Paganella

2,125 m

Italy

Also known as La Roda, Паганела, +1

La Roda · Паганела · Cima Roda

Elevation: 2,125 m
Prominence: 1,099 m
Difficulty: 2/10; Hike
Best Season: Jul–Sep
Routes: 1

Routes

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A long but easy walk up the ski slopes of the Paganella from Andalo (about 1,000 m): path 606 through the woods to Dosson and the Doss Pelà gondola station (1,700 m), then past Malga Zambana and up path 604 beside the pistes to the Cima Roda summit (2,125 m) with Rifugio La Roda. About 1,100 m and 3¼ hours up; the gondola and chairlifts can shorten it to about an hour.

Elevation Profile

lift

Distance: 2.9 km; one way
Ascent: +345 m; start → summit
High Point: 2,125 m
Time Up: 1h 31m; DIN 33466
Time Down: 1h 04m; DIN 33466 · same way back

Start from the valley station of the Andalo–Doss Pelà gondola at the south-east edge of Andalo (about 1,000 m). Follow the paved road to the Le Rindole restaurant, then path 606, which climbs steeply through the woods to the intermediate station at Dosson (1,450 m) and on to Doss Pelà (1,700 m), the gondola's top station, in about 2 hours. A sign there gives 1h15 to the summit. Follow the path towards Malga Zambana (1,792 m); just beyond it path 604 climbs more steeply alongside the ski slope to the top of the chairlift and the summit, Cima Roda (2,125 m), where Rifugio La Roda, a weather station and a large radio and TV transmitter stand. The view sweeps from the Brenta Dolomites and Lake Molveno to Trento, the Adige valley and Lake Garda. Path 602 comes up the other side from Fai della Paganella. Descend by the same paths, or follow the piste down to Rifugio Dosso Larici, then a forest road and an unmarked left turn into the woods to Malga Zambana and path 604 back down to Andalo (about 2½ hours). In early summer snow can still cover paths 604 and 602 near the top, and the malghe and huts may be closed. Lifts (gondola Andalo–Doss Pelà, chairlift Albi de Mez–Cima Paganella) make it possible to ride all or part of the way.

Start

Intermedia Dosson1,450 m

Gondola Andalo–Doss Pelà and chairlift Albi de Mez–Cima Paganella (summer and winter seasons)
Andalo can be reached by regional bus from Trento; the gondola valley station is at the edge of the village.

Stages

Day	Stage	km	m ascent	m descent	Time
	Lift: Intermedia Dosson → Doss Pelà	ride, not counted
1	Intermedia Dosson → Paganella	2.9	345	5	1h 31m

Waypoints

Lift:
Intermedia Dosson1,450 m
Lift ride:
Lift: Intermedia Dosson → Doss Pelà
Ride, not walked — not counted in distance or times
Lift:
Doss Pelà1,781 m
Feature:
Malga Zambana1,791 m
Hut:
Rifugio La Roda2,119 m
not on route line
Summit:
Paganella2,125 m

Key Passages

Steep woodland path 606 to Dosson
Doss Pelà gondola top station
Path 604 beside the ski slope to the summit

Equipment

0/4 packed

Technical

Microspikessnow on the upper paths in early June or late autumnRecommended

Footwear

Hiking boots or trail shoesRequired

Clothing

Waterproof and warm layersexposed summit; afternoon storms in summerRecommended

Other

Packed lunch and watermalghe and huts may be closed outside the main seasonRecommended

Downloads

Route confidence 70%

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Overview

Trento's home mountain (2,125 m), a limestone ridge whose wooded west side above Andalo carries a ski area and whose east face drops steeply to the Adige valley. Paths and lifts lead to Cima Roda, with a small hut and a view across the Brenta Dolomites to Lake Garda.

The Paganella rises north-west of Trento, between the Adige valley to the east and the Andalo–Molveno plateau to the west, and is classed as a separate subgroup of the Brenta Dolomites. Its summit, Cima Roda (2,125 m), has about 1,100 m of prominence. The east side is a line of limestone walls that were a training ground for Trento climbers such as Bruno Detassis and Cesare Maestri; the gentler west side, wooded and cut by pistes, is the Paganella ski area above Andalo and Fai della Paganella.

The summit is busy and developed: Rifugio La Roda, a WMO-recognised weather station and a major radio and TV transmitter share it, and chairlifts arrive from Albi de Mez and La Selletta. The draw is the view: the whole Brenta group and Lake Molveno to the west, Trento and the Adige valley below, Lake Garda to the south. The panorama inspired the alpine song 'La Paganella', made famous by the Coro della SAT.

Walkers can climb all the way from Andalo (about 1,100 m) or from Fai della Paganella, ride the lifts part of the way, or continue south along the ridge on path 602 over the Passo di Sant'Antonio towards Cima Canfedin. The Via ferrata delle Aquile, opened in 2016, starts from the summit and traverses the east face.

Climbing Notes

An easy objective for any fit walker: about 1,100 m and 3–3½ hours on foot from Andalo, or about an hour from the Doss Pelà gondola station. No technical skills are needed in summer. The upper paths can hold snow into June and the malghe and huts may still be closed then, so take food and water early in the season.

In winter the summit is reached by lift only; non-skiers can ride up from Andalo. Thunderstorms build quickly over the summit on summer afternoons. The Via ferrata delle Aquile on the east face is a separate, much more serious undertaking requiring full via ferrata kit.

History

The area has been settled since the Neolithic, with permanent settlement in the Valle delle Seghe from the 3rd millennium BC and a Rhaetian village near Fai in the 5th–4th centuries BC. The name may come from the Latin pagus, a rural district. The ski area grew from the 1980s (Laghet–Doss, 1981, is the oldest lift still running); summit chairlifts followed in 2004 and 2007. Rifugio La Roda took over the role of the former Rifugio Cesare Battisti, which has closed.

Season

Best Jul–Sep

January: Possible
February: Possible
March: Possible
April: Not advisable
May: Possible
June: Good
July: Best (best window)
August: Best (best window)
September: Best (best window)
October: Good
November: Possible
December: Possible

Jan: Ski season; summit by lift (non-skiers from Andalo)
Feb: Ski season; summit by lift
Mar: Ski season; summit by lift
Apr: Spring thaw; lifts closed between seasons
May: Snow on upper paths; huts often closed
Jun: Snow can linger on paths 604 and 602 in early June
Jul: Summer lifts running; afternoon storms
Aug: Busy; afternoon storms
Oct: Clear autumn days; lifts and huts may be closed
Nov: Early snow possible
Dec: Ski season begins; summit by lift

Access & Permits

Hut Booking

Rifugio La Roda (4 beds): hut +39 348 8939544, manager +39 0461 601006, www.laroda.it.

Fees

Gondola and chairlift tickets if using the lifts

Rules

In winter the upper mountain is a ski area; walking on the pistes is not appropriate, and the summit is reached by lift only

Getting There

Andalo

Verona (VRN)

Car or bus from Trento to Andalo or Fai della Paganella
Gondola Andalo–Doss Pelà, then chairlift to Cima Paganella
From Fai della Paganella: path 602 and lifts from the Fai side

Hazards

Weather

Huts & Shelters

Rifugio La RodaHutStaffed
4 beds · Summer and winter (with the lift seasons); confirm dates with the hut
Website of Rifugio La Roda
2,120 m