Marmolada
Marmolada, the queen of Dolomites, the highest summit with its 3.342 meters and the only glacier in this region, is situated between Cordevole (Belluno province) and Fassa Valley (Trento province). The name Marmolada comes from the indogermanic root "marmar" that means "to shine", "to sparkle", and as you probably understood it refers to the glacier about which an ancient legend tells that .. one day during the town's holiday an old lady gathered all the hay though her neighbors told her not to do this. During the night it started to snow and it snowed a lot so that a glacier that exists even today has been formed, and underneath the glacier lyes the old lady with her hay.
The mountain's ridge has following peaks:
- Punta Penia (3.342 m a.s.l.),
- Punta Rocca (3.309 m.),
- Punta Ombretta (3.230 m),
- Gran Vernel (3.205 m),
- Monte Serauta (3.069 m), where the big war museum is located,
- Pizzo Serauta (3.035 m),
- Sasso di Valfredda (2.998 m).
On the northern mountainside of Marmolada, at a height of 2.030 m, you can find the 2km long Fedaia lake.
The most important Marmolada's side for climbers is the southern side that falls down to Ombretta and Contrin valleys as a long wall (also called the silver wall) with a height varying from 600 to 1000 m. Many of the paths that go through this hillside are considered really important in the history of mountaineering.
Marmolada's climbing path is a classic route that in summer allows to easily reach the peak. It can be reached from the southern mountainside (departing from the Contrin Valley) or also from the northern side (from Fedaia Lake) starting from Forcella Marmolada and continuing uphill to the height of 3.342 m in around 5 hours.
In winter Marmolada offers lots of opportunities for skiing as it is directly connected to Arabba's ski resort. The most relevant skiing slope is the one that departs from Punta Rocca (3.269 m) and arrives to Ciapela Hut (1.446 m) for a total of 12 km with a breath taking panoramic view.
The deep gorge Serrai di Sottoguda is a real paradise for ice climbers.
