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CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, ITALY | JULY 15-21 & JULY 20-26, 2024
ALL GENDERS WELCOME
We hear ourselves telling people all the time that the Dolomites are the friendliest mountain range on Earth, but it’s true: Nestled into the heart of the Alps near the border of Italy and Austria, the Dolomites are a world of breathtaking vistas, sunny stone, endless mountains, wildflowers, cappuccinos and streudel with no crampons or ice axes in sight. If you can imagine a sunny, green alpine wonderland with fantastically shaped rock towers, deep valleys and picturesque views all around, that’s the Dolomites. And the climbing's incredible!
Come join us in one of the best rock climbing venues on the planet. This retreat is perfect for anybody looking to master the skills necessary to climb longer routes safely and efficiently, whether they’re in the alpine, the desert or anywhere in between. All you really need is a love of climbing and a willingness to learn, and we can handle the rest.
Whether you climb 5.4 or 5.14, the walls of the Dolomites have you covered. The climbs we’ll be on are all pure rock routes, but with an inarguably alpine feel.
We’ll move between skills sessions and climbing routes of all sizes with the goal of making you an efficient, competent and confident multipitch climber. With small groups, short approaches, light packs and rock shoes, we can concentrate on the freedom of moving on stone. From ridges to roofs, faces, and slabs, from casual to severe, and from one pitch to forty (not kidding!), the Dolomites have it all.
If you feel comfortable climbing 5.8-5.10 in the gym, this trip is going to be perfect for you. Unlike the cracks of Yosemite or the tiny holds of Smith Rock, Dolomite limestone tends to be a little - well, either more fun, more straightforward, or both.
Each day we’ll head out in small groups and we’ll make sure you’re paired with climbers and climbs that match your ability so you don’t have to worry about being held back or pushed too far. Our expert guides will help you through the training and skills you need both on the ground and on route.
Our low ratios are what make this program unique. We'll strictly two climbers per guide to maximize your learning and give you the best experience of these incredible mountains.
We’ll start our trip in Cortina d’Ampezzo (or more commonly just Cortina).
A picturesque Italian mountain town in the heart of the Dolomites, Cortina is the perfect hub for exploring the mountains. We’ll enjoy the comfort of the Hotel Ambra Cortina, and with a range of fantastic bakeries and restaurants from pizzerias to wine bars and Michelin-starred fine dining, eating and drinking in Cortina is as much fun as it sounds.
In addition to our lovely hotel, we’ll also spend a night in one of our favorite mountain huts, the Rifugio Scoiattoli. Scoiattolo means squirrel, and the hut was built by a local mountain guide and member of the famous Scoiattoli Cortina climbing club. Sitting beneath the iconic Cinque Torri, these days the refuge is more like an alpine hotel than anything else, complete with hot showers, comfy beds and delicious food. It also has the most incredible views on the planet, and is about a ten minute walk from the climbs.
We like to try hard, but we also like to relax and live well, so we’ve hand-picked our favorite hotels, restaurants, bakeries and snacks to give you a taste of it all.
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED:
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
ROOM SELECTION & PRICING:
While our trip officially starts in Cortina, we highly recommend spending a day or two in Venice to shake off the jet lag, go to the opera, ride a gondola, and eat some amazing food.
Whatever you do, it'll be up to you to get yourself to the Piazzale Roma in Venice where we'll have a shuttle waiting for you in the afternoon. A two hour ride will take you to Cortina, and you’ll have the evening to yourself to relax, settle in and explore a little before getting some sleep for the night.
We’ll start the day right with some proper Italian coffees and a breakfast buffet before spending some time getting to know everybody. We'll then head out for a day of climbing. The first day we'll stick to single-pitch routes (routes that are one rope length) at one of the many amazing cliffs of the area, and make sure everyone is on the same page with belay technique and safety protocols. After a day on the rock we’ll head back to Cortina for a welcome dinner and our first taste of some of the dishes that make the region famous.
We’ll once again start with breakfast before driving up to the Rifugio Scoiattoli and the Cinque Torri to climb for the day. The towers of the Cinque Torri (Five Towers, though there are actually more like nine) offer a huge array of routes from one or two pitches to five or six, making them the perfect place to practice multi-pitch climbing and technical descents.
After a half hour hike, we'll stash our gear at the hut, then spend the morning near the ground working on a variety of skills for both up and down. We’ll practice placing and cleaning traditional protection, constructing and moving in and out of anchors, working on belay techniques, and honing efficient multipitch climbing and rappelling. We'll then break into small groups to climb multipitch routes in the afternoon.
After that we'll spend the night at the rifugio, where a warm bed and a three-course meal will be waiting for you.
After another great breakfast, we’ll head out in small teams to climb. This day is meant to be pure fun as our guides lead you up a collection of Dolomites classics, but it’s also a chance for you to put all the skills you’ve learned into action on a world-class alpine rock climb.
