Dolomites Beta

Hey everyone, just looking for some Dolomites beta. My plan is to rent a car or van and travel this way. Anyone have any experiences with that. What made your life easier/harder? If it is too expensive to do that, I may end up just staying in a room near. What would be the main area you want to be if you did it that way.

For rope, should I bring 1 80m, 1 70m, or 2 60m?

Planning on bringing a double rack for gear.

 Any tips/beta is appreciated, thanks in advance! 

I'm Italian, but live in the USA, so when I go to the Dolomites I don't rent, but use my family's car. Anyway, a car is mandatory because the area is quite vast and public transportation limited (and hitchhiking not as welcome), you won't have the flexibility of starting early or reaching the start of the approaches by staying in a room with no car.

Double ropes are standards in the Alps (60m) because routes are equipped for double rope rappels. As far as rack, what I've seen most commonly is a set of cams (totems often) and nuts, classic routes have often plenty of pitons, and belays as well. Very useful to carry also a few pieces of kevlar cord for rock spikes and threads.

What time of the year are you planning to go?

A range of discussion and suggestions in this UKC thread - some of it useful:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/a_few_notes_from_the_dolomites-772790

I have found James Ruthforth's book The Dolomites to be a good resource. Definitely want a vehicle to get around. Also while the distances may be not far, the road are slow traveling unless you are on a motorcycle.

Thank you all so much for these responses! All of this is great information and just what I wanted to know!

I'm arrive in Italy on August 8th. 

Renting a car to sleep out of. Glad to hear I made the right decision there!

Thanks again everyone!!

Oh one other to add regarding renting a vehicle. This last trip I rented in Müchen (Munich) and drove south. That was cheaper than renting a vehicle in Milano (Milan) and driving east.

Van/car is 100% the way to go. 70m rope is fine. Buy Via Ferrata gear. Its hard to do big multipitches everyday to maximize a vacation (you need rest eventually). Its easy to do via ferratas and ride lifts down for 10 days straight. You can get on some big, awesome mountains this way. 

Get a guidebook - the RockFax Dolomites book worked great for me. 

Amazing info! Thank you all so much!

Rent a van in Munich with seats that fold down. Use your CC insurance or buy travel insurance to cover the car and don’t pay rental car insurance (Italy rental won’t honor your CC insurance usually). Sleep near the trail head the night before then get up early and hike in. This is the poor person method. Camping costs as much as a flat so rent a flat if you stay in one place a long time

Rack for trad Alpine routes is single set of cams single set of wires and 6-8 Kevlar threads (mandatory). Bring long slings / alpine draws -12-15. Twin ropes 60 meter (pitches are short, more rope is a waste). Helmet mandatory- lots of loose rock on trad limestone. If you are on a classic follow the polish. If it’s too loose and sharp you are off route or on a less traveled route. 

I usually bring a 70 meter and don't bother with the double ropes. Euros make fun of me, but I haven't run into any real issues yet... I do like a lot of the sport climbing in the area too, so a single rope is nice for that. Similarly I haven't figured out how to buy or carry kevlar cord, but I haven't done any of the "harder" or more obscure routes. 

Buy the threads in the climbing shop. Have them cut them. Fold over and tie an overhand knot. Clip to your harness. At any thread spot (connected holes, etc) you hang on with one hand and using teeth and other hand push it thorough the hole tie an overhand knot and clip a biner to it. Some routes this will be a singnificant part of your pro. Even your belay.
A single rope is fine. Until it isn’t. You don’t know until it isn’t. If your not sport climbing and you are in Alpine setting (especially limestone where trad gear options are less) with all the issues of weather and rock fall and unknown escape options - single 70’is not always enough . At least not on some of the towers and routes  I have climbed there. An option is to bring a 70 meter 9.2 single line for leading and sport climbs plus a second thinner twin rope to pair with it for mountains. Gives you both options depending on the route, weather, seriousness, etc. I have done that for trips when I intend to sport climb a fair amount  too. 

Everyone's info is awesome. So I ended up renting before seeing the Munich beta.

 My gf and I will be in a jeep for a little over a month. renting from Venice, where my flight is. 

Decided to bring 2 ropes so i can do whatever i want!!!!

I'll go to gear shop for kevlar upon arrival. Is the gear shop near dolomites?

also will be going other areas in Italy. Hit me with your favs!

thanks agin everyone for the info. A few new questions have arose.

Does anyone know how hard it is to get a portable stove? Single burner fine? And do packets (like tasty bite) packets exist there? We won't have a cooler/fridge so planning on packets or canned food.

Potter Wonderlandwrote:

Everyone's info is awesome. So I ended up renting before seeing the Munich beta.

