Monte Pelmo
3,168 m
Italy
Also known as Pelmo, ПельмоAlso known as
Pelmo · Пельмо
- Elevation
- 3,168 m
- Prominence
- 1,191 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 11 Aug 2026
Fixed cords on the Cengia di Ball were removed by the CNSAS San Vito di Cadore station in summer 2026 (exact date not given) because they had deteriorated and gave a false sense of security; they will not be replaced. Parties should carry harness, rope and quickdraws. The emergency bivouac in the Vant is for emergencies only. Notice date is the article's publication date.
ildolomiti.it
Routes
1Sources differ: F+ (abcDolomiti) · PD (Camptocamp) · PD- (CAI Cervignano)
The line of the first ascent in 1857: from Rifugio Venezia along the narrow, exposed Cengia di Ball (about 900 m long, crux Passo del Gatto II+), then a long, tiring climb up the scree of the great cirque (the Vant) and an exposed ridge of I–II to the summit. About 1,600 m of ascent from Zoppè; usually two days with a night at the hut.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,049 m
- −353 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,168 m
- Time Up
- 8h 38m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 22m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Zoppè di Cadore drive or walk to the end of the public road (limited parking around 1,460–1,550 m) and follow the forest road and path 456 to Rifugio Venezia – Alba Maria De Luca (1,947 m) on the Campi di Rutorto, about 2 hours. Most parties sleep here. From the hut, scree slopes north-west behind the building (path 480) lead in about 20 minutes to the well-marked start of the ledge at about 2,150 m. The Cengia di Ball runs almost level for nearly 1 km across the south-east face, from about 1 m down to 50 cm wide, round three deep recesses, with constant exposure. Two short steps of II+ (the Passo della Stemma and the Passo del Gatto, where an overhang forces you to crouch or crawl) are the technical cruxes; there are pitons and threads with slings, but since summer 2026 no fixed ropes. Allow about an hour for the ledge, more when it is busy. It ends in the mountain's great cirque (the Vant): a long, easy but tiring trail with many cairns climbs the scree, passes a rock band on the right by steps, crosses the upper Vant (small snowfield, emergency bivouac at 2,836 m) and slants left to the saddle between the South Shoulder and the summit (about 3,000 m). The final ridge is followed just right of the crest over steps and short ledges (I–II, exposed) to the summit cross. Allow about 4–4½ hours from the hut. Descend the same way, about 3–4 hours to Zoppè; the rubble-covered rock steps in the cirque are awkward and tiring downhill, and the ledge must be recrossed with care. Go only in settled weather and without snow on the ledge; turn back early if storms threaten, as the ledge is no place to be caught in rain or hail.
Start
Zoppè di Cadore1,473 m
- Public transport to Zoppè di Cadore is limited; most climbers drive. The hut can also be reached from Passo Staulanza by path 472.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoppè di Cadore → Rifugio Venezia | 4.5 | 497 | 33 | 2h 17m |
| 2 | Rifugio Venezia → Monte Pelmo | 4.3 | 1,547 | 320 | 6h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Zoppè di Cadore1,473 m
- Hut: Rifugio Venezia1,944 m
- Bivouac: Bivacco Bonafede-Giustina2,818 m
Emergency shelter in the Vant del Pelmo; not for planned overnights
- Summit: Monte Pelmo3,168 m
Key Passages
- Cengia di Ball (about 900 m of narrow, exposed ledge)
- Passo della Stemma and Passo del Gatto (II+)
- Rock band and scree of the Vant
- Exposed summit ridge (I–II)
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A free-standing 3,168 m limestone block shaped like a giant armchair, the 'Caregon del Padreterno', between Val di Zoldo and the Boite valley. Its normal route, the first Dolomite summit route ever climbed, crosses a narrow, exposed ledge before a long scree climb to the top.
Monte Pelmo stands alone in the Zoldo Dolomites of Belluno province, between Val di Zoldo, Val Fiorentina and the Boite valley near Cortina. Two massive wings of rock enclose a huge south-east-facing cirque, the Vant, which gives the mountain its local nickname, God's armchair. With 1,191 m of prominence it is visible from much of the eastern Dolomites, and with Croda da Lago it forms one of the component areas of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its lower western neighbour, the Pelmetto (2,990 m), carries a boulder with 220-million-year-old dinosaur footprints.
