08/25/08. South Face – Tissi (VI-, 15P) on Torre Venezia
Tissi on Torre Venezia.
With bigger plans for the day, we got up at 4am and were driving the narrow roads in the dark. First light at Pordoi Pass and…snow on the ground! The copious rain turned to snow overnight just above the pass elevation. Plans were altered. We ate breakfast and headed south instead. Having done no homework on “rifugio’s”, we started the 90-minute approach hike armed with sleeping bags and foam pads (I’m a Dolomite idiot). Halfway up to Rifugio Vazzoler we ran into Denis from France. Denis was on his way back down to the car to retrieve their forgotten guidebook…we offered him ours and he graciously took Shirley’s pack all the way up to the Rifugio…running (Denis was in top shape and Shirley was not protesting too hard either). Denis and his partner were also headed for the Tissi route on Torre Venezia for their warm up line and so we agreed to start an hour later the next morning. The south face of the tower is beautiful and so was the climbing. The initial pitches went quickly esp. as we had the French team two pitches above saving us any route-finding efforts. The advertised “40 meter traverse” pitch (crux) was spectacular and ended at a nicely exposed semi-hanging belay. From there, the upper half of the route steepened progressively and the exit chimney pitches felt a bit strenuous. The descent raps are painstakingly marked (with spraypaint) and went smoothly. Soon we were eating warm pasta in the Rifugio and washing it down with cold beer. Must NOT get used to this! We bid farewell to Denis and hiked down to the car that evening.
Photos
We did much of this during our Dolomite trip…watching the forecasts either in our motel room in Castelrotto or down the street in the internet shop…this one looks like a go. Torre Venezia is on the menu (Aug. 2008).Shirley on the approach hike to Rifugio Vazzoler. Torre Trieste dominates the view (Aug. 2008).The impressive looking Torre Trieste (Aug. 2008).And one more of Torre Trieste (Aug. 2008).South face of Torre Venezia. Tissi/Andrich/Bortoli (VI-, 15P) route climbs the vegetated lower face right of the prominent dihedrals in the center. It then makes its way right and finishes via the chimneys visible on right near top of face (Aug. 2008).Leading pitch 1 (I think) of the Tissi route (Aug. 2008).More pitch 1 (Aug. 2008).Clouds? Contrails?Leading pitch 2 (probably) of Tissi (Aug. 2008).More pitch 2 (Aug. 2008).Shirley on pitch 2 of Tissi route (Aug. 2008).Pitch 3ish (Aug. 2008).Topping out on pitch 3 (Aug. 2008).Pitch 4ish perhaps (Aug. 2008).The views are getting better. There’s a working farm in the photo (Aug. 2008).Shirley on one of the lower pitches (Aug. 2008).Shirley arriving at the top of pitch 6 (Aug. 2008).Starting the 7th pitch which marks the 40 meter traverse (Aug. 2008).Looking back at Shirley from the start of the traverse pitch (Aug. 2008).The traverse pitch (Aug. 2008).A closer look (Aug. 2008).One more look back at Shirley (Aug. 2008).The scenic traverse (Aug. 2008).Shirley on the traverse pitch (Aug. 2008).Arriving at the 7th belay (Aug. 2008).Leading pitch 8 (Aug. 2008).More pitch 8 (Aug. 2008).Pitch 8 perhaps (Aug. 2008).Pitch 9 (Aug. 2008).Pitch 10 (Aug. 2008).Low cloud ceiling (Aug. 2008).Topping out on pitch 10 (Aug. 2008).Arriving at the 11th belay perhaps (Aug. 2008).Looking down the approach valley (Aug. 2008).Leading the exit chimneys (Aug. 2008).Looking back at Shirley from the start of the chimney (Aug. 2008).Shirley in the exit chimneys (yeah, face climbing kinda chimney….pitch 13) on Tissi/Andrich/Bortoli (VI-, 15P) route on Torre Venezia’s south face (August 2008).The clouds have mostly cleared up (Aug. 2008).Same pitch (Aug. 2008).A very scenic position (Aug. 2008).Leading a pitch (14th or so) near the top of Tissi/Andrich/Bortoli (VI-, 15P) route on Torre Venezia’s south face (Aug. 2008).Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 14 (Aug. 2008).Higher on the same pitch (Aug. 2008).Shirley topping out on pitch 14 (Aug. 2008).Leading the final pitch (15) of Tissi route (Aug. 2008).Shirley topping out on the ringband terrace of Torre Venezia after our climb of Tissi/Andrich/Bortoli (VI-, 15P) route on the south face (Aug. 2008).Shirley on the subsummit terrace on Torre Venezia with the AMAZING looking Torre Trieste in the background (Aug. 2008).Hiking over to the start of the rappels (Aug. 2008).Shirley hiking around to the north face rap line on Torre Venezia’s ringband terrace after our climb of Tissi/Andrich/Bortoli (VI-, 15P) route on Torre Venezia’s south face (Aug. 2008).Summit (choss) hill (Aug. 2008).Hiking the Ringband Terrace (Aug. 2008).The start of the raps down the north face of Torre Venezia (Aug. 2008).Shirley getting used to the idea of rapping off of single ring bolts on the north face of Torre Venezia….a fashion trend we’d see quite a bit on European routes (August 2008).Shirley on one of the rappels (Aug. 2008).Hiking down below the raps (Aug. 2008).Shirley enjoying post climb pasta and beer in Rifugio Vazzoler after our climb (Aug. 2008).
