The Vajolet Towers: Spectacular climbing in the heart of Dolomites

The Vajolet Towers: Iconic peaks

The Vajolet Towers, known as Torri del Vajolet, are amongst the most impressive formations of the Dolomites. Their shape is iconic and they are one of the most photographed peaks in Italy. They are comprised of six summits, located on the border between Trentino and South Tirol, and they stand at an elevation of 2821 meters above sea level. Adding to their charm is the fact that they are nestled in the heart of the Dolomites and the access to the plateau where they rise is not so easy.

How to reach the Vajolet Towers

The excursion starts at an altitude of 1950mt and follows a path that leads to various “rifugi”. The total length of the hike is approximately 3.67km, with an altitude gain of more than 780 meters. At the bottom of Vajolet Towers you will find the hut Re Alberto I.

For detailed information visit: https://www.dolomiti.it/en/itineraries/hiking/walking-tour-around-catinaccio-the-vajolet-towers

Another, more difficult, option to reach the towers is to follow a Via Ferrata that starts from rifugio Fronza.

Here is a description of the Via Ferrata: https://www.ferrate365.it/vie-ferrate/ferrata-passo-santner-catinaccio/

Spigolo Piaz, an incredible pillar on the Vajolet Towers

The first tower to the left (seen from the Rifugio) is called Torre Delago. Its name comes from the first person to reach its summit, Hermann Delago, who stood on top of the tower in 1895. Delago climbed the chimneys on the southern side, facing some hard climbing. But the most famous route today is the one climbed by Tita Piaz, Francesco Jori and Irma Glaser in 1911. This is the multipitch we want to talk about!

It is generally referred to as Spigolo Piaz and follows the south-western edge of the tower. The route is incredibly exposed, as the tower stands hundreds of meters above the valley floor on the north-western side. The difficulty of the climb is considered to be grade IV, with a few moves of IV+. But remember! Even though the climb itself is not hard, classic Dolomitic routes such as this are always challenging from a technical and psychological point of view. 

The line is around 130 meters long and is comprised of 5 pitches. The descent from the top takes 5 rappels. The total time for the completion of the route is around 4 hours.