Shorter Walks in the Dolomites. Gillian Price

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СКАЧАТЬ excellent network of paths penetrates the Dolomites, each marked with frequently placed red and white paint stripes on prominent fence posts, tree trunks and rocks, each complete with their own distinguishing numbers. These numbers and routes are marked on commercial walking maps. While sketch maps are provided in this guide, limitations of space make it impossible to include full details, which are essential in an emergency, so it is imperative that walkers obtain the recommended commercial maps listed in individual walk information boxes. These are Tabacco carta topografica per escursionisti maps at 1:25,000 scale, by far the clearest on the market at present. They use a continuous red line for a wide track and a broken red line to indicate a marked path of average difficulty. Red dots denote routes that are exposed or unclear, while crosses denote aided sections such as cable or ladders and via ferrata routes. The only drawback of the Tabacco maps is the ill-advised substitution of well-used place names with ancient and dialectal versions. While of great historical interest, few correspond to local usage or signposts. The maps can be ordered at www.tabaccoeditrice.com. Smartphone users can download the App for digital maps from www.tabaccomapp.it. The maps are sold throughout the Dolomites and leading overseas booksellers include www.omnimap.com in the US and the Map Shop (www.themapshop.co.uk) or Stanfords (www.stanfords.co.uk) in the UK if you prefer to purchase them beforehand. Kompass maps (www.kompass-italia.it) also cover the Dolomites.

      Plenty of good road maps can be found – the Touring Club Italiano 1:200,000 Trentino Alto Adige is hard to beat.

Dos and don’ts

      It’s better to arrive early and dry, than late and wet

      Maxim for walkers

       Find time to get in shape before setting out on your holiday, as a good level of fitness will maximise your enjoyment. If you’re not exhausted, you will appreciate the wonderful scenery more and react better in an emergency

       On the trail find your pace. If you have to keep stopping to catch your breath, you’re going too fast

       Don’t be overly ambitious; choose routes suited to your capacity and read the walk descriptions before setting out

       Get into the habit of leaving word at your hotel of your planned route, or signing the hut register if staying in a rifugio, as this may be helpful if you don’t turn up when expected

       Don’t set out late on walks and always keep extra time up your sleeve to allow for the possibilities of any detours due to collapsed bridges, wrong turns taken and missing signposts along the way. Plan on getting to your destination early in hot weather, as afternoon storms are not uncommon. As a general rule, start out early in the morning to give yourself plenty of daylight

       Stick with your companions and don’t lose sight of them. Remember that the progress of groups matches that of the slowest member

       Avoid walking in brand new footwear as they may cause blisters, but leave those worn-out boots in the shed, as they may prove unsafe on slippery terrain. Three quarters of mountain accidents are caused by slipping. Choose your footwear carefully!

       Don’t overload your rucksack and remember that drinking water and food add extra weight

       Carry extra protective clothing as well as energy foods for emergency situations. Remember that in normal circumstances the temperature drops an average of 6°C for every 1000m you climb

       Check the weather forecast if possible – tourist offices and hut guardians are in the know. For the Südtirol see www.suedtirol.info, for Trentino www.meteotrentino.it and for the Veneto www.arpa.veneto.it. Never set out on a long route in adverse conditions. Even a broad track can become treacherous in bad weather, and high-altitude terrain enveloped in thick mist makes orientation difficult. An altimeter is useful – when a known altitude (such as that of the refuge) goes up, this means the atmospheric pressure has dropped and the weather could change for the worse

       Please carry rubbish back to the valley, where it can be disposed of correctly; don’t expect hut or park staff to deal with it. Even organic waste such as apple cores and orange peel is best not left lying around, as it upsets the diets of animals and birds

       Be considerate when making a toilet stop. Keep well away from watercourses, don’t leave unsightly and unhygienic paper lying around (bury it) and resist any temptation to use abandoned huts or rock overhangs; in bad weather these could serve as life-saving shelter for other people!

       Collecting flowers, insects or minerals is strictly forbidden, as are fires

       Learn the international call for help – see below. DO NOT rely on your mobile phone, as there may not be any signal. Refuges have landlines and experienced staff can always be relied on in an emergency. In electrical storms, don’t shelter under trees or rock overhangs, and keep away from metallic fixtures

       Lastly, don’t leave your common sense at home

      The old Felizon rail bridge (Walk 5)

Emergencies

      For medical matters, EU residents need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Holders are entitled to free or subsidised emergency treatment in Italy, which has an excellent national health service. UK residents can apply online at www.dh.gov.uk. Australia has a similar reciprocal agreement – see www.medicareaustralia.gov.au. Other nationalities should take out suitable equivalent insurance. In any case, travel insurance for a walking holiday is also strongly recommended, as the costs of rescue and repatriation can be considerable. Members of Alpine clubs are usually covered, but do check before you depart.

      The following may be of help should problems arise.

       Polizia (police) Tel 113

       Tel 118 for health-related emergencies including ambulanza (ambulance) and soccorso alpino (mountain rescue)

       ‘Help!’ in Italian is Aiuto! (pronounced ‘eye-you-tow’). Pericolo is ‘danger’

      Should help be needed during a walk, use the following internationally recognised rescue signals: SIX signals per minute either visual (waving a handkerchief or flashing a torch) or audible (shouting or whistling), repeated after a pause of one minute. The answer is THREE visual or audible signals per minute, to be repeated after a one-minute pause. Anyone who sees or hears a call for help must contact the nearest source of help, a mountain hut or police station for example, as quickly as possible.

      These hand-signals could be useful for communicating at a distance or with a helicopter.

      Both arms raised diagonally

       help needed

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