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Marmolada

Coordinates: 46°26′05″N 11°51′03″E / 46.43472°N 11.85083°E / 46.43472; 11.85083
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Marmolada
Queen of the Dolomites
Marmolada seen from Col di Rosc in June 2019
Highest point
Elevation3,343 m (10,968 ft)[1]
Prominence2,131 m (6,991 ft)[1]
Ranked 9th in the Alps
ListingUltra
Alpine mountains above 3000 m
Coordinates46°26′05″N 11°51′03″E / 46.43472°N 11.85083°E / 46.43472; 11.85083[1]
Geography
Marmolada is located in Alps
Marmolada
Marmolada
Alps
LocationItaly
Parent rangeDolomites
Climbing
First ascent28 September 1864 by Paul Grohmann, Angelo Dimai, Fulgenzio Dimai
Easiest routerock/ice climb
Not to be confused with Marmelade or Marmalade.

Marmolada (Ladin: Marmolèda; German: Marmolata, pronounced [maʁmoˈlaːta] ⓘ) is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites (a section of the Alps). It lies between the borders of Trentino and Veneto. The Marmolada is an ultra-prominent peak (Ultra), known as the "Queen of the Dolomites". In 2009, as part of the Dolomites, the Marmolada massif was named a UNESCO World Heritage site.[2][3]

Geography

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The mountain is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) 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 metres (10,968 ft), Punta Rocca 3,309 metres (10,856 ft), Punta Ombretta 3,230 metres (10,600 ft), Monte Serauta 3,069 metres (10,069 ft), and Pizzo Serauta 3,035 metres (9,957 ft). 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.

The Dolomites
UNESCO World Heritage Site
LocationDolomites
Criteriavii, viii
Reference1237rev-002
Inscription2009 (33rd Session)
CoordinatesN46 25 54.00 E11 51 23.00

History

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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.[4]

First World War

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See also: White 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.[5] As glaciers retreat, soldiers' remains and belongings are occasionally discovered.[6]

2022 Serac collapse

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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.[7][8][9]

Selected climbing routes

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The expanse of rock on Marmolada d'Ombretta's south face has made it a popular destination for rock climbers.

The south face of Marmolada Ombretta has become a mecca for rock climbers. Climbers have set over 200 routes with varying difficulties.[10][11] They include:

  • 1979 – Don Quixote, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. First ascent by Heinz Mariacher and Reinhard Schiestl[12]
  • 1981 – Fish Route, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. First ascent by Jindrich Suster and Igor Koller.[13]
  • 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[14]
  • 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[15]
  • Summer 2011 – Bruderliebe, south face of Marmolada di Ombretta. first ascent by Hansjörg Auer and brother Vitus Auer. 8b/ [16]
  • 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.[17]
  • August 2024 – Ego Land, South Face. First ascent by Bernardo Rivadossi and Massimo Faletti. 410-meter multi-pitch, 8c/c max, 7c mandatory[18]

Climbing incidents

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  • 26 July 1938 – Three Italian climbers were killed by rockfall when a lightning bolt struck the cliff face.[19]
  • 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.[20]
  • 3 September 2024 – Professional 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.[21]
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  • Sunset
    Sunset
  • Marmolada in autumn
    Marmolada in autumn
  • Punta Rocca, 3342 m
    Punta Rocca, 3342 m
  • Marmolada - Malga Contrin
    Marmolada - Malga Contrin

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Europe Ultra-Prominences". Peaklist.org. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  2. ^ "Marmolada: the 2nd System of the UNESCO Dolomites". Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  3. ^ "The Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage | Italy". dolomites.org. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  4. ^ Reisach, Hermann (2001). "Beatrice Tomasson and the South Face of the Marmolada" (PDF). Alpine Journal: 105–113. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  5. ^ https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/worst-avalanche-disaster-death-toll
  6. ^ "Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science | History is lost in the Melt of Italy's "Queen"". sites.dartmouth.edu. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  7. ^ "Italian glacier collapse kills seven". BBC News. 2022-07-03. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  8. ^ "Italian Alps glacier collapse death toll rises to 9, with 3 still missing". CNN. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  9. ^ Tragedia sulla Marmolada: i corpi recuperati sono dieci, manca solo Nicolò Zavatta
  10. ^ https://www.thecrag.com/it/arrampicata/italy/dolomites/agordino/area/5101994994
  11. ^ "Marmolada - Punta Ombretta : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  12. ^ "Don Quixote, Marmolada d'Ombretta, Marmolada, Dolomites". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  13. ^ gripped (2017-02-22). "Hansjörg Auer Talks About His Solo of Marmolada Fish Route". Gripped Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  14. ^ "AlexAnna, new route by Rolando Larcher on Marmolada, Dolomites". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  15. ^ "Invisibilis on Marmolada, the long history of a new route by Larcher and Vergoni". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  16. ^ "Bruderliebe, Marmolada d'Ombretta, Marmolada, Dolomites". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  17. ^ "Big new route on Marmolada (Dolomites) established by Iris Bielli, Matteo Della Bordella, Massimo Faletti, Maurizio Giordani". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  18. ^ "Ego Land added to Marmolada (Dolomites) by Bernardo Rivadossi, Massimo Faletti, Luca Bana". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  19. ^ "ITALIAN CLIMBERS KILLED; Three Alpinists Swept From Cliff on Mount Marmolada". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  20. ^ "British woman falls to death in Italian Dolomites - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  21. ^ "Francesco Favilli and Filippo Zanin perish in Dolomites climbing accident". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
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