Friday 20 July 2007 - Via Ferrata Marino Bianchi and Cima di Mezzo

Friday 20 July 2007 - Via Ferrata Marino Bianchi - Cima di Mezzo

I've just clicked on a random day of 'unprocessed' photos and this is the result.

The pin landed on the last day of a trip to Cortina. I've now 'processed' the pictures and digitised my diary, so I'll try to slot in the pictures in roughly the correct places.

Here's the edited transcript of my diary entry: 

We awoke to a clear blue sky. Sue and I waited as usual for the sun to hit the tent at about 7:45, before brewing and breakfasting with Julia. Gary and Jenny had  been up for some time.

So we were away in the bus (my Renault Espace) soon after 9 o'clock. First to deposit Julia at the Tre Croci pass for her to walk up to the pleasant Rifugio Vandelli in the Sorapiss area. Then we went down to the lift station for chairlift then 'buckets' up to the high refuge on the Cristallo range (Rif Lorenzi).

We enjoyed coffees at the halfway station (Rif Son) before the old bucket lift, and this place also has excellent toilets - another reason for stopping.

We had decided not to do the Ivona Dibona via ferrata as Gary and Jenny didn't want a long day, and Sue and I fancied the shortish grade 2B via ferrata - Marino Bianchi - from Rif Lorenzi. But the route was crammed full of people, so we chose first to do the first section of the Ivona Dibona VF, across the suspension bridge then over to the minor summit - 3008 metre Cristallino d'Ampezzo. This had a few folk on it but it wasn't as crowded as usual. Perhaps we were later than usual. It was very pleasant, with superb if slightly hazier views than of late.

Kitting up before the start of VF Ivano Dibona 

Ascending above Rifugio Lorenzi, across the longest suspension bridge in the Dolomites

Coming back down after visiting Cristallino d'Ampezzo

Sue descends back to Rif Lorenzi and lunch

This excursion took from 11:00 to 12:30, then we lunched in a sheltered spot behind the bucket station. Our last cheese and tomato / processed meat and tomato and rolls of the trip. I'm 'peached out' so declined that delicacy. Sue saved hers till later.

The Marino route was now free, apart from a few descenders, but the guidebook says it takes 3 to 4 hours and we discover the last 'bucket' is at 4:20. It is 1:10.

So we hasten up the route, which turns out to be easy, despite having to negotiate quite a few people coming down.

A ladder on VF Marino Bianchi

After 50 minutes the downhill route leaves us, though we do meet a few people reversing our route. Anyway, we reach the fairly spacious summit (Cima di Mezzo (3154 metres), before our planned 'turnaround' time of 2:30, and take pictures for a German tourist.

The German sets off down, leaving a trail of blood. Gary and Jenny arrive at the top, and we soon follow on behind the German, who Gary overtakes.

It's quite a quick descent, as the descent loop goes over scree rather than down rock.

Descending back to Rif Lorenzi, seen here in the distance

And so we are down by 3:40, in plenty of time to descend slowly by 'bucket' and chairlift to reach the car park where Julia is waiting.

Looking back up to the suspension bridge from the buckets

A last view from the buckets towards Rif Lorenzi

Then a trip to Cortina to get ingredients for a final lovely pasta meal. There was even enough left over for Julia to feast on tomorrow, as she stays at camp on her own until Sunday morning.

After the nice meal we adjourn to Camping Cortina's bar for beers etc before being chucked out at 10pm by the campsite boss. It costs an extra €5 for three of us to drink in the bar, but at least we aren't pestered by the midges - I used my repellent on them for the first time tonight.

Quite tired - I need a rest day.

Stats:
Cort 6 to Cristallino (3008 metres) - 11:00 to 12:30
Cort 5 to Cima di Mezzo (3154 metres) - 1:10 to 3:40
Total: 3km, 300 metres ascent, 4 hours - all pure Via Ferrata.

Wonderful. When will we be back?

Sunday 21 October 2007 - Aysgarth

After settling up £45 a head for B&B for the weekend including Saturday night’s meal, we all pootled down to Aysgarth. 

Out of the 43 of us on this trip, 22 adults and 16 children set off from Aysgarth Falls car park on a stroll beside the falls and on along easy paths to Castle Bolton. The long string of people reminded me of the Italian coach parties we sometimes encounter in the Dolomites, but at least here there are no Via Ferrata ‘traffic jams’ to contend with. 

