Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites Volume 1

Book excerpt: This guidebook presents 75 via ferrata routes in the stunning Italian Dolomites. Part of a 2-volume set, this book covers Val di Fassa/Canazei, Selva, Badia/La Villa, Covara, Arabba, Falzarego, Cortina, Misurina, Sesto and Auronzo in the northern, central and eastern Dolomites. Routes are graded by technical difficulty and seriousness and there are comprehensive route descriptions accompanied by access notes, maps and topos. A wide range of grades, lengths and styles, from routes for novices to difficult and technical climbs are covered. Stunning photography completes this inspirational guide to some of the most breathtaking via ferrata routes in the world. The Italian Dolomites boast some of the most magnificent mountain scenery on the planet and some of the most iconic. Soaring rocky spires and jagged ridgelines are interspersed with gentle valleys and idyllic mountain villages. The Dolomites are also home to the world's greatest concentration of via ferratas - mountain routes or climbs that are protected by a series of cables, metal rungs, pegs and ladders.