Tuesday 28 June 2016
Piz de Lech 2911m
We make an early start for the Vallon Cable Car and chair lift to do the Piz de Lech via Ferrata. As this will take us up on to a high mountain plateau, we are pleased to see a clear blue sky with no clouds in sight. This lasts for the whole day. The Vallon Cable car and chair lift take us up close to the start of the Via Ferrata. We walk to a gully and there see the wires stretching away improbably up the big rock face to the sky.
The grade is a 3B and the start is quite strenuous and thin for the feet. There are more hard pitches like this, but all up wonderful rock with blue sky and sun all the way. Tremendous airy exposure in places. Two ladders are very steep with an awkward move between them. When the wire finished, an airy path full of cairns leading to the cross takes us to the summit of the Piz de Lech itself. From here we can gaze at familiar landmarks and rock faces from the other side, where they look alien and moon-like.
A snowy gully forces us to squeeze between it and the rock on the way down. The ride back in the chairlift is so quiet and peaceful, floating over the green meadows. We decide to walk from Corvara to Colfosco and find a steep woody track which is much shorter than the road.
View of Marmolada and the Vallon Hut
View of Piz de Lech and the Vallon Via Ferrata
On the way up the Piz de Lech Via Ferrata
The steep ladders on the way up Piz de Lech Via Ferrata
The steep ladders on the way up Piz de Lech Via Ferrata
Piz de Lech Summit
Piz de Lech Summit
On the way up the Piz de Lech Via Ferrata
On the way up the Piz de Lech Via Ferrata
On the way up the Piz de Lech Via Ferrata
Piz de Lech Summit
Piz de Lech Summit
Piz de Lech Summit
Piz de Lech Summit
Piz de Lech Summit
The snowy gully Piz de Lech
not at home 