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In 2001 I set out for the Alps with David and Bill on July 16th. David is another climber and while Bill is essentially a walker and skier, he's happy to be a bit more adventurous as long as he has experienced companions.
We headed first to the Ecrins, walked up to a pleasant hut - the Refuge Font Turbat where we had an excellent evening meal, but as there was no obvious continuation next day we retraced our steps, drove over the Montgenevre pass into Italy and landed up at Madonna di Campiglio in the Brenta Dolomites.
Overall view of the BrentaBy chance we stumbled on a hotel owned by a Finn - who raced Americas cup type yachts in his spare time
and as he had very few guests - It was the post dotcom-boom recession - , gave us a very good deal on a triple room and was generally very helpful
On the first day, we headed up the hills on the other side (North) of the village taking the Telecabin ( free as we were staying in the village) to Rifugio Pracalago - 2119m. We climbed up a ridge with a few cable aids - to M. Zeledria and on to Bocca dei Tre Laghi 2515m and M Nambino 2678m. From there David and I climbed the 2770m Cima di Laste and descended via Lagos Serodoli, Nero & di Nambino. We got good views of the Brenta - opposite
Here are the photos we came up this way again after the Brenta traverse so they are taken on more than one day
Top: The whole range of the Brenta from above Palon: The Lago di Nambino and Madonna di Campiglio nestle in the valley belowBottom: The Southern part of the Brenta from near the Lago Lambino. Bill studies the map and the Brenta from Monte Nambini. the Bocca di Brenta at the head of the Val Brenta Alta is right in the centre Top: The Lago Serodoli with 2693m Monte Serodoli far L. At the back the
3539m Adamello and the 3556m Presanella - far R - the two highest peaks in the "TrentoBottom: Beside the beautiful Lago di SerodoliTop: The Cima Presanello from near the Lago GelatoBottom: Near the top of the Cima di Lasti Footnote
David and I returned to climb the Presanello a couple of years later. The route sounded exciting: climb a glacier to a col: descend to another glacier: climb it and the snow ridge above to the summit It turned out to be almost entirely boulders. Such is the fate of so many of Europe's mountains the Brenta day 1 Next day our host was happy for us to leave stuff in our room and also gave us a ride to our lift station
as we took the Telecabin to the 2442m Passo di Grosti at the beginning of the Via Bochette - the traverse of this part of the Brenta, sarcastically called by the Germans - "the upper bicycle route" - on account I imagine of the large sections of flat ledges cut out of the cliff face: it is much more of a protected walk than a serious Via Ferrata
The first section is the Sentiero Alfredo Benini starting at the Passo di Grosti (top R) and continiuing to the Rifugio Tuckett - named after Francis Fox Tuckett - maybe the greatest of the Victorian alpinists Top At the Passo dii Grosti - start of the Sentiero Benini.
Bottom: Near the start - looking South to the Cima della Valazza and the Cima RomaAt the Bocchetta degli CamoschiBill following the way through a bergschrund Looking down Sourth East to the Lago di Molveno with the Cima Roma on the LThe problem with Italian Via Ferraras is that occasionally bits are "missing" - though not normally in serious places. We had to make at least one 10m descent unprotected. It wasn't difficult but there were thousands of feet of space below
Another problem was the considerable amounts of snow that filled the gullies burying the cables.
it was quite soft and it was easy to kick steps but we went across singly,
L: A typical flat section:
R: crossing a snowfieldL: Descending a steep section
R: Descending an exposed sectionThe Cima Sella from the Bocca Alta di ValsinellaThe path to the Tuckett descends between the towers of the Castelletto Superiore (L) and the Castelletto Inferiore (R)Descent path to the Tuckett below the Castelletto Superiore: the snowy col - centre R is the Bocca di TuckettFrom the hut - Evening sunlight on the cliffs around the Bocca di TuckettSunset from the hutDay 2Our routes Red Day 2:- from the Tuckett to the Pedrotti Rifugios
Yellow Day 3 from the Pedrotti back to Madonna via the Maria e Alberto:
Blue The section we missed out :
Red/Green the end of day 1From the Tuckett we took the Senterio SOSAT which is mostly a walking path with occasional ladders
Early morning on the Senterio SOSAT with the 3135m Crozzon di Brenta in the background Looking up tthe Val Brenta Alta to the Bocca di Brenta - centre R. The route goes up to the Bocca degli Armi -Top L - From there, the central section of the Sentiero delle Bochette threads its way through the Pinnacles to the Bocca di Brenta: the triangular peak right beside the col is the Brenta BassaThe Cima Tosa (L) and the Crozzon di Brenta from above the Rifugio Alimonta: Looking up to the Cima degli Armi with the Bocca degli Armi on its RLooking back to the Rifugio AlimontaFinal snow slopes to the Bocca degli ArmiFrom the Bocca - again looking back to the RifugioOn the central section: L first view of the Campanile Basso: on the L is the Cima Brenta Alta: the route passes beteween them to the Bochetta Campanile Basso
R: Campanile Basso close up: Two pictures on the complex section beneath the towers of the Campanile AltoLooking back North along the Bochette (the path is along the ledge - upper L) to the Cima degli SfulminiL: a small tower:
R: Resting befotre the descent to the Bochetta Campagnile BassoL: Bill hitching a lift somewhere on the "upper bicycle route"
R: looking down the Val Brenta Alta from the traverse beneath the Campagnile Alta L: The Campagnile Basso again
R: The Fehrmann route - which David and I went back to climb a couple of years later - starts bottom L climbs diagonally R into the vee groove and follows it to the big ledge on the L ( looks like a peak) where it joins the "ordinary" route. It's nothing like as steep as it looks : the grade is around MVS.
L: The route continues across this snow gully and up the ramp
R: at the top of the ramp it levels offApproaching the Bocca di Brenta - a ladder leads down on to the snowfieldAt the Bocca di Brenta looking down to the Rifugio Pedrotti et Tosa - our home for the night - with the 2615m Cros di Rifugio behindEvening storm clouds from the PedrottiEvening sky from the PedrottiDay 3We reurned to the Bocca, descended the stunning valley to the Rifugio Maria e Alberto al Brenei and continued back to Madoona
Early morning - looking down the Val Brenta Alta from the BoccaA mountain chapel in the valley below the cliffs: Behind are the Brenta Bassa, Cima Margherita, and Cima TosaA wider view from the Rifugio: the 50 degree snow/ice gully between the Tosa and tthe Crozzon is the Canalone Neri - first climbed in July 1929 by Virgilion Neri but now also the haunt of extreme skiers The guys - nearly back at MadonnaPostscriptBack at the hotel, after a rest day our host suggested that we join him , his sidekick and a group of three German guests on a visit to a restaurant in the neighbouring village. The owner travels to the coast every couple of weeks to buy (mainly) shellfish and on returning presents a special 24 course dinner
for a remararkaby reasonable price - equal to ca. £18.
We all piled into his landrover and drove the few miles there. It was very good, and undoubtedly the most memorable meal I think any of us had ever eaten. We washed it down with a local (light) white wine that came in 5 litre bottles. We drank three of them
- so I don't remember a lot about the later courses
However our host happily drove us back at the end - tough guys these Finns - and we slept particularly well
Next day we headed off to Austria and the Lechtaler