UKC

Hello All, 

The girlfriend and I are planning to do the VIA DELLE BOCCHETTA in the early season (starting ~20th June) 

I'm keen to do the high elevation Via delle Bocchette Alte Sentiero Bochette Alte (VF) (VF4C) section 

A. Anyone here with experience on the route in early season? 

B. I'm assuming crampons are required (?) but would strap-ons be sufficient or do I need boots that can take semi-automatics? 

As most of the route on rock I'd prefer to take my comfy Scarpa Mescalito Mid's. 

Thanks!

I have done it 4 times, and always use G10 style crampons on scrambling boots.

It's great, enjoy!

Awesome thanks!

Mescalitos it is then! 

Any other tips/recomendations? 

@johney Was that the whole traverse 4 times? 

How many days did you do it in? 

OK, I've had to turn back without ice gear at the permanent snow couloir mentioned in guidebooks & shown on the Bergsteigen topo in July before - wire was buried. The Garbari ledge/band was also covered in knee-deep sugar snow which your foot would plunge through to skid sideways off the 6" of ice at the bottom which was no fun. Tuckett and Alimonta 'glaciers' will also ideally require crampons first thing in the morning - the paths down them get turned into soft 'ski tracks' in the afternoons by people descending and re-freeze bullet hard overnight making them seriously unpleasant first thing in the morning - too hard to kick steps.  You'd go a looonng way over hard ice studded with fallen rock pieces if you slip. I've bought myself edelrid 6-point strap-on crampons for future attempts!

Thanks for the beta, 

Yeah boots + Strap-on crampons, Walking axes and maybe (?) a short rope is the plan I think