free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Yesterdays VF route had taken its toll on my hands - quite a lot of skin missing and blisters
so we headed into town to get better gloves, and it was later before we set out. The route we planned was near our B&B, so no need for the car, just up on a steep path, passed the cow sheds whose residents got driven down to the field opposite us at 7AM every morning to wake us up with the jingle jangle of their alpine balls. It was a joy to watch the cows frolicking as they were reunited after a night in their individual pens.
We walked up the road into Puez Odle Natural Park, where there was an informative sign suggesting the best way t warm up for your walk, and good techniques for nordic walking.
The park was serene, and we took the left hand track toward the Via Ferrata.
It was hot, and the track was steep, so didn't take long to get a sweat on. Unfortunately we started to meet folk walking back down saying the VF was closed, the rumour being that the wire had been cut away as there were some rare nesting birds on the route.. I didn't want to disturb them, but we were pretty disappointed.
We decided to go up for a look, not wanting to believe them
We were almost up, when we saw the gulley to the right of our route, looked brill for a scramble
We were soon ascending, finding plenty of rocky bits for interest. The gully also accomodating the service lit for the rifugio on the plateau. The views across the valley started to open up as we got higher.
After a couple of hundred vertical metres of river bed and fun scrambles, we found ourselves coming up to a fairly substantial obstacle - a giant chokstone which someone had comically put a log under to make it look that it was all that was holding it up.
We went under the chokstone, it may of been possible to scramble up inside, but with a waterfall coming down the rock was very slippy. The other option was a small, rusty, baggy via ferrata, up the vertical right hand wall of the gully.
I took to the VF first, finding that the wire held quite firm, despite its appearance
There was a huge heave over at the top and when I looked back, it looked like it should of been very scary indeed! I still felt lucky to have found a secret VF, even if it was just up a short distance.
I could hear Dougie behind, but he sounded like he was having troubles so I returned along the upper ledge to see how he was doing. He didn't like the baggy cable and didn't trust it enough to hang on and trust in friction on a section with no holds. He retreated down and sat on a rock saying that he wasn't trying again, and he didn't want to die here..
I didn't think I could get back down that big haul at the top, so I shouted back that despite appearances, the cable was safe. He had a really bad case of the wobbly legs though, and wasnie up for it.. I shouted that it was a lot easier than the VF we had done yesterday, and we sat there at an empass for a good while while the jelly legs subsided..
Dougie finally decided to give it another go, this time getting his gear out and clipping to the cable for protection. He made it up with only a little coaxing - Yaay
More stream bed took us up to delightful sustained scramble up a rib, and the river bed got better after that for scrambling up
After a couple of hundred more metres of this, I was disappointed that the rock ran out and a little further up we came to yet another cave and waterfall which could of been another obstacle, although there was easier ground to the right if we had gone back a bit..
But there was a nice rake to the side, which gave a good long scramble, even though there were a few big loose rocks that came away in our hands and rolled down menacingly..
From there there were quite a few rocky patches and lots of stream bed to explore, so we took different routes - Some of the moves were quite tricky, but we were seeking out the best rock, so easier alternatives available
The gully had started to open up now, but the higher we got, the more ascent ahead was revealed..
The stream had carved a gorge within the gully, and we were forced out onto the grassier banks, steeply upward passed a solitary pine, where we stopped for lunch. We were seeing out of the gully now, and the surrounding hills took our breath away.
It was then a steep slog under overhanging cliffs on our left. My legs felt like lead and I was out of breath in a way I hadn't experienced before. it took a while
We eventually got round the top of the cliffs and back round left to get on top of them. Local sheep with funny faces watched on, jingling their bells and obviously very unsure if we were friend or foe.
All of a sudden, we were at the rifugio, and enjoyed a cool beer in the sun, and the company of a Beagle
It was then just a case of a quick march down (and sometimes up) the path - First No.17 then 17a, which is known locally as the expressway
We were soon back down in Selva in time to meet the cows coming home.
Shame the route was closed, but we had so much fun in the end it didn't matter - something satisfying about finding your own way instead of relying on cicerone all the time
