Come experience one of the best rock climbing destinations on the planet—Italy's breathtaking Dolomites. What's it like? Well, 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.
We hear ourselves telling people all the time that the Dolomites are the friendliest 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 strudel—all with no crampons or ice axes in sight. And, the climbing's incredible!
Our Dolomites Rock Climbing Retreat is perfect for anybody looking to master the skills necessary to climb longer routes safely and efficiently. All you really need is a love of climbing and a willingness to learn, and we'll take care of the rest. Whether you climb 5.4 or 5.14, the walls of the Dolomites have something for everyone.
Save your spot now, and join She Moves Mountains for some unforgettable climbing in the Dolomites!
Dolomites Rock Climbing Retreat
- Regular price
- $5,850.00 USD
- Sale price
- $5,850.00 USD
- Regular price
What's Included & Not Included
What's Included & Not Included
Included:
- 5 days of low-ratio, personalized guiding from internationally-certified IFMGA Mountain Guides with local expertise.
- Group climbing equipment.
- Six nights’ accommodation in quaint hotels and mountain huts.
- Daily breakfasts at the hotel in Cortina.
- Welcome dinner and drinks in Cortina.
- Transportation to and from all climbing and cultural outings.
- Breakfast and dinner at the Rifugio Scoiattoli. Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available, but celiacs or those with dietary restrictions may find huts challenging.
- Farewell dinner and drinks in Cortina.
Not Included:
- Trip insurance.
- Airfare.
- Transportation to and from the airport.
- Personal climbing equipment (we will send a list of what's required).
- Dinners for three nights in Cortina.
- Lunch (Cortina has amazing bakeries and the best markets).
- Bottled water, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, snacks or extra food in the hut.
- Ability to control the weather (In a worst-case scenario we may have to change plans completely due to weather and conditions, but we’ll do our best!).
- Gratuities for your guides. We recommend between 15-25% depending on your experience.
Room Selection
Room Selection
Please note that private rooms are not available in the Rifugio Scoiattoli, but we will have our own small rooms shared only with other trip participants.
The shared rooms have two beds per room. If you want to share a room with a friend each of you will need to book a "bed in shared room" and note who you would like to share with in the "special instruction" section at checkout.
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
Cancellation & Trip Insurance
We have a very strict cancellation policy. We recommend purchasing trip protection to protect your investment.
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Climbing
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. For instructional days, we will pair up to four climbers per guide, while multi-pitch days will be strictly two climbers per guide to maximize your learning and give you the best experience possible of these incredible mountains.
With small groups, short approaches, light packs, and rock shoes, we can concentrate on the freedom of moving on stone. From ridges and roofs, to faces and slabs, from casual to more challenging, and from one pitch to forty (not kidding!), the Dolomites are the ideal playground for most any kind of climber
Accommodations
A picturesque Italian mountain town in the heart of the Dolomites, Cortina is the perfect hub for exploring the mountains and surrounding area. We’ll enjoy the comfort of the Hotel Ambra Cortina.
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 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.
Meals
With a range of fantastic bakeries and restaurants, from pizzerias to wine bars to Michelin-starred fine dining, eating and drinking in Cortina is as much fun as it sounds.
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.
Schedule
Day 1 | Benvenuti a Cortina!
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. We have a whole list of recommendations on what to eat and where to stay.
You get yourself to the Piazzale Roma in Venice where we will have a shuttle waiting for you at 2pm. A two hour ride will take you to Cortina.
You’ll have the afternoon to relax, settle in and explore a little before we head out to a welcome dinner for our first taste of some of the dishes that make the region famous.
Day 2 | Single-Pitch Climbing
We’ll start the day right with some proper Italian coffees and a breakfast buffet before we head out for a day of climbing. The first day we will stick to single-pitch routes (routes that are one rope length) 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 town and let you loose for the evening.
Day 3 | Multi-pitch Workshop
We’ll once again start with breakfast before driving up to 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 leading, multi-pitch climbing, and technical descents.
We’ll spend the morning near the ground working on a variety of skills and workshopping anchors and transitions for both up and down. We’ll also practice moving groups of two and three in and out of anchors, working on belay techniques, efficient multi-pitch ascending and descending, and offer tips for fast and clean rope and station management. Lastly, we’ll dive into safe and effective tactics for multi-pitch rappels and how to get off routes quickly and securely.
We’ll spend the night at the gorgeous Rifugio Scoiattoli, where a warm bed a three-course meal will be waiting for you.
Day 4 | Multi-pitch Climbing
After another great breakfast, we’ll head out in small teams of two climbers and a guide to climb. While this day is meant to be pure fun as our guides lead you up a collection of Dolomites classics, it’s also a chance for you to put all the skills you’ve learned into action on world-class alpine rock climbs.
