Dolomites – Part 2

Go back to Euro Sampler – Dolomites.
Go back to Dolomites – Part 1.

08/21/08. West Face – Vinatzer (V+, 13P) on Third Sella Tower

Trenker on Third Sella Tower.

…which turned out to be two days later as a brief system rolled through South Tyrol. Finally though, there we were at Sella Pass at the crack of dawn. Well almost. Shirley’s pick for the day was the Third Sella Tower with its nice-looking Vinatzer route. The advertised 20-minute approach followed by 13 pitches of climbing and a tower summit were irresistible. A sizable crowed was already assembled at the base when we arrived though it would prove to not be an issue as most would either be quite fast or would bail after the first pitch or two. The climbing was fun if not terribly sustained. I had this feeling as though I were free soloing given the interesting fixed pegs…a persistent nagging that would take me a few climbs to get rid of. The advertised crux finger crack pitch was probably the highlight of the route. The rock quality deteriorates near the top, at least visually but no holds broke. Soon we were enjoying our tower summit and less so the largely free solo downclimb of the easier “backside” of the tower (exposed and stressful!). We ran into a trio of friendly Italian climbers and joined forces on the rappels while shooting the breeze with Mossimo.

Photos

A quick trip to Bolzano on a rainy day (Aug. 2008).

Bolzano (Aug. 2008).

Shirley starting our approach to the base of the Third Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Shirley and the Sella Towers. Third Sella Tower (from right) is at the center. Vinatzer route climbs the face in the photo (Aug. 2008).

Third Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Grohmannspitze (leftmost), Funffingerspitzen, and Langkofel (August 2008).

Shirley leading on of the lower pitches (perhaps pitch 2) of Vinatzer route on Third Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Welcome to the Dolomites. Is what we call an anchor…and we thought the Euro’s bolted the shit out of everything (Aug. 2008).

Shirley on pitch 4ish of Vinatzer (Aug. 2008).

A couple of parties staring up the Messner route on the north face of Second Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Unknown climbers on the Kasnakoff route on the Second Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Arriving at the fourth belay (Aug. 2008).

Leading pitch 5ish of Vinatzer (Aug. 2008).

Higher on pitch 5 (Aug. 2008).

Shirley following pitch 5 (Aug. 2008).

The views. (L to R): Grohmannspitze, Funffingerspitzen, and Langkofel (August 2008).

Topping out on pitch 5 (Aug. 2008).

Peeping on our neighbors on the next door Second Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Shirley topping out on pitch 6 – a large ledge right below the crux pitch of Vinatzer (Aug. 2008).

Leading the crux pitch 7 of Vinatzer (Aug. 2008).

Into the crux (Aug. 2008).

In the thin of it (Aug. 2008).

Summit of Second Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Shirley on pitch 7 (Aug. 2008).

A climber on the summit of Second Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Shirley topping out on pitch 8 (Aug. 2008).

The dolomite up close (Aug. 2008).

Starting up pitch 9 (I think; Aug. 2008).

Shirley topping out on pitch 9 (Aug. 2008).

Pitch 10 (maybe; Aug. 2008).

Looking down on the Second Sella Tower’s summit (Aug. 2008).

Pitch 10ish perhaps (Aug. 2008).

Pitch 11ish (Aug. 2008).

Shirley on pitch 11 or 12 (Aug. 2008).

Shirley taking us to the summit of the Third Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Shirley violating the summit register (Aug. 2008).

Summit of Third Sella (Aug. 2008).

Getting ready for the descent (Aug. 2008).

Fourth Sella Tower with climbers on it summit (Aug. 2008).

Shirley starting the somewhat sketchy descent from summit of Third Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Downward bound (Aug. 2008).

More descent action (Aug. 2008).

Rappels and sections of scrambling (Aug. 2008).

More descent (Aug. 2008).

Shirley descending the gully between Second (left) and Third Sella Towers after our climg of Vinatzer on Third Sella (Aug. 2008).

Hiking down (Aug. 2008).

Shirley and the Third Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

Second (right), Third, and Fourth Sella Towers (Aug. 2008).

Nearing the car (Aug. 2008).

Sella Towers from the parking lot (Aug. 2008).

Shirley admiring her parking job (yes, only 2 tires make full contact with the ground) after our climb of Vinatzer route on Third Sella Tower (Aug. 2008).

No shit (Aug. 2008).

Sella Pass and Sella Towers. The tallest tower structure is the Third Sella Tower. To its immediate right is the Second Sella Tower and to its left (looks well attached to the parent cliff) is the Fourth Sella Tower. Some local pass residents are in the foreground (Aug. 2008).

Back in Castelrotto (Aug. 2008).

Go to Dolomites – Part 3.
Go back to Euro Sampler – Dolomites.