Breathtaking views from Sentiero Gustavo Vidi

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Looking for a breathtaking day trek at the Brenta Dolomites? Well we have an excellent proposal or you. Go to Madonna di Campiglio and take the two-stage gondola up to Rifugio Stoppani and head towards Sentiero Gustavo Vidi.

Sentiero Gustavo Vidi can be counted as a very easy via ferrata but in real life it is more of a mountain walk with some protected sections. But don't let that fool you. Sentiero has a lot to offer on great heights at 2660 meters.

What makes this route quick is the fast gondola access directly from Madonna di Campiglio up to the Passo del Groste. It is a good idea to prepare schedules so that you are heading up before the siesta between 12-14 and be back at the middle gondola station before 17:00 when they close the line.

Route starts at 200 meters north-east from the Rifugio Stoppani where is a clear sign pointing towards the beginning of the trail. Trail ascents about 250 meters and descents down to the Groste middle station about 500 meters in about 3-4 hours.  During the walk there is about 500 meters of ferrata cables.

Route itself offers a good way to get used to the heights at mountains and trekking on the ridges. On some parts the route is narrow with steep walls on the sides and thus requires careful walking.

Sentiero Gustavo Vidi is a perfect way to get an overview of the spectacular Dolomite mountains even for ferrata beginners. For experienced ferrata trekkers or climbers the route is very easy but just the spectacular surroundings justify to complete the route. During the early summer few parts of the route might go cross snowy or icy sections and it is a good idea to check the status of the route if you are heading there during the early summer. And as usual at the the mountains weather conditions should be good before attempting this one. Recommended, one of the best experiences you can have during a day visit at the Brenta Dolomites.

Ferrata grade: 5/5
Route quality: 5/5
Security: 3/5
Surroundings/views: 5/5
Approach: 5/5
Exit: 5/5

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Sentiero Gustavo Vidi, Madonna di Campiglio, 5.7.2015

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Trekking at Brenta Dolomites

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Sometimes when the weather gets just too hot in Arco and it is better to head up to the breathtaking Dolomites and enjoy one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world. Today we had such a day with a perfect bright blue sky to have a visit in one of the rare natural heritage locations.

Madonna di Campiglio and Brenta Dolomites are only 70 kilomiters and 1,5 hours away from Arco so driving there takes time but is reasonable for a day trip.

To speed up our schedules and to maximize the time at the top we took the ski lift from Madonna di Campiglio to the top Rifugio Stoppani. Our goal was to have a half a day trekking at paths leaving from the rifugio. At the same time we had excellent opportunity to scout the snow conditions between the the Pietra Grande and Cima del Groste peaks and find the entry points of the nearby via ferratas.

There are numerous excellent ferratas at the Brenta area and two of them can be easily accessed from and to Rifugio Stoppani. The first one of them is easy but breathtaking ferrata Sentiero Gustavo e Natale Vidi. It can be completed from the Rifugio Stoppani to the Rifugio Groste and then to the middle lift station in about 3 hours. During the time of our visit ferrata was completely accessible without snow gear.

Sentiero Alfredo Benini is 2nd alternative for a one day session from Rifugio Stoppani to Rif. Tuckett and then back to Rif. Stoppani that can be completed in about 6 hours. Sentiero Alfredo Benini is more demanding but still relatively easy ferrata. During the time of our visit it was partially covered by snow and crampons are usually recommended for the route.

What can I say, we had an excellent half a day trekking session in a breathtaking scenery! Definitely recommended and just remember to have a camera with you when visiting the region!

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Brenta Dolomites, 26.6.2015

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Spring climbing over Ledro Valley

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Twisted winter holiday, we are climbing more than snowboarding. Well you got to do what feels good.  So today we visited Regina del Lago's sector A that is excellent choice for 6a/b climbers. We know the crag already but during the last summer we had only time to visit the B sector. 

Regina offers great views over Val di Ledro and routes are long and excellent for 5-6 climbers. Approach is relatively quick, about 20-30 minutes and the path is mostly clear to follow. Crag is hot during the summer days but excellent for the spring climbing. It should be climbable starting from February so it is definitely a place to visit during winter.

