Wednesday 10 August - Via Ferrata Attilio
Sieff (by Martin)
We enjoyed a lie in until
nearly 8 am, then washed clothes on a warmer day, before driving to Ziano, a
comparatively quiet village at about 950 metres, just south of Predazzo, in
plenty of time to start VF Attilio Sieff, a 500 metre route up a small summit Punta
Polse, at 1450 metres, less than 100 metres higher than our campsite. We
followed the route described in Fletcher and Smith's Cicerone guide - Volume 2
page 44 (BOLZ 2).
23°C - a
pleasantly warm ascent up zigzags through pine woods. Saw a red squirrel,
lizards, and on the descent Sue saw a slow worm. Lots of harebell and leopardsbane
varieties. On upwards in good weather, with the industrial noises below slowly
softening, to the start of the Via Ferrata at 1350 metres. 12:15. Today it took
only ten minutes to kit up, and today, on this route graded 2A, we really did
need the kit.
This sort of sign generally marks the start (kitting up point) of a Via Ferrata route
After 35 minutes
we reached the huge cross marking the summit, which is overlooked by forests
above. A visitor's book had been put there yesterday, and we were the first
recorded visitors (we had met a lone person on his way down as we ascended
through the forest).
A leisurely lunch - 1:00 to 1:40 pm, then we donned our helmets again for the steep descent, which proved easier than expected.
Two German girls
ascending were easily negotiated, and we uneventfully reached the foot of the
Via Ferrata at 2:15. Just after she had taken her helmet off, a stone whistled
past Sue's ear!
Strolled down
the steep path back to Ziano by 3:15, passing quite a few people on the way up.
They didn't look particularly kitted out for Via Ferrata stuff - the only sign
of specialist kit was a huge wooden ice axe.
After admiring
the well kept graves and their individual gardens in the local churchyard, we
adjourned to a cafe, from which in due course we saw quite a few people up by
the distinctive summit cross - high and white above the village.
Spot the white cross atop the hill!
Shopping for
supper followed - ham tortellini with olive tomato sauce and salad, then
another slightly scary drive along the busy narrow road to Bellamonte, for a
relaxing evening at camp and around Bellamonte under an increasingly cloudy sky.
There is a poorly signed, only just completed (obvious snags remain) Information
/ Visitors Centre here, and some large hotels. The roads are very full during
the day - it seems that lots of tourists just spend their time driving around
(what's new!).
Here are a selection of maps - click on them for a better image
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