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Dolomites - via ferrata

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hatler:
Slightly long-shot request this I suspect, but you just never know with yacf.

Mini-hatler is pondering a post-exam escape to the Alps for perhaps a week. He fancies somewhere as cheap as possible (being a poor income-less student oaf), with the possibility of doing some via-ferrata.

The Dolomites leap out in all searches, and it's Italy, so that makes the food and accom cheaper than Switz.

Question, is there somewhere he could base himself (no car) and be close enough to enough accessible up to a day long VF routes to make this feasible ?

Many thanks.

hellymedic:
We stayed at David's family's Pension near Algund/Lagondo. There was a regular scheduled bus service to Meran/Merano.

valkyrie:
Lots of places would work, best thing would be to get a guide book first and decide what routes you want to do, then find a base that suits. As most of the towns are ski resorts in winter if you go early summer when they're just opening up but the Continental holidays haven't started you'll get some cracking deals.

Make sure you've got proper via ferrata climbing gear. It's tempting just to use a harness and a sling but on a big fall that could easily break your back.

Feanor:
I've based myself near Cortina d'Ampezzo before, for routes on Marmolada and nearby.

You do need to have a Kinetic Impact Shock Absorber to hook your harness to the Via Ferrata.
Something like this:
https://www.climbers-shop.com/10129625/products/climbing-technology-classic-k-set-via-ferrata-set.aspx
They are sold in every climbing shop in the area.

They are to protect the via ferrata as much as you!
The Via Ferrata is generally in poor condition, and a full impact fall can unzip it from the crumbling rock.
They also have two tails, so you can clip in one above an anchor point before un-clipping the lower one; so you are never unprotected.

The Dolomite is water-soluble, and is dissolving away day by day.
Expect lumps of it to come away in your hands.
Big friendly flakes to pull up on can come away in your hands and land on your head!
The high-traffic routes along the lines of the via ferrata ( esp. on Marmolada ) are *very highly* polished, and can be tricky going.

Watch out for the massive thunderstorms at 4pm every day!

F.

Phil W:
Corvara is a good place to base yourself for Via Ferrata. Cicerone Central Dolomites volume 1 is the guidebook you want.  There's camping a couple of miles out if he wants to go really cheap.

Fly to Venice. Ryan Air go there.  Bus to Santa Lucia station. Double decker air conditioned train to Belluno. Cost 10 euros for two of us going the opposite way four years ago. Journey time about 2 hours. From Belluno he can get a short Dolomiti bus ride to Corvara or indeed Cortina. Good public transport all around.

You can hire via Ferrata kit (including climbing harness, helmet etc.) in Intersport in Corvara.

Love the Dolomites been many times, including two weeks last summer.

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