The Dolomites (, ; , ("Dolomiten" in Langenscheidt German-English Dictionary); , ; ) or Pale Mountains () are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the river Adige 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 (). The Dolomites are 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–; and far away over the Adige River to the west Dolomiti di Brenta (Western Dolomites). A smaller group is called (Little Dolomites), between the provinces of Trentino, Verona and Vicenza.
The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and many other regional parks are in the Dolomites. On 26 June 2009, the Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Adamello-Brenta UNESCO Global Geopark is also in the Dolomites. The Geological Museum of the Dolomites (in Italian Museo Geologico delle Dolomiti) is located in Predazzo, Fiemme Valley.
Etymology The Dolomites take their name from the carbonate rock dolomite. This was named after the 18th-century French mineralogist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu (1750–1801), who was the first to describe the mineral. The prior local vernacular name of came from the mountains' reddish to purple hues viewed at sunset from said carbonates' reflection of the shine alpenglow.
History
For millennia, hunters and gatherers had advanced into the highest rocky regions and had probably also climbed some peaks. There is evidence that the Jesuit priest Franz von Wulfen from Klagenfurt climbed the Lungkofel and the Dürrenstein in the 1790s. In 1857 Irishman John Ball was the first known person to climb Monte Pelmo. Paul Grohmann later climbed numerous peaks such as the Antelao, Marmolada, Tofana, Monte Cristallo and the Boè. Around 1860 the Agordin mountaineer Simone de Silvestro was the first person to stand on the Civetta. Michael Innerkofler was one of the climbers of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Later very important local mountaineers, known for many first ascents, were Angelo Dibona and Giovanni Piaz.Die Besteigung der Berge - Die Dolomitgipfel werden erobert (German: The ascent of the mountains - the dolomite peaks are conquered)
During the First World War, the front line between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian Army ran through the Dolomites, where both sides used mines extensively. Open-air war museums are at Cinque Torri ("Five Towers"), Monte Piana and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the vie ferrate, protected paths through the rock walls that were created during the war.
A number of long-distance footpaths traverse the Dolomites. They are called ( – "high paths"), and are numbered 1 to 10. The trails take about a week to walk, and are served by numerous ("huts"). 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 (Agordino) axis.
Current classification The Dolomites may be divided into the following ranges:
Sella Marmolada Tofane Langkofel Brenta Group Odles Group Peitlerkofel Group Puez Group Fanes-Sennes-Prags Schlern Group Rosengarten Latemar Pala Civetta Pelmo Marmarole Cadini Group Cristallo Group Sorapiss Antelao Bosconero Vette Feltrine Schiara Sexten Dolomites Friulian Dolomites
Tourism and sports
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 of the Vajolet Towers. 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: Mount Pasubio and Strada delle 52 Gallerie (a military mule road built during World War I with 52 tunnels) Altopiano di Asiago and Calà del Sasso, with 4,444 steps, the world's longest staircase open to the public.
Major peaks
Name Metres Feet Marmolada 3,343 10,968 Antelao 3,264 10,706 Tofana di Mezzo 3,241 10,633 Sorapiss 3,229 10,594 Cristallo 3,221 10,568 Monte Civetta 3,220 10,564 Cima di Vezzana 3,192 10,470 Cimon della Pala 3,184 10,453 Langkofel / Sassolungo 3,181 10,427 Monte Pelmo 3,168 10,397 Dreischusterspitze 3,162 10,375 Boespitze / Piz Boè (Sella group) 3,152 10,342 Hohe Gaisl (Croda Rossa d'Ampezzo) 3,148 10,329 Gran Vernel 3,145 10,319 Piz Popena 3,143 10,312 Cima dei Bureloni 3,130 10,269 Grohmannspitze (Langkofel) 3,126 10,256 Zwölferkofel 3,094 10,151 Elferkofel 3,092 10,144 Piz dles Cunturines 3,064 10,052 Sass Rigais (Geislerspitzen) 3,025 9,925 Kesselkogel (Rosengarten) 3,004 9,856 Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Drei Zinnen) 2,999 9,839 Fünffingerspitze 2,996 9,829 Pala di San Martino 2,982 9,831 Rosengartenspitze / Catinaccio 2,981 9,781 Cima di Fradusta 2,939 9,642 Cimon del Froppa 2,932 9,649 Piz de Puez 2,918 9,573 Cima Canali 2,900 9,514 Grande Fermeda 2,873 9,426 Monte Agnèr 2,872 9,416 Fermedaturm 2,867 9,407 Cima d'Asta 2,848 9,344 Croda Grande 2,849 9,347 Vajoletturm / Torri del Vajolet (highest) 2,821 9,256 Sass Maor 2,814 9,232 Cima di Ball 2,802 9,193 Cima della Madonna (Sass Maor) 2,751 9,026 Cima della Rosetta 2,743 8,999 Cima Ambrizzola 2,715 8,907 Central Grasleitenspitze 2,705 8,875 Sassongher 2,665 8,743 Schlern 2,562 8,406 Sasso di Mur 2,554 8,380 Monte Siera 2,443 8,015 Cima delle Dodici 2,338 7,671 Monte Pavione 2,336 7,664 Cima Palon 2,239 7,346 Cima di Posta 2,235 7,333
