Col Nudo
2,472 m
Italy
- Elevation
- 2,472 m
- Prominence
- 1,644 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: EE, one exposed grade I step (abcDOLOMITI) · F+ (VieNormali.it) · T3 (Camptocamp (loop route)) · E, EE on the final ridge (Per Montagne e per Sentieri (2025))
The usual way up the highest summit of the Venetian Prealps: about 1,420 m of ascent from a small car park above San Martino d'Alpago on CAI path 965 to Passo di Valbona, a steep grassy ridge to Cima Lastei and a short, very exposed, gravel-strewn crest (grade I) to the top. A long, isolated day with no hut.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,686 m
- −263 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,472 m
- Time Up
- 6h 52m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 58m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Drive from Puos d'Alpago through San Martino towards the Casera Stabali and park at the small car park around 1,050 m where the track to Casera Scalet Bassa leaves the road; the track beyond is too rough for cars. Follow CAI 965 (also Alta Via 6) past Casera Scalet Bassa and up the wooded Venal di Montanes, then through stony, karstic ground to the ruins of Casera Scalet Alta. The path is not always obvious here, so follow the waymarks closely. Keep right at the junction with CAI 930, pass Busa Toronda and reach Passo di Valbona (about 2,120–2,130 m) in roughly 2½ hours. From the pass, sparse red marks lead up the steep grassy south ridge, a mix of turf and rock slabs, to Cima Lastei (about 2,440 m). The crux follows: drop to the notch on the main ridge by a short step onto a narrow rock ledge (exposed, I), then cross a very sharp crest, steep on both sides and covered in loose gravel, for about ten metres. VieNormali notes that some people cross it seated or astride. A short scree slope then leads to the small summit, about 1 hour from the pass. The common descent avoids the crest: downclimb easy marked rock on the far side to a notch and the north fore-summit, leave Forcella Bassa del Col Nudo to the right and descend the scree cirque below Col Nudo and Cima Secca on a clear path that traverses west back to Casera Scalet Alta and the ascent path (about 2 hours to the car). Avoid the ridge in snow or ice. There is no water on the upper route.
Start
Casera Stabali car park1,048 m
- No practical public transport to the trailhead; nearest railway station Ponte nelle Alpi, then car or taxi
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casera Stabali car park → Col Nudo | 5.8 | 1,686 | 263 | 6h 52m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Casera Stabali car park1,048 m
small parking area on the road above San Martino d'Alpago
- Feature: Casera Scalet bassa1,181 m
- Feature: Casera Scalet alta1,583 m
ruins
- Feature: Busa Toronda1,938 m
- Col: Passo di Valbona2,109 m
- Shoulder: Cima Lastei2,408 m
- Summit: Col Nudo2,472 m
Key Passages
- Pathfinding between Casera Scalet Bassa and Casera Scalet Alta
- Steep grassy ridge from Passo di Valbona to Cima Lastei
- Very exposed, gravel-covered crest between Cima Lastei and the summit (I)
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Venetian Prealps (2,472 m), a bare limestone pyramid above the Alpago basin and Lake Santa Croce. The normal route is a long, hut-less day of about 1,420 m ascent that ends on a short, very exposed and gravelly crest.
Col Nudo is the culminating point of the Cavallo–Col Nudo chain, the limestone wall that separates the Alpago and Lake Santa Croce (Belluno) from the Vajont and Valcellina valleys to the north-east. With about 1,640 m of prominence it is one of the Alps' ultra-prominent peaks, and from the summit the view runs from the Venetian plain and lagoon to the Dolomites and the Friulian Dolomites.
The mountain is wild and little-visited compared with the Dolomites to the north. There are no staffed huts on the Alpago side, waymarks are sparse in places and water is absent above the forest. The standard ascent from the Alpago climbs CAI path 965 to Passo di Valbona, a steep grassy ridge to Cima Lastei and a short, sharp crest to the top. That crest is only a few metres of grade I, but it is narrow, steep on both sides and covered in loose gravel; some people cross it seated.
The approaches from the Erto (Casera Ditta) and Cellino (Valcellina) sides are longer, with up to 2,000 m of ascent, and are rarely used. In winter and spring Col Nudo is a classic, serious ski tour from the Alpago (Camptocamp: PD+, S4).
Climbing Notes
Fitness for a 6–7 hour day with about 1,420 m of ascent and descent is the main requirement, together with a steady head for the exposed final crest and confidence on steep grass. No rope is normally used in summer. Start early: the south-facing slopes are hot, there is no water and afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August.
The usual plan is a loop: ascent by Passo di Valbona and Cima Lastei, descent by the easy rock on the north side and the scree cirque below Forcella Bassa del Col Nudo, which avoids reversing the crest. Carry the Tabacco 012 map; the path between the Scalet huts is faint in places.
Avoid the crest when there is snow or ice, typically until June and again from late October. In winter conditions the ascent is a serious mountaineering or ski-touring outing that needs stable snow, ice axe and crampons; the final chimney to the ridge is about I–II.
History
Almost certainly climbed long ago by local shepherds. The first dated ascent was made on 17 June 1826 by the surveyors D. Coparin and R. Blem. The first recorded tourist ascent was on 2 July 1892 by Arturo Ferrucci, Giacinto Di Filippo, Alessandro Giordani and Antonio Seppenhofer, who climbed the south ridge from the Val Chialedina and descended the south-west side; Ferrucci's account appeared in the Società Alpina Friulana's 'In Alto' the same year.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter conditions; ski-touring only for experienced parties with stable snow
- Feb
- Ski-touring season from the Alpago (PD+, S4); avalanche risk in the Venal di Montanes
- Mar
- Ski-touring season; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Late ski tours; snow on the summit ridge
- May
- Spring snow lingers on the north side and the ridge
- Jun
- Season opens; check for old snow on the crest
- Jul
- Hot south-facing approach; start early to avoid thunderstorms
- Aug
- Afternoon thunderstorms; no water on the route
- Sep
- Often the best month: stable weather, clear views
- Oct
- Good until the first snow; short days
- Nov
- Snow and ice on the ridge
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Rules
- The road to Casera Scalet Bassa is too rough for cars; park at the small car park around 1,050 m
- Getting There
Chies d'Alpago and Puos d'Alpago; Belluno (about 25 km)
Venice Marco Polo (VCE) or Treviso (TSF)
- Car: A27 motorway to Fadalto or Ponte nelle Alpi, then via Puos d'Alpago and San Martino on the road signed for Casera Stabali and Casera Scalet Bassa
- Rail: nearest station Ponte nelle Alpi; no public transport to the trailhead
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Remoteness