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Dolomites

Coordinates: 46°23′N 11°51′E / 46.383°N 11.850°E / 46.383; 11.850
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For other uses, see Dolomites (disambiguation).

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The Dolomites
UNESCO World Heritage Site
CriteriaNatural: vii, viii
Reference1237
Inscription2009 (33rd Session)

The Dolomites (Italian: Dolomiti; German: Dolomiten; Friulian: Dolomitis) are a section of the Alps. They are located for the most part in the province of Belluno, the rest in the provinces of Bolzano-Bozen and Trento (all in north-eastern Italy). Conventionally they extend from the Adige river in the west to the Piave valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Val Sugana). But the Dolomites spread also over the Piave river (Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave) to the east; and far away over the Adige river to the west is the Brenta Group (Western Dolomites); there is also another smaller group called Piccole Dolomiti (Small Dolomites) located between the Provinces of Trento, Verona and Vicenza (see the map).

One national park and many other regional parks are located in the Dolomites. In August 2009, the Dolomites has been declared natural heritage of the UNESCO.

History

During the First World War, the line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces ran through the Dolomites. There are now open-air war museums at Cinque Torri (Five Towers) and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the Vie ferrate, protected paths created during the First World War. A number of long distance footpaths run across the Dolomites, which are called "Alte vie" (i.e., high paths). Such long trails, which are numbered from 1 to 8, require at least a week to be walked through and are served by numerous "Rifugi" (huts). The first and, perhaps, most renowned is the Alta Via 1.

Geomorphology

The region is commonly divided into the Western (Dolomiti di Brenta) and Eastern Dolomites, separated by a line following the Valle dell'Adige. The range includes more than 40 glaciers.

Origin of the name

The name "Dolomites" is derived from the famous French mineralogist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu who was the first to describe the rock, dolomite, a type of carbonate rock which is responsible for the characteristic shapes and colour of these mountains; previously they were called the "pale mountains," and it was only in the early nineteenth century that the name was Frenchified.

Tourism

View of the Dolomites

A tourist mecca, the Dolomites are famous for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing, daily excursions, climbing and Base Jumping, as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn. [citation needed] 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.[1] The main centres include: Rocca Pietore alongside the Marmolada glacier, which lies on the border of the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Veneto regions, 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.

In the first week in July, the Maratona dles Dolomites, an annual single-day road bicycle racing race covering seven mountain passes of the Dolomites, is staged.

Major peaks

Tofana Group
Winter view of the Sella Group
Vajolettürme
Langkofel / Sassolungo
NamemetresfeetNamemetresfeet
Marmolada 3344 10,972 Pale di San Martino 2996 9831
Antelao 3264 10,706 Rosengartenspitze / Catinaccio 2981 9781
Tofana di Mezzo 3241 10,633 Marmarole 2961 9715
Punta Sorapis 3229 10,594 Cima di Fradusta 2941 9649
Monte Civetta 3220 10,564 Monte Agner 2872 9416
Vernel 3145 10,319 Fermedaturm 2867 9407
Cristallo 3221 Cima d'Asta 2848 9344
Cima di Vezzana 3192 10,470 Cima di Canali 2846 9338
Cimon della Pala 3184 10,453 Croda Grande 2839 9315
Langkofel / Sassolungo 3181 10,427 Vajoletturm / Torri del Vajolet (highest) 2821 9256
Pelmo 3169 10,397 Sass Maor 2816 9239
Dreischusterspitze 3162 10,375 Cima di Ball 2783 9131
Boespitze / Piz Boè (Sella group) 3152 10,342 Cima della Madonna (Sass Maor) 2751 9026
Croda Rossa (Hohe Gaisl) 3148 10,329 Rosetta 2741 8993
Piz Popena 3143 10,312 Croda da Lago 2716 8911
Elferkofel 3115 10,220 Central Grasleitenspitze 2705 8875
Grohmannspitze (Langkofel) 3111 10,207 Schlern 2562 8406
Zwölferkofel 3091 10,142 Sasso di Mur 2554 8380
Sass Rigais (Geislerspitzen) 3027 9932 Cima delle Dodici 2338 7671
Tre Cime di Lavaredo 3003 9853 Monte Pavione 2336 7664
Kesselkogel (Rosengarten) 3001 9846 Cima di Posta 2235 7333
Fünffingerspitze 2997 9833 Monte Pasubio 2232 7323

Major passes

Pordoi Pass
File:400px-Falzarego-Pass 2840 a.jpg
Falzarego Pass
Gardena Pass
Name metres feet
Ombretta Pass (Campitello to Caprile), foot path 2738 8983
Langkofeljoch (Gröden Valley to Campitello), foot path 2683 8803
Tschagerjoch (Karersee to the Vajolet Glen), foot path 2644 8675
Grasleiten Pass (Vajolet Glen to the Grasleiten Glen), foot path 2597 8521
Pravitale Pass (Rosetta Plateau to the Pravitale Glen), foot path 2580 8465
Comelle Pass (same to Cencenighe), foot path 2579 8462
Rosetta Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the great limestone Rosetta plateau), foot path 2573 8442
Vajolet Pass (Tiers to the Vajolet Glen), foot path 2549 8363
Canali Pass (Primiero to Agordo), foot path 2497 8193
Tierseralpljoch (Campitello to Tiers), foot path 2455 8055
Ball Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the Pravitale Glen), foot path 2450 8038
Forcella di Giralba (Sexten to Auronzo), foot path 2436 7992
Col dei Bos (Falzarego Glen to the Travernanzes Glen), foot path 2313 7589
Forcella Grande (San Vito to Auronzo), foot path 2262 7422
Pordoi Pass (Arabba to Val di Fassa), road 2250 7382
Sella Pass (Gröden Valley to Val di Fassa), road 2244 7362
Giau Pass (Cortina to Val Fiorentina), road 2236 7336
Tre Sassi Pass (Cortina to St Cassian), foot path 2199 7215
Valparola Pass (Cortina to St Cassian), road 2168 7113
Mahlknechtjoch (Upper Duron Glen to the Seiser Alp), foot path 2168 7113
Gardena Pass (Gröden Valley to Colfuschg), road 2121 6959
Falzarego Pass (Caprile to Cortina), road 2117 6946
Fedaja Pass (Val di Fassa to Caprile), bridle path 2046 6713
Valles Pass (Paneveggio to Falcade), road 2032 6667
Würzjoch (Eisacktal to Val Badia), road 2003 6572
Rolle Pass (Predazzo to San Martino di Castrozza and Primiero), road 1984 6509
Forcella Forada (Caprile to San Vito), bridle path 1975 6480
San Pellegrino Pass (Moena to Cencenighe), road 1910 6267
Campolongo Pass (Corvara to Arabba), road 1875 6152
Forcella d'Alleghe (Alleghe to the Zoldo Glen), foot path 1820 5971
Tre Croci Pass (Cortina to Auronzo), road 1808 5932
Karerpass or Costalunga Pass (Nova Levante to Vigo di Fassa), road 1753 5751
Monte Croce Pass (Innichen and Sexten to the Piave Valley and Belluno), road 1638 5374
Ampezzo Pass (Toblach to Cortina and Belluno), path 1544 5066
Cereda Pass (Primiero to Agordo), road 1372 4501
Toblach Pass (Bruneck to Lienz), railway 1209 3967

Major parks

  • Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi 77,865 acres (315.11 km2)
  • Parco naturale regionale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo 27,675 acres (112.00 km2)
  • Parco naturale Paneveggio - Pale di San Martino 48,680 acres (197.0 km2)
  • Parco naturale provinciale dell' Adamello-Brenta 153,320 acres (620.5 km2)

See also

360° panoramic view from Marmolada, highest peak in the Dolomites

References

  1. ^ Huber, Alex. "The Perfect Perfume". Rock and Ice Magazine.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dolomites.

46°23′N 11°51′E / 46.383°N 11.850°E / 46.383; 11.850

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