Major passes
Name metres feet Ombretta Pass (Campitello to Caprile), footpath 2,738 8,983 Sassolungo (Val Gardena to Campitello), footpath 2,683 8,803 Tschagerjoch (Karersee to the Vajolet Glen), footpath 2,644 8,675 Grasleiten Pass (Vajolet Glen to the Grasleiten Glen), footpath 2,597 8,521 Pravitale Pass (Rosetta Plateau to the Pravitale Glen), footpath 2,580 8,465 Comelle Pass (same to Cencenighe), footpath 2,579 8,462 Rosetta Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the great limestone Rosetta plateau), footpath 2,573 8,442 Vajolet Pass (Tiers to the Vajolet Glen), footpath 2,549 8,363 Canali Pass (Primiero to Agordo), footpath 2,497 8,193 Tierseralpljoch (Campitello to Tiers), footpath 2,455 8,055 Ball Pass (San Martino di Castrozza to the Pravitale Glen), footpath 2,450 8,038 Forcella di Giralba (Sexten to Auronzo), footpath 2,436 7,992 Col dei Bos (Falzarego Glen to the Travernanzes Glen), footpath 2,313 7,589 Forcella Grande (San Vito to Auronzo), footpath 2,262 7,422 Pordoi Pass (Arabba to Val di Fassa), road 2,250 7,382 Sella Pass (Val Gardena to Val di Fassa), road 2,244 7,362 Giau Pass (Cortina to Val Fiorentina), road 2,236 7,336 Tre Sassi Pass (Cortina to San Ciascian), footpath 2,199 7,215 Valparola Pass (Cortina to San Ciascian), road 2,168 7,113 Mahlknechtjoch (Upper Duron Glen to the Seiser Alp), footpath 2,168 7,113 Gardena Pass (Val Gardena to Colfosch), road 2,121 6,959 Falzarego Pass (Caprile to Cortina), road 2,117 6,946 Fedaja Pass (Val di Fassa to Caprile), bridle path 2,046 6,713 Valles Pass (Paneveggio to Falcade), road 2,032 6,667 Würzjoch (Eisacktal to Val Badia), road 2,003 6,572 Rolle Pass (Predazzo to San Martino di Castrozza and Primiero), road 1,984 6,509 Forcella Forada (Caprile to San Vito), bridle path 1,975 6,480 San Pellegrino Pass (Moena to Cencenighe), road 1,910 6,267 Campolongo Pass (Corvara to Arabba), road 1,875 6,152 Forcella d'Alleghe (Alleghe to the Zoldo Glen), footpath 1,820 5,971 Tre Croci Pass (Cortina to Auronzo), road 1,808 5,932 Furkel Pass (Mareo to Olang), road 1,759 5,771 Karerpass or Costalunga Pass (Welschnofen to Vigo di Fassa), road 1,753 5,751 Kreuzbergpass or Monte Croce Pass (Innichen and Sexten to the Piave Valley and Belluno), road 1,638 5,374 Ampezzo Pass (Toblach to Cortina and Belluno), path 1,544 5,066 Cereda Pass (Primiero to Agordo), road 1,372 4,501 Toblach Pass (Bruneck to Lienz), railway 1,209 3,967
Major parks
Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park Ampezzo Dolomites Natural Park Naturpark Fanes-Sennes-Prags
Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Natural Park Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park Naturpark Sextener Dolomiten
Puez-Geisler Nature Park Adamello Brenta Natural Park Friulian Dolomites Natural Park
See also Alta Via 1 Belluno Brenta group Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park Golden age of alpinism Italian front (World War I) Silver age of alpinism Strada delle 52 Gallerie Via ferrata White Friday (1916) White War
References
Bibliography
Provincia di Belluno, Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano-Alto Adige Autonome Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, Provincia di Pordenone, Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Provincia di Udine, Regione Autonoma Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 2008. Nomination of the Dolomites for inscription on the World Natural Heritage List UNESCO. Nomination Document. 363 pp. https://web.archive.org/web/20131225070444/http://fondazionedolomitiunesco.org/documentazione-2/01_DOLOMITES_nomination_document_jan2008_1236608233_1294933181.pdf
External links
Franco Grisa Timelapse North of Italy in 4K - Bashir Abu Shakra Italian official cartography (Istituto Geografico Militare - IGM); on-line version: www.pcn.minambiente.it Information of the Dolomites
ms:Pergunungan Dolomieu