UKC

I'm heading to the alps with my parents and brother for a week in early August for some hiking. We'll be based in Sesto/Sexten, close to Tre Cime in the Dolomites. While I'm climbing (mostly bouldering, recently started a bit of lead, and also more scrambling/light mountaineering), my family are just hikers.

Now I would still really like to do some VF with them - I've done one before in Slovenia (was a 'hard' one, apparently), but for my non-climbing family I naturally want the easiest/least scary introduction possible. I know VF were established to make peaks that usually require rock climbing experience and gear accessible for normal hikers, but there seems to be a modern trend to establish 'sport VF' that don't necessarily follow the 'logical' (i.e. easiest) path up, but are much more challenging, and that's obviously not what I am after for my family :P

So I would be really glad about advise as to which are the easiest (based on technical difficulty, necessary endurance and also exposure/'scary' level) VF in the Val Pusteria/Tre Cime area?

Some I have found and that are graded easy (A/B) include the Rotwandklettersteig, VF Paternkofel, VF Monte Piano and the Bonacossa VF. Are these suitable for beginners?

In reply to Removed UserFuchs:

Rotwand, Piano & Bonacossa are good for beginners. The ascent to the summit of Paternkofel has 10-15metres of strenuous climbing. Torre Toblin has 2 routes one medium, one slightly easier usually used in descent. Strada Alpini is a protected path with good views and links to the Rotwand to make a long day with huts en-route. The waterfall ferrata (Giovanni Barbara) between Dobbiaco & Cortina is a nice route, good if the weather is poor. It`s been re-equipped an is now Grade 2, not 1 as per Cicerone guide

In reply to yelotango:


When did the grade increase? Did it September last year and thought grade 1 was fair.

You say the group are hillwalkers, have they done any scrambling before in the UK? If so I would have thought that they would probably get on OK with Grade2, which are often awkward and exposed rather than actually difficult climbing. Best advice would be to get them on a grade 1 first to learn how to use the gear and build up confidence.

In reply to Jenny C:

My family is German and based there, I live in Scotland. They have done a couple of normal walking/hiking holidays in the Alps, on trails, but never done any scrambling/climbing/mountaineering. So I'll definitely start with a Grade 1 (we are talking British scrambling grades here, I guess?), and if they like it and feel confident enough, maybe something slightly harder. But I doubt we'll do more than two or three VF, considering we only have about a week, and they mostly want to hike.

In reply to yelotango:

Sounds good, will probably have a crack at some of these three then.

In reply to Removed UserFuchs:
Yes I was thinking UK scrambles.

From what I remember most of monte piano was nice, one tricky bit at the start but if they can get past that fine apart from loose scree paths which I would assume they would be familiar with. Also a walking route to bypass the vf of they can't get started. We did it a 3 years ago after a bad winter and the cables were in very poor condition or even missing in places, but would assume it had since been repaired. (Take a small headtorch, lots of ww1 tunnels to explore on the summit.)

Possibly to far too drive, but a well worth doing wet option is cable car up and tunnels down at lagazuoi. Don't need vf kit but torch essential and would recommend helmet. Can also walk up to the left (cabled in places but barely a vf) before descending tunnels, again an open air museum of ww1 history and totally fascinating (although the descent is hard on the knees!).

Same area so again possibly to far too travel, but a very short easy vf which links in well with walking is ra gusela. For something slightly more challenging leave family at the cafe to recover and pop up averau whilst your there.

In reply to Jenny C: cicerone swebsite

CORT 1: VF Giovanni Barbara

This route has been re-cabled and, although short, it is now Grade 2, so use of VF kit is recommended. After passing behind the waterfall and through a cleft in the rock, cable and stemples take you down to the gorge floor. Follow paint way-marks on a path in the gorge to a set of steep engineered steps to the left, which climb to a fine viewpoint. Other work in the area has set up a ‘Sentieri dei Canyons’, including other waterfalls, and it is well worth your time on a rainy day. Information (in Italian only) is available at www.regole.it/DocAppr/LibrettoCanyon.pdf.

In reply to yelotango:
Thankyou.

I would still say very easy for the grade, and whilst cabling has improved wouldn't say the route has changed since we first did it. Didn't have protection last year and only one place I missed it, although it is now more exposed due to a landslide so feels more scary at the start.

Route further up the valley is even easier and shorter, but worth doing.

To the OP I would say take gear - the steps mentioned in the post above cuts out the second section of the VF which has one awkward step to downclimb. If taking this you will miss the new VF further up the valley (so maybe do that first before the waterfall route)

In reply to Removed UserFuchs:

We've just come back from Tre Cime and I would say the VF are very popular (even in early July!) I would advise avoiding weekends, the Paternkofel is particularly popular with groups of beginners. However it is a lovely route, it has very few difficulties, low exposure (or avoidable exposure), plus it has great views, historical interest & a refugio at each end! Pack your patience!
I loved Giovanni Barbara great for a wet day but there is an exposed down climb on stemples, my kids were fine but maybe parents might not be -However you can just walk behind the waterfall and return the same way.

In reply to Jenny C:


By gear I assume you mean VF gear, not trad gear?^^ If so, yes, of course we will hire VF lanyards (and harnesses for the family). Also planning to get a couple of screw-gates and slings for little rest stops in between.

In reply to SuePearson:


I guess we'll just have to pick weekdays then and get a very early start.

In reply to Removed UserFuchs:

Yes VF gear.
Although as I said above it is easy enough climbing that I felt OK doing it unprotected - wouldn't recommend this to others though (personal risk assessment based on previous knowledge of the route) and certainly not for your parents if they don't have a climbing background.