Tre Cime di Lavaredo

The three towers rise in a line above a high basin, the middle one reaching 2,999 metres, with north faces of five hundred metres that were among the great objectives of Alpine climbing; the direct route on the Cima Grande north face was climbed in 1933 and became a benchmark for hard rock climbing. The loop path from the Auronzo hut circles all three in about four hours on well-made trails, passing huts and the wartime positions cut into the rock, since the front line ran through here in the First World War. The border between Veneto and South Tyrol runs across the group.

History

Paul Grohmann made the first ascent of the Cima Grande on 21 August 1869 with the guides Franz Innerkofler and Peter Salcher, and the routes of the first ascents of the three peaks are still the normal ways up. Emilio Comici first climbed the north face of the Cima Grande in 1933, with two companions, in three days and two nights (Wikipedia, Tre Cime di Lavaredo).

What's there

• The three north faces - sheer 500-metre walls in a line.
• The loop path - a four-hour circuit showing every side of the group.
• The wartime positions - trenches and galleries cut into the rock.
• The huts - Auronzo, Lavaredo and Locatelli on the circuit.

When to go

June to September; snow blocks the loop outside that window. The toll road opens seasonally and the car park fills by mid-morning in August, when a shuttle operates.

Before you go

The access road is tolled and expensive, and parking fills very early in season. The loop is busy. Weather closes in fast and the path is exposed in places.

Nearby

Cortina lies south; Lago di Braies is west.

Key facts