📍Location	Franchi, also called Scheweg (the sign at the crag reads Scheweg-Franchi), in Val di Landro (Höhlensteintal), between Dobbiaco (Toblach) and Carbonin (Schluderbach), South Tyrol, Italy. At the Tre Cime viewpoint on the SS51, behind the restaurant – GoogleMap
🅿️Parking	Google Map. Paid car park on the left of the road, after the restaurant. Have a valid ticket on display.
🧗Climbing Style	Sport only. Steep, overhanging and physical, with lots of link-ups and extensions. Many holds are chipped
🪨Rock Type	Dolomite. Yellowish, overhanging walls
📊Grade Range	5+ to 8c. 34 routes, 28 of them 7a or harder
🧭Aspect & Sun	East. Sun in the morning. In late September we found it in the shade from around 2pm
☀️Best Season	April to October. The big overhangs keep most routes climbable in the rain
🚶Approach	4 minutes, flat. Cross the road, go over the bridge and follow the trail along the stream
🚐Van Parking	Day parking only. Don’t park in the meadows: it’s forbidden across Val di Landro and fines are issued. We slept at Park4Night spots nearby. See the van section below
📶Mobile Coverage	Good at the crag when we were there. Download your topos offline anyway
📖Topos	Falesie a Cortina d’Ampezzo (Gruppo Scoiattoli, Idea Montagna) · The Topo — FranchitheCrag · Printed, laminated topos hang at the base of the crag
🗺️Also Here	Landro, the valley’s big all-grades crag, plus Lago di Landro, Landro Classica, Grotta di Landro, Balkonien, Geierwand, Rienztal, Militärklettergarten and Stube

Where Is Franchi?

This Franchi climbing guide covers a steep, physical crag right by the road in Val di Landro (Höhlensteintal), the valley that runs south from Dobbiaco (Toblach) towards Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The crag sits at the viewpoint where the Tre Cime first come into view, behind the restaurant, at 1,450 m.

Locally it goes by two names. The sign at the base reads Scheweg-Franchi, apps and guidebooks mostly call it Franchi, and you’ll also see Scheweg on theCrag, Scheeweg on PlanetMountain, and even “Franks” in PlanetMountain’s English edition. They’re all the same wall.

It’s a small crag with a big reputation among local climbers, who use it as a natural training wall. There are 34 sport routes from 5+ to 8c, and most of them are hard: 28 are 7a or above.

History

We couldn’t find a published source for who first bolted Franchi, so we’re not naming anyone. What the topos do show is plenty of link-ups and extensions, which is why so many lines share starts or carry on past a first anchor.

Franchi or Landro? Which Crag for Which Climber

Franchi and Landro are both on the SS51 in the same valley, and we climbed at both on the same trip.

If you climb mostly below 6c, go to Landro. If you want steep, powerful climbing, or it’s raining, Franchi is the better bet.

Read nextLandro Climbing Guide: ~100 routes for every level, in the same valley

The Rock & Climbing Style

The rock is dolomite: yellowish, overhanging walls that make a good training ground. The climbing is physical and needs both strength and endurance.

There are a lot of link-ups. Several routes have a first anchor partway up (marked L1 in the topos) and an extension that carries on to a second anchor, so check which version you’re on before you set off.

Be aware that many of the holds are chipped. That’s part of the crag’s history, and it doesn’t stop it being a great place to train, but it’s worth knowing before you go.

Some routes have fixed quickdraws in place. When we were there, some were in good condition and some were very old. Check every fixed draw before you clip it, and use your own if in doubt.

Routes & Grades

Franchi is one compact wall rather than a line of sectors. Here’s how its 34 routes split by grade.

In short: six routes below 7a, sixteen from 7a to 7c, and twelve from 8a to 8c. If you’re climbing in the 6s, there’s maybe half a day here at most.

Routes Worth Knowing

theCrag’s highest-rated lines are Stanschleido L1 (6b, three stars) and Frühlingserwachen L1 (7b, three stars), both of which also have longer extensions. Boudolos (7a+, two stars) and Columbo (6c+, one star) are also starred, though PlanetMountain’s local guide lists Columbo at 7a, so expect it to feel hard for the grade. At the top end, theCrag lists Oben Ohne at 8c.

Our Days at Franchi

We climbed at Franchi for three days in late September, alongside Landro and the other crags in the valley. The routine was the same as at Landro: climb in the morning sun, then feel it cool down fast once the wall went into the shade from around 2pm.

