Dolomite Climbing Pioneers & Classic Climbs

Arrive in Alta Badia on your own (private transfer available on request) and check into your hotel. Located between 1,400 and 2,700 meters (4,593-8,858'), in a large valley surrounded all around by the gorgeous peaks of the Dolomites, Alta Badia is truly the “heart of the Dolomites.” Geographically in the South Tyrol (Südtirol), this area was part of Austria prior to the First World War. Here you’ll find unique mountain scenery with villages rich in natural beauty and ancient traditions, witness the simple everyday life of the local people (the “Ladini”), as well as the customs and traditions of the ancient Ladin culture.  
In the afternoon you will meet your UIAGM/IFMGA Professional Mountain Guide for a trip briefing and orientation, and to check the climbing equipment you will use for your exciting days in the Dolomites.

Before you begin climbing this morning, your guide will give you a lesson on climbing technique, equipment use, and safety. You’ll spend your first two days climbing two or three routes on the Sella Massif, with the first day as a warm up to prepare you for a more challenging route on day two. The Sella Massif is an enormous, fortress-shaped group of mountains. The mountain lies between the four Ladin valleys of the Dolomites:  Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Val di Fassa, and Livinallongo del Col di Lana. The Sella is truly a haven for outdoor sports. In the eastern area of this extensive massif, there a small group of three beautiful and little known peaks that enclose the north side of the Vallon basin: Sasso delle Nove, Sass dal Diesc, and Piz da Lec de Boe. From below, these three peaks create a sundial, visible from the village of Colfosco / Kolfuschg. All three of the peaks offer very good climbing routes, which is where you will spend your first two days climbing!

Option: Sella Massif, Vallon, Sasso delle Nove – Castiglioni-Detassis 1934 (250m / 820', Grade 4+)
This climb offers stupendous chimney climbing on good rock, and is likely the Vallon’s most popular climb.

Option: Sella Massif, Vallon, Piz da Lec – Castiglioni-Detassis 1934 (200m / 656', Grade 4, 6 pitches)
This is a very interesting route, and grows as you climb higher and higher, with the best climbing near the very top. It includes chimney, slab, crack, and overhang features, to make for an exciting climb! The climb is to the left of Via Ferrata Piz da Lech, and the approach and descent are relatively easy and unexposed.

Option: Sella Massif, Vallon, Sasso delle Dieci – Castiglioni-Detassis 1934 (290m / 951', Grade 4+)
This, your third climbing option for the first two days, follows a classic dolomite style chimney, with many spectacular sections. The descent is also very interesting, with many beautiful and exposed sections. All three of the routes were pioneered by Ettore Castiglioni and Bruno Detassis in early 1934. The routes Castiglioni and Detassis climbed together are well known for their beauty, as is to be expected from two individuals with such a degree of interest and concern for the aesthetics and style of their climbs.

Your climbing adventure continues on the Sella Massif, discuss today's climbing route with your guide and enjoy another great day out in the Dolomites.

The Sella Towers are a magnificent set of five distinct towers set at the westernmost part of the Sella Massif, the opposite side of where you have been climbing the past two days. These Towers are one of the most popular climbing destinations in Dolomites, both because of their scenic beauty and proximity to the Sella Pass – and consequently quick approach, and offer countless climbing routes. The Second Sella Tower, which you will climb on today, is the second from the south. It is 250-meters (820') tall, has a broad north face, and a sharp equally high northwest ridge. It is distinguished from the First Tower by a deep notch between the two.

Kasnapoff - II Torre del Sella NW Ridge ­– Kasnapoff-Zelger 1913 (345m / 1,150', Grade 4+, 12 pitches)
One of the best classic climbs on the Second Sella Tower is Via Kasnapoff. In 1913 Mrs. von Kasnapoff and M. Zelger ascended the west edge of second Sella Tower. This became known as a great outing on a “highly satisfactory classic route, providing an exciting climbing up a superb steep wall on excellent carved "dolomia" rich in holds.” At first the climb runs on the right side of a steep wall facing north. The second section of the route runs nearby the ridge, facing northwest. Different variants exist, and the climb requires a bit of instinct to find the correct route. The descent includes a mixture of hiking, down-climbing, and rappelling (abseiling).

The Torre Grande di Falzarego  (2,550m / 8,366') is a dolomite tower belonging to Fanis Group, near Passo Falzarego. The Torre Grande has a beautiful slender shape, with a grey and compact west face and a higher steep yellow and grey southeast face.

Spigolo Dibona – Dibona-Dibona-De Stefana 1934 (650m / 2,130', Grade 5)
The climbing route Spigolo Dibona is undoubtedly a must-do route, both because it is so enjoyable, and because it is a way to remember and celebrate the great, skillful climber Angelo Dibona. This classic Dolomites route provides a magnificent climb up the southeast wall, and offers a combination of crack, slab, face, traverse, and chimney climbing. This may be the finest climb of Torre Grande, a great climb on a sunny face.

Breakfast and departure on your own (private transfer available on request).