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Marmolada Ferrata
A brilliant day out accessed by a truly terrifying lift system

The lift to access Marmolada is like a single person milk crate and quite frankly terrifying Getting higher up, thankfully it's not windy Mike in his cage The glacier now getting closer Looking back down to Lac de Fedaia Heading for the via ferrata Piz Boe in the distance Looking back down the first big snowfield Getting steeper and hard work at around 3000m Mike starting the ferrata Staying back to avoid the loose stones that keep getting kicked down Lots of people on the snowfield now. Thankfully our early start means no queuing. Still going up At the point where the two ferratas join up. The ascent from the Contrin Refugio looks tortuous Piccolo Vernel Piz Boe and Gran Vernel A short walk to the next cabled section Piccolo and Gran Vernel Still heading up Piccolo and Gran Vernel Nothing too hard on this ferrata but you wouldn't want to be up here in bad weather Great views and not too far from the top now Lots of work on the stemples. The white stuff is ground up rock from where the new holes have been drilled. Onwards and upwards Piz Boe Some kit changes going on as people discover it's actually rather nippy up here Quite busy on the snow field and cable now. A chopper drops what we assume are the CAI folks doing the re-equipping off. A steep section with just a cable The end is in sight Looking back down the glacier Mike nearing the top The final snow fields leading to the summit and refugio Looking over to the cable car top station where the ski runs begin Heading down a small snow field before joining the main glacier Big crevasse! Crevasse right at where the cabled section end. Lots of people descend this glacier unroped... Roped up and descending soft slithery snow. Crampons don't really help here but they are essential for the odd section of exposed ice. Mike looking back uphill Mike faffing with something or other Piz Boe and the Langkofel from the glacier Now off the glacier Gran Vernel, Langkofel and Piz Pordoi Looking back up the glacier The Langkofel De-gearing after the glacier Gran Vernel The last few minutes back to the lift The scary lift awaits If it wasn't for wanting to preserve my knees I'd probably have walked down Mike in the cage Some cliffs on the way down. Looks like there are probably some climbs here

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