Dolomites Classic Climbs with Tania Noakes

In the last of our series of weekly Alpine Stories we welcome British Mountain Guide Tania Noakes to share her love for the Dolomites and the climbing there. Tania has been a huge support to our community from the very beginning and is a fantastic inspiring and enthusiastic mountain professional.

The Dolomites have a fascinating geological and human history and Tania walks us through this so we have a deeper understanding of the landscape we climb in. The Dolomite massifs have a unique chemical composition of rock which is down to their formation as massive coral reefs which have been altered over geological time. This has given amazing featured rock and ledge systems which we take full advantage of when climbing and exploring the mountains.

Tania describes how the Dolomites were a major frontier during World War 1 and the lasting legacy on the landscape. It is impossible when you are travelling through the mountains it is hard not be reminded of this as there are tunnels, trenches and other structures from when these mountains were a battleground. It is humbling to remember the old and young men who were posted for months at a time in these inhospitable environments and the tales of bravery during these times. There are many amazing stories from this period, and Tania shared a few with us in her talk.

Moving onto the climbing, Tania shared her project to climb all the routes in the ‘Classic Climbs’ guidebook by Köhler & Memmel after realising last summer that she only had 32 out of 102 left to tick. Tania shares her favourite climbs from the project as well as giving us her top tips for making your trip to Dolomites successful.

With inspiring lines and beautiful rock structures, Tania takes us on a sweeping journey up spires and massive faces - you provide the pizza, wine and gelato!