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54793 Hits
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94.63% Score
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48 Votes
Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
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Lat/Lon:
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46.57670°N / 12.20030°E |
Activities:
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Trad Climbing, Via Ferrata |
Season:
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Summer |
Elevation:
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10567 ft / 3221 m |
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Overview
Cristallo, together with Pomagagnon and Popena is the northern border of Cortina basin.
I can be considered both a mountain and a group : It is a long, indented ridge with well distinguished summits, a big rocky wall, cut by regular systems of ledges, on the southern side and a very impressive northern wall on whose base 2 glaciers and some snow channels give to it a real "alpine" appearence.
The name of the mountain comes from the different colors in the moments of sunlight on the mountain.
It is a big massif, its boundaries are
As for its structure: the main ridge, oriented WNW to ESE, starts with some minor ridges gathering to the Vecio del Forame (which is the westernmost important summit), goes on, without noticeable summits, along the cresta bianca till the Cristallino d'Ampezzo (3008m - between Forcella Grande and Forcella Staunies) then grows high with the 3 main summits : Cima NO (2950m), Cima di Mezzo (3154m) and Cristallo (main summit - SE) (3221m).
After the main summit the ridge falls to the Passo del Cristallo (2808m) and rises again with the Piz Popena (3152m)
From this main ridge 2 ridges starting from Cristallino d'Ampezzo and from Piz Popena toward north host the Val Fonda, a glacier valley that hosts now only 2 small glaciers : Ghiacciaio del Cristallo (western one) and Ghiacciaio del Popena (eastern one)
The ridge starting from Piz Popena and ending with the Cristallino di Misurina (2775m) and its minor spurs hosts a lot of rests of military positions of the First World War, you can see them along the Valle delle Baracche and on the various minor ridges. (some good military paths and short "ferrate" can lead you there)
A minor ridge, starting from Piz Popena toward east, after Passo Popena (2504m) turns toward NE closing with interesting rock walls the western side of the Misurina lake basin.
Between this ridge and the ridge coming down from Piz Popena toward N. the wonderful Val Popena Alta (paradise for hiking).
Getting there
These are the (only) 2 refuges you can use in the whole group.All other climbs must be approached directly from the roads surrounding the Group.
You get there from Cortina d' Ampezzo (about 6 km) by car or using a cheap and comfortable summer and winter bus service
here from you can get the seasonally updated pdf (acrobat) files
From near Passo Tre Croci a chairlift leads to Rifugio Somforca (2215m) and a cable-car can lead you till the Forcella Staunies (Rifugio Lorenzi - 2918m)
the same starting point is used also to get the Val Pra del Vecio, leading to the range of Vecio del Forame.
Maps and Books
absolutely necessary a good map of the area :Kompass - 55 - Cortina d'Ampezzo - 1:50000
Kompass - 617 - Cortina d' Ampezzo, Dolomiti Ampezzane - 1:25000
Tabacco - 03 - Cortina d'Ampezzo e Dolomiti Ampezzana - 1:25000 (the best one)
interactive maps
Many books about Cortina (and Cristallo) mountains are easy to be found in Cortina shops (especially in Cooperativa di Cortina)
the most complete climbing book is, of course, the CAI-TCI book :
Dolomiti Orientali - vol. I - 1 (only in Italian) not easy to read but full of maps, sketches and routes descriptions.
Hike routes overview
some fine paths, very interesting for historical memories and for views are the ones that crosses the various saddles between the summits :- from this saddle the Ivano Dibona path (easy ferrata) allows ro reach Ospitale along the ridge (many sequences of Cliffhanger were made here)
Rock routes overview
on Cristallo wall and ridges many rock climbing routes have been opened but very few of them are really interesting for rock quality or amusing :Cristallino d'Ampezzo
2 interesting, difficult routes on the S wall and on the E edge
Cristallo cima di Mezzo
Cristallo main summit (SE)
some routes on N and E walls are very seldom climbed - difficulties are not high but they require to be found ...
Piz Popena
some not difficult routes on E wall and some difficult routes from SE
A lot of routes have been opened on the walls, edges and ridges of the minor summits of Popena north ridge (Monte Popena), two very interesting pinnacle here : the Guglia de Amicis and Guglia Giuliana
3 Routes
livioz - Jun 26, 2005 4:07 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentClimbing Cristallo was very popular in the second part of XIX Century.
First climb: Paul Grohmann - Angelo Dimai-Santo Siorpaés (14 September 1865)
Second climb: Francis F. Tuckett-Santo Siorpaés-Christian Lauener (14 June 1869)
Third climb: Leopold Wallner-Santo Siorpaés (7 July 1869)