Our last visit was at the B sector and now when comparing the sectors they offer a varied type of climbs. Most of them are positive and some are slabs but A sector has also corner crags offering great variation to other routes. The right side of the A sector seemed to be more interesting when it comes to routes.

During the day we noticed that the air was full of dust that was also blocking randomly GPS, normally Lake Garda would be visible from the top. So if you wonder the photos that is most probably the reason. Great day, great crack. We will be back.

 


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Madonna di Campiglio, Regina del Lago, 20.3.2014 March

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Views over Madonna

This time the blog entry is brief, just few photos of the impressive and breathtaking views over Madonna di Campiglio.

Heta posing!

Mika posing!

 And same stuff in a Picasa album:

Madonna di Campiglio, 18.3.2014

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Summer in the middle of a winter holiday

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We have been wondering for some time now if it would be possible to have a holiday where both, winter and summer activities could be combined. And now, almost accidentally, that dream is actually coming true. 

After the day at Madonna di Campiglio's snowy slopes we decided to see if the nearby rock climbing cracks are already accessible. Plan was to find a reasonable late winter climbing crag nearby Madonna di Campiglio. Based on the climbing guidebooks we spot a suitable crag called Sunny Place nearby Stenico. Guidebook claimed that it would be perfect during the early spring but too hot during the summer months. And it would take less than hour and is located only 45 kilometers away from Madonna.

So we decided to head down to Stenico. After the first 20 minutes once the narrow serpentine road was cleared down to Pinzolo we noticed that the outside temperature had raised up to 16 Celsius degrees. Day actually started to look promising for rock climbing.

After half an hour of driving we realized that our path would pass one of our favorite crag, Coltura. Pretty soon after that Coltura's high walls were in front of us facing the sun. It became immediately clear that instead of the additional driving and 30 minutes approach march we would start climbing immediately. At the same time the outside temperature was showing amazing 22 degrees. All of a sudden winter changed into a warm summer day. Luck or what, but for some reason we had packed our summer clothes with us. Now it became clear that light clothing and sun lotion were actually needed.

Temperature at the wall was even higher than 22 degrees, most probably around 26 Celsius degrees, giving a distant glimpse of the hot summer months. So season's opening climbs reminded us about the requirements for hot summer days, you just can't drink too much! This was an excellent opening for the upcoming rock climbing season!

Oh, about the routes, I don't know if it is the weather or lack of skills but my maximum heart rate during the hardest climb was 202. It is high even for younger fellows, so I guess that the route was demanding enough for an old fart.

Heta is pushing hard.

Madonna is somewhere there 35 kilometers away.

Sun is just slipping behind the mountains.

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Madonna di Campiglio, Coltura, 17.3.2014

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Madonna di Campiglio

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Madonna di Campiglio - 150 kilometers of runs to go. Madonna is definitely on of the big alp resorts that spreads over Pinzolo and Ragoli (including Madonna).  Dominating silhouettes of the Brenta Dolomite mountains are the recognizable face of the resort. Beauty of the Dolomite mountains is also recognized globally and mountains are declared into a World Heritage Site On 26 June 2009 by UNESCO.

Madonna is located 1500 above the sea level and offers a good snow even during March. We don't know if this is a typical spring weather here but there is still plenty of snow on and off-pistes. Off-piste skiing is not necessary on its best anymore but still it looks like that there are plenty of runs to go at late spring.

Access to the lift and slopes is easy and convenient even for snowboarders, which is not always the case at the alp resorts. Snowboarders and freestyle skiers are also well taken care of by offering well designed and maintained parks.

Slopes are relatively easy at least on the Madonna's side of the resort and most of them can be recommended even for the beginners. Still offering several black runs and good off-pistes Madonna di Campiglio has definitely enough runs from a beginner to experienced skiers.

During March the high season is already over but during the weekends the whole resort turns into a snow party and restaurants and popular runs are quite crowded. That changes immediately when the weekend is over so there will be plenty of space for skiing after the busy weekends.

Heta and Dolomites.

Partial map of the lifts and pistes.

Heta snowboarding down a black run.

Center of Madonna is good for pedestrians

 
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Madonna di Campiglio, 16.3.2014

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