Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Vol 2 by Graham Fletcher

Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Vol 2 by Graham Fletcher

This guidebook, Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites Volume 2, is the second in a series of two published by Cicerone Press, which now fully replaces the previous Cicerone guidebook, Scrambles in the Dolomites, adding many new routes through the southern, Brenta and Lake Garda areas.Volume two documents southern Dolomites Via Ferrata routes in the major mountain ranges of Civetta, Schiara and Pala as well as those to the west in the Brenta. A significant addition (and, as far as we are aware, not previously published in any English-language guidebook) is the inclusion of routes around the northern end of Lake Garda and the Piccole Dolomites north of Vicenza. Here the mountains are generally lower and you can enjoy ferrata climbing over a much extended season, with some routes accessible for most of the year. While volume one covered the eastern, northern and central areas of the Dolomites, book two completes the picture, focusing on the southern, Brenta and Lake Garda areas.

'You could never accuse it of shying away from niche sportsIn fact Cicerone Press appears to take pride in publishing books that only those already passionate about a specific sport or place are likely to buy. This time, though, it's appealing to a growing fraternity. Via ferratas, especially in the Italian Dolomites, are becoming increasingly popular as walkers push their personal limits in a different mountain playground. That, and the availability of cheap flights to airports feeding the Dolomites, have helped push via ferrata to the fore. For those who haven't experienced the heart-pumping exhilaration of the via ferrata network, they are protected routes in rocky mountain ranges, using fixed cables, ladders and bridges. They allow the walker to access places usually reserved for rock climbers and provide a unique way to enjoy the breath-taking beauty and exposure of the mountains. Until now the only decent guidebook has been Cicerone's Scrambles in the Dolomites. This suffered from being out of date (first published in 1982) and translated from German (although this has also helped fill long hours in huts, as people gather round to laugh at the phraseology). Smith and Fletcher's version, covering the North, Central and East Dolomites, gains considerable points by originating in English. It has an excellent introduction with comprehensive information on equipment, weather, maps, accommodation options and so on. In fact, if I'd had this book prior to my first trip to the Dolomites I would have saved a fortune on phone calls to Italy. They've also created a new two-stage grading system incorporating both difficulty of the route and seriousness of the mountain situation. Cross-referencing back to routes that I know, I'd say this is accurate and easy to follow. The book includes 75 routes in a fairly tight geographical area, including Cortina, Marmolada and Val di Fassa. They're well described with good colour photography and clear sketch maps. Some are straight-forward walking routes, others go up to the highest level of via ferrata. But the authors have opted to cluster the routes according to valley base rather than mountain groupings and have not referred to the mountain ranges in either text or maps. An index of mountain groups is some compensation but unless you have a local map in front of you, this isn't much help. Given that there are two identical locator maps in the book showing numbered routes relative to each other, converting one of these to show mountain groups as well as towns would have made things easier to follow. VOLUME TWO will complete the coverage of the Dolomites. It will include the famous Brenta group as well as the southern Dolomites, with the stunning Paia group being particularly well represented. Besides the honeypot via ferrata, this volume will break new ground in covering some of the short-duration, off-beat routes near Lake Garda. These are often real gems, and make this volume essential reading for walkers on a lake-based holiday who need a dose of adrenaline, stunning scenery and physical challenge. (Judy Armstrong, TGO)

John Smith has been walking and climbing around the world for around 30 years. He has a passion for Via Ferratas, and this volume is the result of many enjoyable days in the Dolomites. Graham Fletcher started climbing over 30 years ago. After a busy professional career he took early retirement and has now returned to climbing.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781852843809
ISBN 10	1852843802
Title	Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Vol 2
Author	Graham Fletcher
Condition	Unavailable
Binding type	Paperback
Publisher	Cicerone Press
Year published	2024-01-29
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable