Marmolada

Geography

The mountain is located about 100 km north-northwest of Venice, from which it can be seen on a clear day. It consists of a ridge running west to east. Towards the south it breaks suddenly into sheer cliffs, forming a rock face several kilometers long. On the north side, there is a comparatively flat glacier, the only large glacier in the Dolomites (the Marmolada Glacier, Ghiacciaio della Marmolada).

The ridge is composed of several summits, decreasing in altitude from west to east: Punta Penia 3,343 m, Punta Rocca 3,309 m, Punta Ombretta 3,230 m, Monte Serauta 3,069 m, and Pizzo Serauta 3,035 m. An aerial tramway goes to the top of Punta Rocca. During the ski season, the Marmolada's main ski run is open for skiers and snowboarders alike, making it possible to ski down into the valley.

History

Paul Grohmann made the first ascent in 1864, along the north route. The south face was climbed for the first time in 1901 by Beatrice Tomasson, Michele Bettega and Bartolo Zagonel.

First World War

Until the end of World War I the border between Austria-Hungary and Italy ran over Marmolada, so it formed part of the front line during that conflict. Austro-Hungarian soldiers were quartered in deep tunnels bored into the northern face's glacier, and Italian soldiers were quartered on the south face's rocky precipices. It was also the site of fierce mine warfare on the Italian Front.

On December 13, 1916, an avalanche on Marmolada became known as White Friday, striking the Austro-Hungarian barracks and killing 270 soldiers. The Gran Poz avalanche is the deadliest avalanche ever recorded. As glaciers retreat, soldiers' remains and belongings are occasionally discovered.

2022 Serac collapse

On 3 July 2022, a serac collapsed which led to the sliding downstream of over 200,000 m3 of ice and debris, killing eleven people and wounding eight more.

Selected climbing routes

The south face of Marmolada Ombretta has become a mecca for rock climbers. Climbers have set over 200 routes with varying difficulties. They include:

• 1979 – Don Quixote, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. First ascent by Heinz Mariacher and Reinhard Schiestl
• 1981 – Fish Route, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. First ascent by Jindrich Suster and Igor Koller.
• 1983 – Alì Babà, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. First ascent by M. Giordani, F. Zenatti, P. Cipriani
• August 2008 – AlexAnna, southwest face of Punta Penia, Marmolada. First ascent by Rolando Larcher and Pilastro Lindo. 700m, 8a+/8b, 7b mandatory
• 2009/2011 – Invisibilis, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. First ascent by Rolando Larcher and Geremia Vergoni. Route established over 5 days from 2009 to 2011. 405m, 7c+ max, 7a+ mandatory
• Summer 2011 – Bruderliebe, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. first ascent by Hansjörg Auer and brother Vitus Auer. 8b/+
• September 2023 – Madre Roccia, South Face. First ascent by Iris Bielli, Matteo Della Bordella, Massimo Faletti and Maurizio Giordani. The 900m, 8b max and 7b mandatory.
• August 2024 – Ego Land, South Face. First ascent by Bernardo Rivadossi and Massimo Faletti. 410-meter multi-pitch, 8c/c+ max, 7c+ mandatory

Climbing incidents

• 26 July 1938 – Three Italian climbers were killed by rockfall when a lightning bolt struck the cliff face.
• 27 July 2022 – British hiker Louise Atkinson was hiking with her husband when they got lost on a via ferrata used for high-altitude fighting during World War I. She slipped and fell over 100 feet to her death.
• 3 September 2024 – Two highly experienced mountaineers, Francesco Favilli and Filippo Zanin, were fatally injured when they fell while climbing Don Quixote on Marmolada's south face. The cause of the accident was unknown.

Gallery

File:Marmolada + Sellaronda tour 45a.jpg|The highest point of Marmolada, Punta Penia File:Marmolada, Italy.jpg|Marmolada in autumn File:Marmolada 3342 m Punta Rocca View from the West - panoramio.jpg|Punta Rocca, 3342 m File:Lake Fedaia 3.jpg|Lake Fedaia with the Marmolada glacier on the background File:Marmolata, "Seufzerbrücke" Motiv aus der Eismeerstellung. (BildID 15428250).jpg|The so-called “Bridge of Sighs” in the Austrian tunnels under the Marmolada glacier

References

References

1. [http://peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/EuroCoreP1500m.html "Europe Ultra-Prominences"]. Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
2. "Marmolada: the 2nd System of the UNESCO Dolomites".
3. "The Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage {{!}} Italy".
4. "Marmolada: il Sistema 2 delle Dolomiti UNESCO".
5. Reisach, Hermann. (2001). "Beatrice Tomasson and the South Face of the Marmolada". [[Alpine Journal]].
6. https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/worst-avalanche-disaster-death-toll
7. "Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science {{!}} History is lost in the Melt of Italy's “Queen”".
8. (2022-07-03). "Italian glacier collapse kills seven".
9. "Italian Alps glacier collapse death toll rises to 9, with 3 still missing".
10. [https://mattinopadova.gelocal.it/regione/2022/07/08/news/tragedia-sulla-marmolada-i-corpi-recuperati-sono-dieci-manca-solo-nicolo-zavatta-1.41557308 Tragedia sulla Marmolada: i corpi recuperati sono dieci, manca solo Nicolò Zavatta]
11. https://www.thecrag.com/it/arrampicata/italy/dolomites/agordino/area/5101994994
12. "Marmolada - Punta Ombretta : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost".
13. "Don Quixote, Marmolada d'Ombretta, Marmolada, Dolomites".
14. gripped. (2017-02-22). "Hansjörg Auer Talks About His Solo of Marmolada Fish Route".
15. "AlexAnna, new route by Rolando Larcher on Marmolada, Dolomites".
16. "Invisibilis on Marmolada, the long history of a new route by Larcher and Vergoni".
17. "Bruderliebe, Marmolada d'Ombretta, Marmolada, Dolomites".
18. "Big new route on Marmolada (Dolomites) established by Iris Bielli, Matteo Della Bordella, Massimo Faletti, Maurizio Giordani".
19. "Ego Land added to Marmolada (Dolomites) by Bernardo Rivadossi, Massimo Faletti, Luca Bana".
20. "ITALIAN CLIMBERS KILLED; Three Alpinists Swept From Cliff on Mount Marmolada". The New York Times.
21. "British woman falls to death in Italian Dolomites - UPI.com".
22. "Francesco Favilli and Filippo Zanin perish in Dolomites climbing accident".