? Do we have to rent a car? If not, how do we get to places (hitching doesn't work as you need more time)? What city/town is the best to stay in? I am yet to buy a guidebook, so I don't know where most crags are. Currently we are 2, would it be okay to stay in a hostel/B&B or is it better ( = cheaper) to find few more people and rent car together, as well as rent a house?

Eating and surviving is easy. I'll find out more about insurance and other bits, but I hate planning things like accommodation! I tried to Google it, but there is no much use of it randomly checking towns.

Thanks. If someone has any suggestions regarding the climbing in Dolomites, I would appreciate.

In reply to PPP:

Cortina is a well located town, although a bit upmarket for sleeping in ditches. I believe it does have a campsite or you can check websites such as homeway.co.uk for privately owned holiday apartmants for rent. This will be cheaper with more people but that obviously depends on the size and cost of the apartment. Corvara is another popular options. Buy the Rockfax guide and it will help you pick a place.

Car hire seems like the easiest option. It's not that cheap but it gives you full flexibility and also takes care of your airport transfers which could be pretty pricey otherwise. You could always drive the whole way there to save a few more quid (maybe).

In reply to PPP:

Hey PPP, take a look at our website - we've just opened a climbers lodge in the central Dolomites, pretty much at the foot of Marmolada. We offer a 2-3 bed apartment and 4-6 apartments - we think the prices are pretty reasonable for the quality of accommodation, certainly cheaper than youth hostel back home! Let me know the dates and I can give you a more precise figure.

As far as multipitch goes and recommendations, well you have the Sella Pass, with the four towers, Civazes, and Cinque Dita - that's about a 30-40 minute drive depending on traffic. Theres Passo Falzarego which is about 25 mins away and that has Sass di Stria, Piccolo Lagozuoi, the Falzarego Towers, Cinque Torri and Tofana di Rozes. The Obviously you have Marmolada with 800m routes and Civetta with shorter and also much larger routes - the Solleder in the NW of Civetta is a serious HVS with 1400m of climbing! So you're not going to struggle to find things to keep you busy.

In reply to Oujmik:

Thanks a lot, that is helpful! Yeah, this time there's going to be less tramping.

Talked to an Italian today (randomly met at climbing wall), had a chat and he said that refuges is probably the cheapest option. I was always looking for hostels, but that's what I actually wanted! With a car, reaching it and visiting towns wouldn't be too difficult. Will get a guidebook soon too.

In reply to PPP:

With dinner, huts are usually around 40-50 euro's per person per night. If you plan carefully you can do it with public transport and cable cars pretty easily depending on what area you go to, you just have to design a route which starts at public transport and ends at public transport. Many of the ski lifts are open in the summer so that cuts down on some of the walking, but you have to accept that not all of the climbs are going to be macca hard or of the utmost quality and that it becomes more of a mountain journey with walking inbetween. It can make for a truly stunning trip.

In huts you can always eat your own food. You are not obligated to buy their dinner. For a place to sleep it's 10 - 70 euros depending on a hut. And always book in advance. Most of the huts will find you a place if you will just show up, but having a booking can save you from sleeping on the table or in a gear room.

In reply to Casa Alfredino:

With price of £370- £500 per week you are quite average for the region. And non-refundable deposit of 40% doesn't help.