UKC

Off to the Dollies (Vajolet) next week.

Although the forecast can change a lot in the week before we go, it's crap currently.
We only have a few days for climbing, but do have a car, so can be flexible.

Where would be a good "retreat" option if the mountains are clamped in cloud and rain? I have Arco/Sarca guidebooks, but might they be too hot in late June?

We'd prefer longish, easyish routes (we're hoping to do the Steger on Catinaccio - 18 pithces; VI-).

Thanks

In reply to JJL:

Don't give up on it just yet. I went out last year with a shocking forecast for storms every day, and climbed every day after the forecast improved the night before.

In reply to Cheese Monkey:

Yeah - here's hoping.

Looks like Arco if not.

In reply to JJL:
Cinque Torri can be an option in dodgy weather. Grand location and you can get back to the safety quickly.

Edit: My bad, I am bad at places in Dolomites. It's quite a bit of drive, but there's quite few options around that area if the weather turns out nice anyway.

In reply to JJL:

http://www.climb-europe.com/RockClimbingItaly/Finale-Ligure.html

In reply to JJL:
This is the most reliable website for Dollies weather...
http://www.arpa.veneto.it/previsioni/en/html/meteo_dolomiti.php

If you fancy wrestling with some Italian, the routes here are excellent...relatively new and MUCH less polished than most of the older routes.
http://www.arrampicata-arco.com/
The work of one man, Heinz Grill. I've done quite a few of his routes and they are all outstanding.

In reply to JJL:

The key is definitely to get up early and climb before the weather craps out. The forecasts nearly always look dismal and gloomy and the reality is often far removed. OK so you might not have wall to wall blue bird days but its quite likely that you will be able to get something done most days. For example we just had guests who went with a dire forecast and only ended up getting really wet on one of the days. If you really don't want to risk it, it may be better over on the austrian side as often the weather will get blocked by the mountains.

In reply to JJL:
You can find stuff to do around Arco even in the heat, fret ye not.

In reply to JJL:

We had to hurriedly leave in September due to unforeseen heavy snow (!) and retreated to arco/ northern lake Garda. Did some good VF and ragged it across the lake in a cat in the afternoons! Brilliant!

In reply to JJL:

This happened to me three years ago so I bought the Sidarta "Climbing without frontiers" guidebook and we had one of the best holidays ever, climbing in Val Rosata near Trieste and several venues in Croatia. We camped some of the time at Osp (Slovenia) though for the most part the faces there were too hot in the sun. To state the obvious we had to ensure that we climbed in the shade. Some pics on my profile.