Italy - The Road to Valle di Daone

1/11/2010
The bus took us as far as Vestone and it was a dark when we arrived. We had asked a load of people what the accommodations were like beyond there and everyone said that there was nothing. No hotels, no stores, and no other provisions. So, we got a room at the only local hotel in Vestone. There was a bar downstairs, but nobody was drinking anything, they were just watching soccer on the big screen tv. We got the typical looks from the locals and headed upstairs to our room where we discussed what to do next.
None of the other athletes were coming until days later and we didn’t want to be stuck in this town, so we figured we would try to go up valley somehow. The trick was going to be finding someone willing to drive us since there was apparently no bus service into the Trentino Province, and none of the locals from Berscia knew anything about Valle di Daone. We lucked out and met Michal, a bank worker in Vestone who was hanging out in front of a café when we passed by. He recognized us as ice climbers and was the first person to know anything about the Ice Masters climbing competition in Daone. We seemed thrilled to meet us and offered to take us up the valley, all the way to Daone in fact, once he got off work! We were very happy to have made that connection with him since there were no other taxis and we would have been hanging out and trying to thumb a ride with all of our equipment.
Vestone was the last place we had internet connection, so we made our last correspondances from there. Justin got an e-mail from the organizers of the Italian competition and they gave him a phone number that I was able to use on my Skype account to make a call and get instructions on how to get to our lodging, the Agritur Manoncin. Michael knew where this was and drove us up the windy, twisty, and narrow road out of Vestone to Ponte Caffaro, and then up a more gripping road up to Manoncin.
The light was dim as the sun was setting and there was a light fog over the lower valley where the lake was. Up to our left was an old Napoleon fortress that has significant historical note, for it was here that the later struggle between the Axis and Allied forces was fought when Germany threatened to gain ultimate power.
We drove into the Valle di Danoe and the superstructure of the next competition was in full display under bright lights. It was an amazing structure and very artistically created. Although I’ve seen this structure in videos, it is something completely different to see it first-hand.
Passing the structure to gain the entrance of our lodge is as impressive. We drove up a steep embankment and the owner of the lodge was outside waiting for us. We offered to pay money for the ride, but Michael would not take any. He wished us good luck and was on his way.
The lodge was actually a newly renovated bed and breakfast. The husband and wife owners spoke no English, but the man spoke Spanish, so I was able to communicate in broken Spanish. He showed us our room and then we went downstairs for the proper registration with our passports.
The B&B was a house that the wife’s grandfather bought when he moved from Argentina. They had only recently updated the entire place and the mortar still smells fresh in the bathrooms. Family heirlooms and Italian folk art décor are scattered about the commons area. More notably, this is the first place that we have been able to drink water directly from the tap from since leaving the States.
The Dolomites (little Dolomites) are the mountains that encompass this region. It is interesting that not many people, even the locals, know much about Valle di Daone. It seems to be a well kept secret, but there are so many other places for people to go and visit or vacation.

1/12/2010
I was up early after a good night sleep. Justin tossed and turned and woke up with a headache. I typed some journal entries and then we had breakfast. I had gone through the local ice climbing guide book and figured out where we were in relation to some of the climbs. We only had to walk 6km and gain 300m in elevation and we could do that on a paved road. So, we packed our gear and headed out at the crack of 10:00 am.
Walking up the valley, we were impressed by the grandeur of the area. The rock quality was amazing granite with many large boulders that we stopped and climbed on our way up the road. The reservoir came into sight, as did a large 400m granite face. We scanned it for climbing routes and found a few, but the rock was wet since it was south facing so we would not be able to go sport climbing there on this trip. But it was interesting to know about it.
We reached the reservoir and hiked all the way to the top end where the river enters. Along the way we could see the ice climbs lined up on the north face. We had been told that the climbing was no good on the ice since the temperatures had been warm and the quality of ice was poor. We looked at the local favorite climb, Regina de Lago, and indeed, it was running water with a high flow, spraying mist into the air, starting at about 2/3 the way up the climb. The other climbs near there were getting sprayed from this waterfall, so we decided to head back, cross the reservoir, and try to climb something else.
