Many of the valleys in Trentino are dotted with fine climbing routes, but of all of them, it is the Val Daone that has earned a reputation as a veritable ‘Mecca’ for ice climbing. There are more than 140 frozen watercourses here that attract enthusiasts from all over Italy every year.
For the first outing of the Wild White Winter tour, we therefore decided to head to the shores of Lake Boazzo, where we find some of the most picturesque waterfalls (Il Sogno del Gran Scozzese, Placca Multistrato…). Of all of them, we chose to climb the famous ‘Queen of the Lake’.
The waterfall splits into two branches, left and right: we’ll be climbing the latter to enjoy the morning sun, which highlights the bizarre shapes of the ice and its intricate patterns.
It’s important to note that the waterfalls aren’t always the same; they change in appearance with every season: they can be ‘full’ or ‘low’, easier or more difficult, depending on the temperatures and the flow of water feeding them… We’re in luck this year: the Queen of the Lake is showing us her finest, treating us to a magnificent climb on solid, plentiful ice. When you’re with friends, the day flies by, and all that’s left is to round it off in style with a toast at the La Paia inn, the haunt of the legendary Placido, the caring guardian of the valley and its glittering treasures.