The base is comfortable and the walk in is short. The road is close, though, and you hear the traffic. It’s noisier than most crags in the valley.

We used a 60 m rope and 12 quickdraws, and that covered everything we climbed.

Guidebooks, Topos & Local Climbers

The Topo Board at the Base

Like at Landro, printed and laminated topos hang at the base of the crag for everyone to use. If your phone dies or you lose signal, you can still find your routes. Please leave them as you found them.

Essential: Falesie a Cortina d’Ampezzo

For the Wider Dolomites: Guido Colombetti’s 105-Crag Guide

So Which Should You Use?

Digital Topos: The Topo App

The Local Climbing Scene

The local climbing club is Gamatzn, the association of climbers and mountaineers from the Puster Valley (Val Pusteria). Since 2013 they’ve organised the Dolorock Climbing Festival across the Höhlensteintal crags, and PlanetMountain lists Franchi among the festival crags. See dolorock.com for future dates. We couldn’t confirm who maintains the bolts at Franchi today, so we’re not naming anyone.

When to Go

The climbing season at Franchi runs from April to October. The wall faces east and gets the sun in the morning. In late September we found it in the shade from around 2pm, and at 1,450 m it gets cold quickly after that.

In summer, that afternoon shade is the point: the wall stays fresh when the sun has moved off it.

Rain is where Franchi earns its place. The overhangs keep the routes dry, so it’s the crag to head for when the rest of the valley is wet.

Getting There & Approach

From Dobbiaco, take the SS51 south towards Cortina d’Ampezzo. After about 3 km you reach Lago di Dobbiaco. Carry on for another 7.6 km to the viewpoint where you can see the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The car park is on the left side of the road, after the restaurant. South-tirol.com describes it as the public car park next to the Hotel Drei Zinnen Blick.

Don’t follow the wrong crowd: the same car park serves Rienztal (Val Rienza), whose approach heads up the valley towards the Tre Cime. For Franchi, cross the bridge behind the hotel instead. South-tirol.com gives it as hiking path number 34.

From the car park, cross the road and head south over the bridge. Turn right after the bridge onto path 34, and follow the trail along the stream to the scree at the base of the wall. The crag is behind the restaurant. It takes about 4 minutes, and it’s flat.

What to Bring

Rope: we used a 60 m rope. theCrag lists the longest extensions at 30 m, so a 60 m rope is the minimum. Tie a knot in the end every time. Our best climbing ropes guide covers what we use.

Quickdraws: we took 12. Don’t rely on the fixed draws: some are very old.

Also: a warm layer for when the wall goes into the shade, and a parking ticket.

Read nextBest Climbing Ropes 2026: the ropes we use and recommend

Van Life, Where to Stay & Rest Days

Day Parking

Park in the paid car park on the left of the road and display a valid ticket. Don’t park in the meadows. It’s forbidden anywhere in Val di Landro, and fines are issued to people who do.

Where We Slept

Don’t sleep at the crag. PlanetMountain points out that every crag in Val di Landro is inside the Tre Cime – Dolomiti di Braies nature park, where camping and fires are forbidden. Take all your rubbish home, including cigarette butts, and leave no trace if you need the toilet.

We used the same Park4Night spots as for Landro and stayed several days without any problems. Here’s the first one we used. Rules in South Tyrol can change by season, so check recent reviews before you settle in.

Water refill: we filled up at this tap, the same one we used for Landro. The pressure is strong, so the tank fills quickly.

Read nextOur Park4Night review: how we find van spots near crags

Rest Days

Rest days in Val di Landro are easy to fill. We cycled along the valley one afternoon, past Lago di Dobbiaco and Lago di Landro, and the scenery is worth the trip on its own. Bike paths run the length of the valley, including the well-known downhill ride from Dobbiaco to Lienz in Austria.

We also hiked up Monte Piana, which was one of the highlights of our time here. We planned it in Komoot, as we do all our hikes. Download the route offline before you set off. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are close too, via Misurina at the southern end of the valley.

Travelling with children? The valley has campsites, playgrounds and parks with Alpine wildlife.

Where to Stay — Dobbiaco & Around

Not everyone has a bed in the back. Dobbiaco, at the northern end of the valley, is the nearest town with hotels, apartments and campsites. The map shows live prices for your dates:

Franchi Climbing Guide: FAQ

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