There is no walking route to the summit. The normal route follows the line of the 1857 first ascent: a nearly 1 km ledge across the south-east face, the Cengia di Ball, narrow and exposed with two short steps of II+, then a long trudge up the scree of the Vant and an exposed final ridge of I–II. It is technically modest but long (about 1,600 m of ascent from Zoppè), and the ledge allows no slips. Since summer 2026 there are no fixed ropes on it.
The usual base is Rifugio Venezia on the south-east side, a stage of the Alta Via 1. The 'Giro del Pelmo' hiking circuit round the base, via Rifugio Venezia, Passo Staulanza and Rifugio Città di Fiume, is a popular alternative for those who do not want to climb.
Climbing Notes
Pelmo suits fit, sure-footed walkers with scrambling experience who are comfortable on exposed ground, or anyone with basic rock and rope skills. Expect a 6–7 hour ascent from Zoppè and 3–4 hours down, so most people walk to Rifugio Venezia on day one and climb on day two with an early start. Altitude is noticeable above 3,000 m and slows progress but rarely causes problems.
The local rescue station is explicit that this is a mountaineering route: carry a helmet, harness, a short rope and a few quickdraws or slings, and move roped through the existing pitons on the ledge if anyone in the party is unsure. Fixed ropes left by others were removed in 2026 and will not be replaced, and many online descriptions that mention them are out of date. Holds on the ledge are polished. Crampons and an axe are rarely needed in high summer but may be in early season or after snowfall; ask the hut keeper about conditions on the ledge and snow in the Vant.
Go only in a settled forecast (check two days ahead) and with no snow on the ledge. The emergency bivouac in the Vant is for emergencies only, not for planned overnights. Those new to such terrain should consider a local guide; two-day guided ascents are offered from Zoldo and Cadore.
History
The Irishman John Ball, later the first president of the Alpine Club, made the first ascent in September 1857 (the 19th in most sources, the 9th on Camptocamp) from the Boite valley side. His chamois-hunter companion would not continue beyond the ledge that now bears Ball's name, and Ball reached the top alone; it was the first major Dolomite summit to be climbed. Paul Grohmann and the Lacedelli brothers made the second ascent in 1863 by the south-west ledge now called the Cengia di Grohmann, and the first winter ascent followed on 18 February 1882. On 31 August 2011 two San Vito di Cadore rescuers, Alberto Bonafede and Aldo Giustina, were killed by rockfall during a rescue on the north face; the emergency bivouac placed in the Vant in 2024 bears their names.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; snow on the ledge makes it a serious mountaineering undertaking
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions; ski tours to Forca Rossa nearby
- Apr
- Snow on the ledge and in the Vant
- May
- Snow; hut closed
- Jun
- Hut opens mid-June; snow often lingers on the ledge and in the upper Vant
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; busy on the ledge at weekends
- Sep
- Often stable; hut closes around 20 September
- Oct
- Hut closed (winter room only); early snow or ice can make the ledge dangerous
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Venezia – Alba Maria De Luca: book directly with the hut keeper (mobile/WhatsApp +39 320 0103872, email rifugio.veneziapelmo@gmail.com); the hut's landline (0436 9684) works only in season. Weekends in July and August fill early.
- Fees
- Hut overnight fees, with reductions for CAI and reciprocal alpine club members
- Rules
- The Bonafede-Giustina bivouac in the Vant (2,836 m) is an emergency and rescue shelter only; planned overnight stays are not permitted by its purpose and are discouraged by the rescue service
- No fixed ropes on the Cengia di Ball; the rescue service will not replace them
- Getting There
Zoppè di Cadore; Forno di Zoldo and San Vito di Cadore are the nearest larger villages; Cortina d'Ampezzo is about 25 km away
Venice Marco Polo (VCE) or Treviso (TSF)
- By car to Zoppè di Cadore from Forno di Zoldo or from Vodo/Cadore, then on to the end of the public road (limited parking)
- Alternative hut access from Passo Staulanza (1,766 m, road between Val di Zoldo and Selva di Cadore) by path 472, about 2 hours
- Rail to Calalzo di Cadore or Belluno, then local buses; services to Zoppè are infrequent
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
2- 1,947 m
Rifugio VeneziaHutStaffedBooking required
62 beds · Mid-June to 20 September (13 June – 20 September 2026); winter room with about 10 places outside the season
- 2,836 m
Bivacco Bonafede-GiustinaBivouacUnstaffed
Emergency use only