A low angle climb that had a nice pillar finish was in sight and a guided party had just bailed off the first pitch. The ice looked like it got thicker near the midway point of about 100m from the bottom, so we thought we might give it a go. We cruised over and met the party as they were hiking out. They confirmed my thoughts that the ice was a bit too thin and that’s why they bailed. The guide said that he was not able to get any ice screws in since the ice was too thin. I told him about Notre Dame, a WI6 pillar that was just around the corner that we passed up, but he didn’t seem thrilled to have a look.
We hiked up to the base of the climb and Justin took a look at the ice. I asked him which pitch he wanted and he said I could start. The guide was right when he said the ice was thin and eggshell. Granite slabs don’t adhere to the ice very well since there are not a lot of cracks for the ice to bind to. I climbed the first 70m and was able to place only one ice screw. At the belay I was able to get in three short screws in, two of the all the way, so I was happy.
Justin’s lead was entertaining and was also a rope stretcher at 70m. Since we were alpine climbing in our full sport climbing regalia including our competition boots, leash less ice axes, short quick draws and only one rope, we were a sight to see. Our equipment is meant more for steep to over-hanging terrain. I would have preferred to have glacier crampons and a mountain axe for the first 1.5 pitches. But then we got to the good climbing.
A short 35m pitch gained the base of the pillar where I elected to stage the next belay from. The pillar was a brittle chandelier and would not accept ice screws. It also didn’t like for me to swing my tools into it, so I was left with hooking on the delicate cauliflowered faces. Being a bull in a china cabinet was definitely not the way to climb.
I got about 4m up and went to weight my right tool and it ripped out. The left too was weighted quickly enough to fracture the ice that it was on and it raked through about 5cm of ice before catching on something and preventing a fall. I said “oh, shit” and I could feel Justin on the belay making the rope taught. We couldn’t see each other since he was behind the pillar and I was climbing the front face, but he could see the ice that I was bringing down once it fell off. The WI6- pillar was short, but held my attention. The angle eased off and the ice became more homogenous. I was able to get in a couple of ice screws on the 35m pitch and finish off in the avalanche gully above on some trees.
Justin came up and told me that he was climbing out right of my line just a tad. It seemed like he had a good time of it and we were both pretty happy to be in our position. The light snowfall throughout the day and the grey skies didn’t enshroud the valley, so we had great views and fairly good temperatures all day long.
We went back to the B&B and ate some food, then headed down to the local bar. The man who owns the bar ice an old ice climber who pioneered some of the ice climbing routes in the valley. Looking in the bar, there was a light on and nobody present. We opened the door and said, “hello?” A large man with a veterans cap on came out of the next room and greeted us in Italian. Old ice climbing photos lined the walls and volumes of guide books and hand drawn routes were shelved by the 1970’s-style juke box. I ordered a couple glasses of red wine for us and we sat down at the small bar.
He brought over the local guide book and showed us some routes and wanted to know what we had been up to. He is apparently the local information source, so he wanted some information. He flipped through all the climbs located near Regina de Lago and I cited the one that we climbed. I informed him that it was in difficult condition and not the usual grade. He nodded, and as all ice climbers understand, ice grades are highly variable. It was good information for him also that we were the only party out of 4 to summit a climb that day, including two local Italian UIAGM guides that had given us a ride back down to our lodge.
Justin ordered a Coca-Cola. Once I saw that when it was getting poured from a tap, I ordered one too. I can’t ever remember seeing Coca-Cola on tap, so I had to bite even though I don’t drink sodas.
I asked the man in my broken Spanish with an Italian inflection if he had a guide book to sell. He said yes, and I ordered one for Justin and I each. We also asked that he sign the book, it’s always a good idea and I always sign my book if someone asks. We paid up and walked the 2km back to the lodge.
On the way back, the route setters were still busy working on the sequences and making sure everything was ready to go. Route setting is hard work. Anyone who tells you different isn’t a good route setter. After having worked with Timy Fairfield in China when I helped set the Asian X-Games climbing competition routes, I realized how hard it is to set for an international venue for today’s athletes. Many long hours go into making a creative line that tests the skills of the athletes. Some are the world’s best competitors. We couldn’t stand around and watch the climbing since its not sportsmanlike to sneak-preview, but it was hard not to look at the structure.
Words really can’t describe this thing. It’s like some kind of space vehicle that landed on Earth. Actually, it looks more like the Crystal Cave that we just explored down in Mexico where the world’s largest selenite crystals are found. The cave looks like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. This structure is similar, but you can climb on it!