Classic Dolomites Ice

In ice climbing perhaps more than in any other aspect of mountaineering, gaining good technique enables you to progress confidently through the grades and ultimately achieve climbs at your full potential.

This week of icefall climbing offers you the opportunity to gain and refresh all the important ice climbing skills necessary to enjoy a week of top quality icefall climbing at the 'classic' grade.

We begin the week by refreshing your icefall climbing skills and developing techniques, knowledge and roped skills on routes graded 3/3+. We then aim, as the week progresses, to build on your experience and learnt skills to climb 'Classic' grade 4/4+ ice and experience some of the gems of the region.

We operate on a low 2:1 client to guide climbing ratio and are based in one of finest icefall climbing areas of the Dolomiti Region, climbing classic icefalls throughout the week.

For people whose ultimate aim is to lead climb on ice we are happy to incorporate a session on lead climbing skills which will enable you to climb independently with the best possible safety margin. Or, alternatively, you can just enjoy a week of guided climbing on great ice!

Is The Course For Me?

The course is designed primarily for people with some ice climbing experience who want to improve technique and climbing grade, in order to be able to tackle more ambitious ice climbs with confidence (either as a leader or second).

Technical roped climbing experience is important as well as some previous experience with ice axe and crampons. General fitness and upper body excercise such as indoor or outdoor rock climbing will be beneficial.

Sample Programme

Sunday -  The course convenes in Verona at 6.45pm with a welcome and course briefing from your guide, followed by an evening meal. We are happy to be very flexible to ensure that we climb where conditions are best and attempt the routes most suitable for course participants.

Monday (Day 1) - We climb on the outstanding Canyon of Bletterbach near Trento. A perfect place to warm up and you will have the chance to do several icefalls graded 3 - 5, top roping, leading and enjoying some dry tooling and mixed climbing. This canyon is geologically outstanding due to the red magmatic rock which gives fabulous contrasts with the blue ice. Here we focus on climbing skills, teaching or refreshing the most effective use of ice tools and crampons on various angles of ice. We will analyse your technique, thereby giving you the right foundation for the more challenging climbs later in the week. After the day climbing we will move to Fassa’s valley, one of the most beautiful corners of the Dolomites.  

Tuesday (Day 2) - We will attempt to climb the multipitch icefall  “Bus de Tone”, 250m grade 4, in Fontanazzo (Trento). This icefall has beautiful views  of the Catinaccio, the Sella and Sassolungo range. Every pitch offers different angles of ice, so we can change the grade to suit you.  

Wednesday (Day 3) - We move to the Badia Valley, the German speaking part of the Dolomites, where we will climb one of the amazing ice falls in the Sella range: Lujanta, Pissadù and Spada di Damocle (120m grade 3 to 4+).  

Thursday/Friday (Days 4/5) - We’ll spend two days in the ice climbing mecca of the Sottoguda Canyon. This is the most famous ice climbing venue in the eastern alps and can be compared to Cogne but in a smaller area where you can choose between 20 icefalls of all length and all grades.  

Saturday - Breakfast is included at the hotel before departure.

Technical Skills Covered

During the course we will teach technical aspects of ice climbing e.g. rapid ice screw placement/removal, racking equipment for steep ice, double rope technique, setting up stances and belays, retreating safely from an ice climb, assessing ice conditions, mixed-climbing techniques and adapting technique for higher-grade climbing. At the guide's discretion we will also teach lead climbing on suitable terrain.

Note: This course is the perfect preparation for our more advanced Technical Alpine Icefalls week, and the two courses may be taken consecutively for a superb two-week holiday in a variety of world-class ice-climbing venues throughout the Dolomites.