 My gf and I will be in a jeep for a little over a month. renting from Venice, where my flight is. 

Decided to bring 2 ropes so i can do whatever i want!!!!

I'll go to gear shop for kevlar upon arrival. Is the gear shop near dolomites?

also will be going other areas in Italy. Hit me with your favs!

thanks agin everyone for the info. A few new questions have arose.

Does anyone know how hard it is to get a portable stove? Single burner fine? And do packets (like tasty bite) packets exist there? We won't have a cooler/fridge so planning on packets or canned food.

If you land in Venezia, you can stop at one of the Oliunid shops (www.oliunid.it) on your way to the Dolomites, or stop in Arco (just a short detour from the A22 freeway exit), that has plenty of climbing shops.

I don't know about the stove. As far as packets, we Italians love and take food too seriously to rely on that crap! Seriously, most supermarkets won't have a large selection of packet food, mainly it's risotto packets. But you can certainly stock up on pasta and canned sauces.

Will you be staying around one town or travel and stop in different ones? Do you plan to sleep in any rifugio? Some routes have a long approach from the road and it's common to hike to and stay in a rifugio the night before or as a base to do multiple climbs. For instance, this applies particularly to climbs in the Dolomiti di Brenta or Pale di San Martino.

I'll be in Italy myself from the end of August for about three weeks. Feel free to DM if you need more info. 

Michele Cwrote:

As far as packets, we Italians love and take food too seriously to rely on that crap! 

This ^^^

Tim Wolfewrote:

Buy the threads in the climbing shop. Have them cut them. Fold over and tie an overhand knot. Clip to your harness. At any thread spot (connected holes, etc) you hang on with one hand and using teeth and other hand push it thorough the hole tie an overhand knot and clip a biner to it. Some routes this will be a singnificant part of your pro. Even your belay.

I've never understood why not just thread a girth hitch with a sewn sling? It seems like this would be much easier than trying to tie a knot with one hand. My sewn alpine slings are pretty thin if the issue is being able to thread a small hole. 

Brilliant, I'll keep those gearshops I'm mind. Ahh my broke ass would love to eat good while I'm there but will probably be like 1 good meal a week hah. I do love me some noodles and sauce though!! The plan is to move around, but our main climbing area will be the Dolomite range. I honestly want to see some of the nonclimbing places like Rome too. We are leaving 1st week of Sept. But I do have a few questions I'm going to DM you, thank you!

Keep in mind that the Dolomites are quite an extensive and complex area---basically a region of several extensively eroded plateaux, with multiple groups of peaks and pinnacles subdivided by valleys---it isn't at all a 'straightforward' mountain range, like the Tetons, for example. Given this, it can take a while to become oriented, even to distinguish some of the peaks. As mentioned above, while some routes can reasonably be climbed in a day from the road, for many it is best/necessary to spend the night before in a hut. The descents can be quite complex and, sometimes, quite serious, so take them into consideration when making plans.

In addition to those mentioned above, there are gear shops, of varying quality, in most of the major towns, particularly Cortina. Climbing is VERY popular there, so don't expect to be alone--especially on classic routes.

Wonderful area. Enjoy.

GunksApps (digital) published a Dolomites Trip Planner. It's not a full guidebook - but has a handful of classic routes and (more importantly) all the beta about travel, lodgings, ect. 

I'm headed that way late August for the first time, and it has been clutch.

Regrading eating, if you opt for a place to stay (including the rifugios) some offer a demi-pension which is dinner (as well as breakfast). Often the cost is quite reasonable, an additional 15-20 euros for a four course meal. They are quite popular and the food can be outstanding. If staying at a place for multiple night the hotels will work with any dietary needs. My couple of trips we have opted for the demi-pension option. Roll in after a day of fun, hit the spa, enjoy a beer, wander down for dinner, stroll back up to the room for a night cap. Repeat daily.

While I have had a nice meal or two in Cortina, it is my least favorite town in the Dolomites. 

If you own tricams, those could be useful as well. Also, besides the convoluted descents, do not underestimate routefinding. Especially if you are used to climbing on granite or sandstone, routefinding in the Dolomites can be the crux. It is not always straightforward and there could be plenty of pitons throwing you off route.

Cortina and Canazei have great climb shops to buy anything climbing you need.  
I like Kevlar threads - stiff so easy to poke through any spot where your sling will likely flex and not fit. Plus sometimes it’s your only piece for a long ways so you get pretty good at finding them and you trust them if they are kevlar. They last for many years so it’s not a big extra expense unless you only are going to do a few easy or well Trodden routes whereYou won’t need them. I too will sling an obvious giant thread with normal climb sling or cut up rope. Some of My threads are 3-5 mm so fit into smaller holes and allow placements through connected pockets.