UKC

Hi,

Off to the Dolomites on Saturday, was wondering if anyone knows of any Internet sites that show routes or can suggest any trail runs in the area. We are hoping to do Via Ferrata for most of the holiday but may need an alternative looking at the weather forecast for the first few days.

Thanks

Phil

In reply to phil27uk:

I can't help directly, but if you're on Strava, look at Activity or Segment explore for the region you're going to. You can get an idea for the routes that might work when you see what other people have done. Because it uses Google maps though, you would need something a bit more local/detailed when you're actually there - I usually find it a good jumping off point.

In reply to phil27uk:

I often just look at races..

There's one here, looks a classic up hill style mountain race. The map is lower down on it.

http://www.gherdeinarunners.it/files/pdf/val_gardena_mountain_run_2015.pdf

I think thats the one, looks to finish on a summit I think.

https://www.strava.com/activities/166111534

In reply to phil27uk:

Italy is not well served by online maps. Your only real option is to get the Tabacco 25k map.
Printed on paper of such poor quality your map self destructs.

But there are trails all over the place and waymarked.

Mmm.. but it's about dodgy weather. When I was in Val Gardena with t'other half, 11yo daughter and risky weather in August last year and we thought it best to run away from a summit, not towards one. This is what the same weather did further NE when we were hastening down through a near-continual 90 minute thundery hailstorm (Italian): http://www.montagna.tv/cms/65681/fulmine-sul-peralba-un-morto-e-un-ferito-s...

phil27uk: FWIW every day the weather forecasts said thundery/stormy in the afternoon that is what was delivered to the mountains... sleet, snow, hailstorms and of course, lightning. We did manage a few VFs in mostly sunshine but started very early, aiming to be heading down by mid-day at the latest and sipping cappuccino somewhere by around 2pm. The one where we ran away was a later start because we'd had to catch a bus there.

In reply to Pique Boo:

I just took that as narrow weather windows, with via ferrata you can get caught out, with trail running in a lot of these areas you can be in a cabin or lower down as soon as you see clouds build. Just build routes passing frequent shelter,which most do.

That's what I've always done anyway.