Cima della Vezzana

Cima della Vezzana

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 46.28970°N / 11.82980°E
Additional Information Elevation: 10471 ft / 3192 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Cima della Vezzana is the highest mountain of the Pale di San Martino Group in the Dolomites. Somehow it nevertheless always stands in the shadow of its slightly lower neighbour Cimon della Pala (3129m), mostly because it is set back in the ridgeline of the northern chain of the Pale, but also because Cimon is such a perfect summit pyramid. The pair of them is separated by the Travignolo Pass from which a small hanging glacier, Ghiacciaio del Travignolo, drops down towards the Venegia Valley below.

Each guidebook about the Pale di San Martino Group shows the two mountains on its cover, mostly seen from the west from Passo Rolle or Baita Segantini to the north-west. But also the backside view from the Altipiano delle Pale di San MArtino is worth mentioning as both normal ascent routes lead up from there. Starting point for a climb is Rifugio Predotti (Rosetta Hut) which is located only 700m lower than the Vezzana summit. Consequently this mountain is a very popular one among the peakbagging crowd.

Panoramic View

Cima CoronaCroda della PalaCimon della PalaCol CantoniIl NuvoloCima della VezzanaCima dei BureloniCima di Val GrandeCima delle ComelleCima di FocobonCima di CampidoCima Zopel
The Pale di San Martino Northern Chain as seen from Passo Val di Roda.   Hide / Show annotations

Cima della Vezzana on other SP Pages


Baita Segantini and the Pale di San Martino Group, Photo©JackBrauer


There is a multitude of Vezzana shots out there, most in combination with Cimon della Pala. Here's the current selection:

Getting There

Cima CoronaCroda della PalaCimon della PalaCima della VezzanaC. delle ComelleLe ZircoleTorcia di Val GrandeCampanile di FocobonCima di FocobonCima di CampidoCima ZopelPunta dei Mar
The Pale di San Martino Northern Chain as seen from Passo Antermarùcol.   Hide / Show annotations


The best starting point for Cima della Vezzana is San Martino di Castrozza. From there a two stage cable car leads up to Cima della Rosetta. Both normal routes can be started from there. San Martino di Castrozza can be reached as follows:

  • Motorway A13 (Bologna-Padova) exit Padova South or Padova West;
    SS47 della Valsugana (in the direction of Bassano/Trento) up to Cismon del Grappa;
    SS50bis (in the direction of Feltre/Belluno) up to Arten;
    SS50 to San Martino
  • Motorway A4 (Torino-Trieste) up to Vicenza and motorway A31(Vicenza-Valdastico) exit Dueville;
    SS47 della Valsugana (in the direction of Bassano/Trento) up to Cismon del Grappa;
    SS50bis (in the direction Feltre/Belluno) up to Arten;
    SS50 to San Martino
  • Motorway A22 (Modena-Verona-Brennero) exit Trento center;
    SS47 della Valsugana (in the direction Bassano/Padova) up to Cismon del Grappa;
    SS50bis (in the direction of Feltre/Belluno) up to Arten;
    SS50 to San Martino
  • Motorway A22 (Modena-Verona-Brennero) exit Egna-Ora (BZ);
    SS48 (in the direction of Val di Fiemme - Val di Fassa) up to Predazzo;
    SS50 to Passo Rolle and San Martino di Castrozza

Red Tape

Cima della Vezzana is located on the eastern border of the Parco Naturale Paneveggio - Pale di San Martino.

The Natural Park consists of the area of the Pale di San Martino Group as well as the forest of Paneveggio and the porphyritic chain of Lagorai. It contains an area of 125 sqare km which in 1987 has been divided in three different levels of protection:
33% of the area have been assigned complete protected areas,
60% are restriced areas while
7% are controlled area.

For more information you can look at the Park's official website.

There are no fees or limitations for hiking and climbing, however you might have to be prepared for small parking fees within San Martino. The cable car parking lot is free.

When To Climb

Though the tallest of its kind Cima della Vezzana is an all year destination. Both Valle dei Cantoni and Val Strut, the two ascent couloirs, carry snowfields until late July so crampons might be feasable. The Val Strut ascent anyway runs across the Ghiacciaio di Val Strut, a small glacier close to the Vezzana summit. The normal climbing season runs from late July through early September.

In winter Cima della Vezzana is together with Monte Mulaz the major ski tour destination of the Pale di San Martino (info by Mathias Zehring). A very beautiful ski tour to Cima della Vezzana is the ascent from Venegia valley via Travignolo saddle (route description here)


Cima della Vezzana left and Cimon della Pala right. Between them the Travignolo glacier with the Travignolo saddle


Accommodation

For Hotels and appartments have a look at the websites of the towns and villages of the region:

If you are interested in the mountain huts and Refuges, just have a look at the Pale di San Martino Group Page. The closest hut is Rifugio Pedrotti, the closest bivouac is Bivacco G. Brunner in Val Strut.

Weather Conditions

For weather conditions in Trentino look at the following pages
  • www.meteotrentino.it
  • www.parks.it.

    As for Webcams you can look at
  • www.dolomitisuperski.com

    Maps & Books

    Books:
    • Hiking and Trekking
      • Höhenwege in den Dolomiten
        H. Dumler
        Bruckmann Verlag
        ISBN: 3 7654 3860 X
      • Dolomiten
        P. Fleischmann
        Kompass Verlag
        ISBN: 3 8705 1409 4

    • Climbing

      • 3000er in den Alpen - Die Normalwege
        R. Goedecke
        Bruckmann Verlag
        ISBN: 3-7654-3661-5
      • Dolomiti. Il grande libro delle vie Normale / Dolomiten. Das große Buch der Normalwege
        G. Buscaini, S. Metzeltin
        Zanichelli
        ISBN: 88-08-09892-3 (German Edition)
      • Pala Gruppe
        L Visentini
        Ed. Athesia
        ISBN: 8 8701 4612 X (german version)
      • Pale di San Martino
        Luca Visentini (1990),
        ed. Athesia, Bolzano
        (with a handmade 1:25000 map)
        ISBN 88-7014-598-0 (italian version)
      • Dolomiti - Scoperta e Conquista
        Hermann Frass (1976)
        Ed. Athesia, Bolzano/ Bozen
        ISBN 88-7014-025-3 (italian version)


    Maps
    • Pale di San Martino
      Kompass Map WK 622
      ISBN: 3 8549 1548 9
      Scale: 1:25000
    • Pale di San Martino
      Kompass Map WK 76
      ISBN: 3 8549 1086 X
      Scale: 1:50000
    • San Martino di Castrozza e le zone adiacenti
      Carta delle zone turistiche d'Italia
      Touring Club Italiano
      Scale 1:50000
    • Pale di San Martino
      Tabacco Map 022
      Scale: 1:25000

    Joint summit posting

    This page is a joint effort between Viktor Stuffer and me (Gangolf Haub). During my vacation to Falcade in July 2005 I have had the opportunity to get shots of Cima della Vezzana from all angles. It has always seemed a pity to me that the highest summit of the Pale di San Martino lacked a page on SP and when I found out that Viktor had climbed it I proposed to do the page together. The access, accommodation, weather, maps and books info about this mountain is very similar (almost identical) to the one of Cima della Rosetta so I proposed to do this skeleton of a page and transfer it to Viktor for the actual mountain and route info.


  • Children

    Children

    Children refers to the set of objects that logically fall under a given object. For example, the Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' The Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.

    Parents 

    Parents

    Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

    Pale di San MartinoMountains & Rocks