UKC

Hi, planning a trip across Europe in the summer, with the final destination being about a week in the dolomites, with the aim of doing a bit of everything the area has to offer. We've got about 16 days in total, aiming to visit and stay various places on the way, then probably a long drive on the way back.

Obviously visiting font is an idea on the way, and my girlfriend wants tother see Paris, so 2 birds with one stone as they say. Just wondering about lower end bouldering for her?

From there I've heard about sport climbing around dijon, anyone have an idea of it being worth a visit?

Diga di luzzone, as in the dam in Switzerland. Anyone done this and reccomend it? Quite fancy it, and feel it would be comfortably within my grade, even with the length. But any advice about the grading would be good, mainly with ignore being on the edge of what my girlfriend would climb comfortably.

Any other reccomendations would be good, and obviously there is going to be via ferrata across the alps on the way but I'm unfamiliar. Also any advice about the dolomites is more than welcome. In the early stages of planning at the minute but the tunnel is getting booked in the next week hopefully.

Cheers

In reply to 0153453:

There are via ferrata books that cover the whole of France, and a separate one for Switzerland. Dolomites obvious multiple choices of guide. Personally I'd look at combining the Dolomites with Austrian Alps. Either way, enjoy.

In reply to 0153453:

Last time we went to the Dollies we went via Luxembourg (cheap gas) Germany (free motorways) Garmish Partenkirchen (good via ferratas) and Austria. Came back via Switzerland (Handegg) and Chamonix (Aig du Midi!)


Chris

In reply to 0153453:

The Frankenjura.

In reply to 0153453:

Hello, me and some friends drove over and did the dam some years ago. At the time f6c+ was my limit with loads of work and a short route (could only onsight f5-6a), but i managed fine with loads of rests on the rope. We were really caught off guard by the 30m pitch length and just didn't have the stamina to do whole pitches. Even so, great fun!

If memory serves, there is a restaurant which u pay 10euros per person to climb it. This unlocks the ladder at the base to establish you on the route, as the climb starts 3-4m up.

In reply to 0153453:

Have spent ten years on via ferrata holidays. Called klettersteigs in german speaking countries (Germany and Austria). Can thoroughly recommend the Zugspitze near to Garmisch and the Innsbrucker in Austria (above Innsbruck) but there are many more from easy to very difficult depending what you want, almost too many to choose from.

Only been to the Dolomites once in 2013 but going back again this summer. We did Brigata Tridentina to name one which was awesome but is very popular so expect long queues if you do it in August. Also well worth a visit to see Tre Cime di Laverado and the via ferratas in that area. Again the choice is endless depending which bit of the Dolomites you go to. You wont be disappointed.

As you probably know Cicerone do two good volumes on Via Ferratas in the Dolomites and Rockfax has recently produced a guide (mostly sport routes with some trad but a good helping of Via Ferrata too). There are many more available in german language and italian and no doubt french. The later guides cover more than the English guides and are not to hard to understand even if you don't speak the language.

Just one more point those Via Ferratas in the South Tyrol have german and italian names which can confuse until you get used to it.

Have a great trip when you go.

In reply to 0153453:

I've always done it the way Chris suggests - France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Italy. There is climbing in the Pflaz Wald in Germany on sandstone which looks very similar to grit. There is also climbing in the Ardeche by Namur in Belgium. Then obviously there is climbing in Austria. All that splits it into 3 very manageable chunks. Plus you can nip into the vineyards in the Pfalz - some excellent German wine there. Forget the Blue Nun. This is proper.

On the way back this time for a change I took the expensive route and went through Switzerland. The Vignette was 40 Euro's and the tolls on the Austrian roads added up too, but I got from Innsbruck to Arras in a 12 hour day. Don't forget that driving down the spine of the alps by going down through france can take a long time. It's windy roads all the way. Better to aim for the middle of the alps and do half of it. For example, driving from Col di Rocca to Chamonix last year was an 8 hour trip on the motorways! It's further than it looks on the maps! You could check out the Bregaglia which means you go through Switzerland so you could stop and look at the Swiss alps. Albigna is supposed to have some very nice climbing. You can also boulder in Val di Mello and Val Masino, and from there to the main Dolomites is about a 4 hour journey. Just make sure you leave enough time for the Dolomites as they are fab!