After a day on the rock we’ll head back to town and let you loose for the evening.
Day 5 | Multi-pitch Climbing
After another great breakfast, we’ll head out in small teams of two climbers and a guide to climb. 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 routes in the Tre Cime di Lavaredo or the Tofana di Rozes. You can work on lead climbing. You can focus on skills. Or you and another climber can try a via ferrata (they're so cool!). If your body is feeling tired, you can also feel free to take a rest day.
After a day on the rock we’ll head back to town and let you loose for the evening.
Day 6 | Multipitch Climbing
This will be our last day of climbing, and you can choose just about anything.
After another great breakfast, we’ll head out in small teams of two climbers and a guide to climb. This day is meant to be another one of pure fun as our guides lead you up a collection of Dolomites classics. With our small teams, we can literally climb anything we want, from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo to the Tofana di Rozes, and you’ll have a world-class guide to ask questions and help you along the way.
After a day of climbing we'll celebrate with one final group dinner.
Day 7 | Heading Home
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end, and you’ll have to go home. A short journey from our hotel to the airport should have you on your way. Of course we recommend staying a few days to relax, but that one’s up to you!
FAQs
Age & Physical Requirements
- Ability to hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15lb backpack, 5 days in a row. While our approaches will be more like 15-45 minutes, this level of fitness will ensure you have the stamina for a weeklong climbing trip.
- Ability to do 20 squats.
- Ability to top rope 5.9 in the gym without taking or falling.
- Must know how to top rope belay.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
- Please note that it is mandatory for all participants to be fully vaccinated prior to attending this trip.
Airport Transfers
We are happy to arrange a shuttle to and from the Venice airport the morning of the retreat start date and the morning after our final dinner at cost, but it will depend on how many people would like this option.
How many participants come by themselves?
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.
I've never climbed before. Can I still attend?
You do not need to be an experienced climber to attend but we 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.
I'm an advanced climber. Will I be able to lead climb?
Probably. Lead climbing is certainly not a requirement for anybody on the trip, but we're happy to let you lead as long as you have prior experience as a leader and can pass a belay test similar to those found in most gyms (minus the falling).
Our main goal is to keep everyone safe, so on our first day out together we’ll just want to see that everyone is able to manage the rope, communicate, lead and belay safely before being cleared to do it throughout the week. If you don’t plan on leading, we’ll just want to go through a quick belay test to make sure you’re good to go belaying those who are.
For those aspiring to lead, we will try our best to coach you through the process throughout the week with the aim of you learning to do so safely.
What is the average age of climbers who attend?
We generally have a wide range of ages at our retreats. The average tends to fall anywhere between the ages of 26 to 45. But we have had quite a few women in their 60's join as well. It really is up to the attitude and physical ability of the participant.
How many people will be on the trip, and is it mostly men or women?
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.
Our trips are also made up of 90% women.
Men are perfectly welcome, but they tend to be outnumbered, making even these mixed gender trips a very woman-centric space. Our guide team will also predominantly be made up of women, though we promise Brian is also the best.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
TBD - need info
I'm plus sized. Am I able to climb?
We aren't experts in this area as this is not the lived experience of our current instructor team. But we want you here and we are committed to making your experience a positive one.
If you can:
- Hike three miles over varied terrain while carrying a 15 lb backpack
- Do 20 squats
- Have good balance
- And maintain a positive attitude
CLIMBING IS FOR YOU!
Currently the most limiting factor is the ability to fit into a harness. We have harnesses that can accommodate up to a 56inch waist. We are looking into getting a fleet of fully adjustable harnesses before next season starts.
If you want to learn more from plus sized climbers I highly recommend looking into Climb Big. Climb Big is an organization with a mission to "Make climbing more accessible for fat folx."
Can I bring my pet?
We know you love your fur babies, but unfortunately we cannot allow pets on any of our group trips or clinics.
Are payment plans available?
Yes we have two types of payment options. Please visit our Payment Plan page for more information.
Could not recommend She Moves Mountains more, especially the international trips if you can attend one. I joined the Dolomites climbing trip in 2022. The guides and the other participants were incredible. You climb and rediscover your limits during the day in the jaw-dropping Italian Alps, enjoy delicious Italian meals, and then if you have the energy, you can go sightseeing or even crash each other’s hotel rooms for more bonding and laughs. I acquired such confidence in my climbing abilities after this trip, and still keep in touch with some of the women today. Life changing experience! I would totally go on another trip this year if I weren’t expecting my first child. Maybe I’ll bring her with me in the future. 🙂
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