Cima Catinaccio East Face (Steger Route)

Description general: This is the classic line straight up the biggest part of the entire face. The exposure and views are stunning. The climbing is pretty easy making this a nice "big wall" in a day destination. Start to the left of the obvious crack and corner system that goes to the highest summit point. Scramble up and right into this system, follow the left hand corner system for 7 pitches, then traverse right into the right hand crack system that you follow to the summit. This route can be easily done in 6-7 hours if you move quickly. There are multiple options for simul-climbing on easy terrain.

Pitch description:

Pitch 1 – 50 m II: Climb easily up and right to a stance below a yellow vertical dihedral
Pitch 2 – 25 m IV+: Climb dihedral, move left and climb another dihedral
Pitch 3 – 22 m V+: Continue up the dihedral until forced left by and overhang
Pitch 4 – 25 m V+: Step left, then up then right back to the overhang crack and climb this past two more overhangs to a stance in a crack.
Pitch 5 – 20 m V: Climb directly up the crack over some more overhangs
Pitch 6 – 30 m IV+: Avoid the crack above by moving into the chimney to the right, climb it to a roof then step back left, up another crack to a stance.
Pitch 7 – 45 m III: Climb the chimney
Pitch 8 – 30 m IV: Follow a diagonal line right up a rib below yellow walls to a thread belay (Variation – go straight up the parallel cracks and eventually reconnect with this line)
Pitch 9 – 35 m IV: Continue up cracks to a stance above and to the right of a good ledge
Pitch 10 – 50 m V-: Climb a crack above to a chimney, then a narrower chimney to a good stance.
Pitch 11 – 40 m IV: Follow the same line for a short distance then trend left to easier terrain. You can escape either direction on this ledge system in about 4 easy pitches.
Pitch 12 – 40 m III: Climb the chimney with the jammed block above (its right of a yellow wall).
Pitch 13 – 30 m IV: Climb a crack and some ledges
Pitch 14 – 35 m V-: Climb a dihedral to an overhang, over this to a stance
Pitch 15 – 25 m IV: Go diagonally to the right above an overhang and below a yellow overhanging wall
Pitch 16 – 50 m IV: Continue right along the ramp to a stance below a steep wall
Pitch 17 – 35 m V+: Climb the wall above – it gets thin, wonderfully exposed and quite steep near the top
Pitch 18 – 40 m V: Climb the chimney past a chock stone to the ridge.
"Pitch 19" - Follow the ridge to the summit

Approach – Unless you stay in a hut up in the Rosengarten area, you will need to take a bus up in the morning (no driving allowed on the bus access road). Park in the car park on the main road between in the town of Pera and Pozza di Fassa, catch the 07:30 bus to the Gardeccia hut. Hike up the trail towards the Vajolet hut (path 646) then left under the face on path 541 towards Passo delle Coronelle. From below the center of the face, hike up to the start of the route (1 to 1.5 hours). Be sure to study the face from a distance to figure out the start. There are a pair of cracks that come down from the summit – near the ground the left hand crack begins as a dihedral up off the ground a pitch up. You will need to start to the left of this corner and scramble up and right across broken slabs to a belay just below the dihedral.
Descent – Descend the North ridge to a notch with a rappel station. Make a few short rappels into the gully. Descent the gully down to the right to Santner pass, then take the path down to Rifugio Alberto, then on to Refugio Vajolet and finally down to Gardeccia hut where you can catch the bus back down to Pera. This descent will take 1.5 hours. If you miss the bus you can walk down the tar road (another 1.5-2 hours) to your car.

Protection: Standard Dolomite rack – 1 set of camming units ½ inch to 3.5 inches, one set of wired stoppers, a selection of threads, many long slings and free carabiners to reduce rope drag.