After a day on the rock we’ll collect our things from the hut, then head back to town and let you loose for the evening.
After another great breakfast, we’ll head out to climb again. After getting a taste of multi-pitch climbing, you'll have the opportunity to choose from a variety of options. You can go big, climbing longer routes at the Passo Falzarego or the Tofana di Rozes, you can work on lead climbing, or you can focus on skills like anchor building, rappelling, or multipitch systems. You can also try a via ferrata, or if your body is feeling tired you could even take a rest day. Whatever you're into, after another day on the rock we’ll head back to town and you'll be on your own for the evening.
This will be our last day of climbing and you can choose just about anything.
After another great breakfast, we’ll again head out to climb. Your only task will be to make the most of your last day in paradise, and you’ll have a world-class guide to ask questions and help you along the way.
After a day of climbing we'll come back to town to celebrate with one final group dinner.
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and you’ll have to go home. You're welcome to stay on in Cortina, or we'll have a shuttle ready to get you back to Venice in the morning. Of course we recommend staying a few days to relax, but that one’s up to you!
IFMGA Mountain Guide / Superwoman
A local through and through and our expert in all things Italian, Giulia was born in Venice and fell in love with the mountains sliding on snow in the Dolomites. She grew up as a ski racer, then switched to competing on the Freeride World tour, and is one of only a handful of women to complete the IFMGA c
IFMGA Mountain Guide / Superwoman
A local through and through and our expert in all things Italian, Giulia was born in Venice and fell in love with the mountains sliding on snow in the Dolomites. She grew up as a ski racer, then switched to competing on the Freeride World tour, and is one of only a handful of women to complete the IFMGA certification in Italy. Giulia lives in Chamonix, France and works, skis and climbs full time. These days she even loves warm rock almost as much as cold snow, and can’t wait to bring her local knowledge to our programs in her old stomping ground.
IFMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide
Silvia was born in Padova, near Italy’s Dolomites, to a family in love with the mountains. She too fell in love early, and has spent most of her life pursuing her two passions: the mountains and traveling. Silvia lives and works these days in the heart of the Dolomites, and has chased her vertical dreams throu
IFMGA Aspirant Mountain Guide
Silvia was born in Padova, near Italy’s Dolomites, to a family in love with the mountains. She too fell in love early, and has spent most of her life pursuing her two passions: the mountains and traveling. Silvia lives and works these days in the heart of the Dolomites, and has chased her vertical dreams through the Dolomites and the Alps, and to Patagonia, Nepal, and in many other corners of the world that offer beautiful walls to climb. Passionate about climbing in all its forms, from the crag, to training, to big walls, Silvia does it all.
The majority of climbers come to our retreats alone - somewhere around 90%. If you are hesitating to join because you would be coming solo, please know that we expect a majority of our participants to be joining by themselves.
We generally have a wide range of ages at our retreats. The average tends to fall between the ages of 30 to 45. But we have had quite a few climbers in their 60's join as well. It really is up to the attitude and physical ability of the participant.
You do not need to be an experienced climber to attend but we o recommend some climbing experience before signing up. We require that everyone attending is able to top rope a 5.9 in a climbing gym without taking or falling. We are aware that climbing 5.9 in a climbing gym is much different than climbing a 5.9 outside, but having the ability to climb 5.9 in a climbing gym will set you up to have a great time in Italy. We will have at least 4 instructors so that we can accommodate a wide range of abilities.
We'll get wet! No, but seriously - as the old saying goes, "Everybody always talks about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it." As with every vacation in the world, all we can do is plan an amazing trip and hope for the best. It could always happen, but we've never had to cancel a trip because of rain. Weather could always alter our plans and have us scrambling to Plan B, but we'll make do with whatever the skies throw at us.
July is a great time to visit the Dolomites. The days are mostly sunny with average daily temps of 60-70°F in the mountains, which makes it perfect for climbing. Afternoon thunderstorms or rain showers are common, but that's just how it is in the Dolomites and summer is still the best time to be there.
Because multi-pitch climbing can only safely be done in small groups, this trip will be much smaller than some of our others. We will have 10 climbers and 5 guides for our multi-pitch days.
We recognize that for a most people, an international climbing trip is a big investment, and that often means traveling with our partners. That's why we've opened this retreat to all genders. At the same time, She Moves Mountains seeks to create spaces where women thrive, and this is no exception. Often there are one or two men on our trips, but the participants are predominantly women, and our guide teams are 100% women.
We have a very strict cancellation policy. Please review it before committing to this retreat. We HIGHLY recommend purchasing trip protection as we will not modify our cancellation policy under any circumstances.
We strongly recommend purchasing “cancel for any reason” trip insurance to protect your investment. This must be done within two weeks from the date of registration. Ripcord and travelX are two companies that we recommend as well as the companies in THIS article.
Yes we have 2 types of payment options:
Please visit our PAYMENT PLAN page for more information.
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