The Vallon corrie is a dramatic steep-sided amphitheatre on the east side of the Sella range, situated above Corvara. The sunny walls encircling Rifugio Kostner are most famous for the Piz da Lech via ferrata which has recently been re-equipped and offers a superb day out. The surrounding walls also host a number of excellent trad climbs, most notably three classic chimney offerings from Ettore Castiglioni and Bruno Detassis. The routes are all relatively short and easily accessible from Corvara using the Boè/Vallon lift system. When combined with an easy and straightforward descent this makes it ideal for half days. Because of their high altitude, the surrounding peaks often hold snow early in the season. Meltwater then turns the gullies into small waterfalls and the chimney routes generally only come into condition from late July after a period of dry weather. The face routes, such as the modern Fairplay, come into condition much earlier. The area is split into a number of separate buttresses and peaks. Confusingly these have Italian, German and Ladin names that are often used interchangeably. The most commonly used are, from left to right: Sasso delle Nove, Sasso delle Dieci and Piz da Lech. The nearby Rifugio Kostner provides an excellent base for anyone looking to spend several days in the area. It is reached via path 638 from the top of the Vallon chairlift. Alternatively, you can follow path 637 from the nearby town of Arabba to arrive at the rifugio in just over 2 hours.