Active holidays in Dolomites, climbing, and hiking
Climbing in the province of Belluno
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Rock climbing in Dolomiti Agordino
This time I will talk about climbing in the Agordino area. From Belluno heading northwest towards Agordo is about a 20min drive. This place is good to visit in the full summer heat because is higher and it’s in mountains. There is Agordo- a small town situated in the province of Belluno. In Agordo on Wednesdays, there is a market day, which makes the town alive and colourful.
And what about climbing there? For me, I would say that is the best region for climbing in summer. There are very good crags with very good quality rock, climbing on limestone and dolomite rock for everyone. One of the best climbing crags for families and beginners is Laghetti. Laghetti has two big boulders, which you can walk around it and there are everywhere routes. It is located near village Frassene with a 1 min approach and flat base for belay. There is a little river strim to cool your drinks or feet. This crag is perfect for kids where they can play on grass and it’s easy for parents to climb all day. Even with the full sun on the crag, the air is fresh, so we were still climbing on sunny days. The most interesting climbing routes are on the south face, and on the north face there are hard and a bit humid rock.
For the rest day, we choose instead for a yoga session, we went hiking in mountains, basically to Refuge Scarpa, which is under mountain Agner. It was a sunny day, with nice fresh air. The path is quite steep, so we walked all day and enjoyed the mountains. By the side of the path, there are many forest strawberries and raspberries. It was great to eat them on the way up and down. Aron, our 2 and half-year-old son almost did it on his own, going up and down, he wanted that way. He loves to be in nature and walk.
Next stop we visited crag Caleda. This crag is on the other side of mountain Moiazza, located in the woods. Climbing in Caleda is just great. Climbing is on steep sharp rock with super nice routes with crimps and pockets. In Caleda we enjoyed routes from 6a up to 8a+. And the shade is until 1 pm. Climbing there gives you a mountaineer atmosphere with calm and beautiful nature. Close by there is another crag called La Pera, with similar climbing to Caleda, just a bit easier crag, and less approach. Very good for families too.
The next two climbing areas are one of the best crags around Agordo with beautiful landscapes and great rock. One is Laste ; the largest crag in the valley. Laste has numerous routes on a huge boulder that stand on the grassy plateau by the forest. The most gorgeous from this crag is the view of mountain Civetta. A bit higher from Laste or on the way to Marmolada-Passo Fedaia there are sectors Malga Ciapela, Bosco Verde, and Capanna Bill. All three are special. Malga Ciapela is another small crag in the forest with a very steep wall full of pockets, so athletic climbing is essential. Bosco Verde is a very overhanging wall, so rainy days are an option to climb there. And Capanna Bill is located just a few curves before Passo Fedaia, and the crag is visible from the road. It has an incredible vertical greyish and orange rock. In Capannna Bill you will find quite technical routes medium grades and harder routes on the left overhanging wall with a few tufas. Marmolada has a very good quality rock and crags underneath as well.
Driving towards Passo Falzarego there is a crag Andraz-Sass de Beita consisting of a few big blocks. This crag is located at 1800 m altitude, so it’s perfect for hot summer. We were climbing on pleasant dolomite rock. On the north side of the boulder, there are technical routes on the steep wall. On south faces, there are very nice long easy routes for beginners. There are also hard routes on the overhanging blocks. Andraz is one of the sectors suitable for families with kids. Agordino region has 13 crags all together with great climbing, some are them in the forests, some are them are big boulders, visible from far away and it’s incredible to spend summer in this area. Next time we will describe climbing around Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Written by Anja.