There was a reasonable amount of water in the river, and plenty of space for lots of folk to enjoy their day out. Beside the castle in Castle Bolton is a fine meadow where we enjoyed our lunch, but which in past times we supposed may have been utilised for animal enclosures within the village.

A spectacular mediaeval fortress, Bolton Castle itself took over 18 years to build and was completed by Richard le Scrope, 1st Lord Scrope of Bolton and Lord Chancellor of England in 1399. Unbelievably (to me anyway) it has never been sold, and remains in the private ownership of Lord Bolton, Richard le Scrope’s descendant. The castle has five floors, sparsely furnished with tableaux depicting castle life in the 15th century. During the English Civil War this was a royalist stronghold, and was besieged and fell to Cromwell in 1645. Much of the castle, with its mighty towers and rectangular courtyard, survived orders to destroy famous Yorkshire castles issued by Parliament in the Civil War.

The castle is externally three-quarters complete and internally about a third; it is one of the best preserved castles remaining in private ownership. Its interesting history is described in more detail on the history pages here.

Yesterday we had walked 24 km, but today we simply completed a sunny circuit of about 10 km back to Aysgarth – where the tea room received some good custom before we departed on our various ways.

This afternoon we passed some friendly animals that looked as if they were in the wrong continent…

Were they llamas, or alpaca?

Later, in 2025, I found the photos from this trip. I've added them - pretty self-explanatory - below.

Saturday 20 October 2007 - Hawes and Great Shunner Fell

The annual get together of Sue’s old university contemporaries took us to the Youth Hostel at Hawes. We had taken over the place for the weekend, much to the chagrin of a chap I met coming in the other direction near Hardraw Force. Strange, I thought, that he was armed only with a cup of tea.

Sue and I left the rest of our group and paid £2 each for the privilege of going up to the falls. At 20 pence we had never complained in the past, but the grumpy landlady of the Green Dragon pub, the gateway to these impressive falls, now seems to be profiteering, so we do now complain. But never mind, it was a worthwhile diversion, from which we caught up with the rest of our group some way up Great Shunner Fell on this lovely calm cloudless autumn day. 

And soon we caught up with cup of tea man, who turned out to be an Andy, doing the Pennine Way in sections with two Sheilas and a Graham. It’s a small world. Sue and I knew one of the Sheilas and we were subjected to more (jovial?...not sure!) abuse for our group having taken over the Youth Hostel, where Sue and I have a nice en-suite twin room with towels and tea making facilities, whereas Sheila’s group is slumming it in the less pristine Green Dragon with its grumpy landlady…

The fell summit was busy, with lots of walkers and a shooting party all enjoying their lunches and the fine panoramic views. 

The shooting party were preparing themselves for a busy afternoon, with quite a bit of wine, or was it Famous Grouse Whisky? Alys was recovering from a sore and now pointy head after Colin’s rather crude attempt to break up a chocolate bar. 12 of us set off exactly down the line that the shooting party was aiming to take, towards Butter Tubs Pass.

Once out of the line of fire, we lazed in the sun for some time by these impressive sink holes before most of us headed on up to Lovely Seat. This hill lives up to its name, and we found Chris and Alys ensconced on the summit throne in the shelter of the light but cool breeze. After a pause for breath we set off on a southerly bearing on a 3 km bog trot that sorted the men from the boys. Colin’s training at underwater dive sites, and Julie’s enforced detention at Northern Pebble’s head office had not prepared them for this, so frequent breaks were required for them to catch up. 

Chris romped ahead with deceptive ease and made light of crossing the wide patches of green slime that had others sinking and cursing.

Eventually we reached the track that took us easily back down to Hawes in blinding late afternoon sunshine, in time to visit a cheese shop before reaching the haven of the hostel and Sue W’s selection of cakes. We had expected a cacophony of children, but it seemed they had followed us up Great Shunner Fell and had not come back. So, tea and cakes in peace, and children nearly all late for their 5.30 meal! Tut-tut!

The ‘grown ups’ ate early at 7, so that most of them could endure watching a game of rugby at a local hostelry, comforted only by the local Black Sheep ale. Some of us just stayed put. Haven’t times changed – this Youth Hostel even has a licensed bar, with beer and wine at reasonable prices.

Later, in 2025, the photos from this day were 'processed' and are included below. Click on any one of them for a slideshow.