Dolomites


The Dolomites are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley. The Dolomites are located in the regions of Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli Venezia Giulia, covering an area shared between the provinces of Belluno, Vicenza, Verona, Trentino, South Tyrol, Udine and Pordenone.
Other mountain groups of similar geological structure are spread along the River Piave to the east – Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave; and far away over the Adige River to the west – Dolomiti di Brenta. A smaller group is called Piccole Dolomiti, located between the provinces of Trentino, Verona, and Vicenza.
The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and many other regional parks are located in the Dolomites. In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Etymology

The Dolomites, also known as the "Pale Mountains", take their name from the carbonate rock dolomite. This was named after the 18th-century French mineralogist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu, who was the first to describe the mineral.

History

During the First World War, the front line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through the Dolomites, where both sides used mines extensively. Open-air war museums are located at Cinque Torri and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the vie ferrate, protected paths through the minefields that were created during the war.
A number of long-distance footpaths traverse the Dolomites. They are called alte vie, and are numbered 1 to 8. The trails take about a week to walk, and are served by numerous rifugi. The first and the most renowned is the Alta Via 1. Radiocarbon dating has been used in the Alta Badia region to demonstrate a connection between landslide activity and climate change.

Geography

The region is commonly divided into the Western and Eastern Dolomites, separated by a line following the Val Badia – Campolongo Pass – Cordevole Valley axis.

Current classification

The Dolomites may be divided into the following ranges:
The Dolomites are renowned for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, hiking, cycling, and BASE jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn. Free climbing has been a tradition in the Dolomites since 1887, when 17-year-old Georg Winkler soloed the first ascent of the pinnacle Die Vajolettürme. The main centres include: Rocca Pietore alongside the Marmolada Glacier, which lies on the border of Trentino and Veneto, the small towns of Alleghe, Falcade, Auronzo, Cortina d'Ampezzo and the villages of Arabba, Urtijëi and San Martino di Castrozza, as well as the whole of the Fassa, Gardena and Badia valleys.
The Maratona dles Dolomites, an annual single-day road bicycle race covering seven mountain passes of the Dolomites, occurs in the first week of July.
Other characteristic places are:
NamemetresfeetNamemetresfeet
Marmolada3,34310,968Pala di San Martino2,9829,831
Antelao3,26410,706Rosengartenspitze / Catinaccio2,9819,781
Tofana di Mezzo3,24110,633Cima di Fradusta2,9419,715
Sorapiss3,22910,594Cimon del Froppa2,9329,649
Cristallo3,22110,568Monte Agnèr2,8729,416
Monte Civetta3,22010,564Fermedaturm2,8679,407
Cima di Vezzana3,19210,470Cima d'Asta2,8489,344
Cimon della Pala3,18410,453Cima di Canali2,8469,338
Langkofel / Sassolungo3,18110,427Croda Grande2,8399,315
Monte Pelmo3,16810,397Vajoletturm / Torri del Vajolet 2,8219,256
Dreischusterspitze3,16210,375Sass Maor2,8169,239
Boespitze / Piz Boè 3,15210,342Cima di Ball2,7839,131
Hohe Gaisl 3,14810,329Cima della Madonna 2,7519,026
3,14510,319Rosetta2,7418,993
Piz Popena3,14310,312Croda da Lago2,7168,911
Grohmannspitze 3,12610,256Central Grasleitenspitze2,7058,875
Zwölferkofel3,09410,151Schlern2,5628,406
Elferkofel3,09210,144Sasso di Mur2,5548,380
Piz dles Cunturines3,06410,052Cima delle Dodici2,3387,671
Sass Rigais 3,0259,925Monte Pavione2,3367,664
Kesselkogel 3,0049,856Cima Palon2,2397,346
Tre Cime di Lavaredo 2,9999,839Cima di Posta2,2357,333
Fünffingerspitze2,9979,833Geierwand2,0886,850

Major passes

Namemetresfeet
Ombretta Pass, footpath2,7388,983
Langkofeljoch, footpath2,6838,803
Tschagerjoch, footpath2,6448,675
Grasleiten Pass, footpath2,5978,521
Pravitale Pass, footpath2,5808,465
Comelle Pass, footpath2,5798,462
Rosetta Pass, footpath2,5738,442
Vajolet Pass, footpath2,5498,363
Canali Pass, footpath2,4978,193
Tierseralpljoch, footpath2,4558,055
Ball Pass, footpath2,4508,038
Forcella di Giralba, footpath2,4367,992
Col dei Bos, footpath2,3137,589
Forcella Grande, footpath2,2627,422
Pordoi Pass, road2,2507,382
Sella Pass, road2,2447,362
Giau Pass, road2,2367,336
Tre Sassi Pass, footpath2,1997,215
Valparola Pass, road2,1687,113
Mahlknechtjoch, footpath2,1687,113
Gardena Pass, road2,1216,959
Falzarego Pass, road2,1176,946
Fedaja Pass, bridle path2,0466,713
Valles Pass, road2,0326,667
Würzjoch, road2,0036,572
Rolle Pass, road1,9846,509
Forcella Forada, bridle path1,9756,480
San Pellegrino Pass, road1,9106,267
Campolongo Pass, road1,8756,152
Forcella d'Alleghe, footpath1,8205,971
Tre Croci Pass, road1,8085,932
Furkel Pass, road1,7595,771
Karerpass or Costalunga Pass , road1,7535,751
Kreuzbergpass or Monte Croce Pass, road1,6385,374
Ampezzo Pass, path1,5445,066
Cereda Pass, road1,3724,501
Toblach Pass, railway1,2093,967

Major parks