Peralba
2,694 m
Italy
Also known as Monte Peralba, Hochweißstein, +2Also known as
Monte Peralba · Hochweißstein · La Peralbe · Перальба
- Elevation
- 2,694 m
- Prominence
- 725 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: EE (CAI) (abcDOLOMITI.com)
The popular way up the second-highest of the Carnic Alps: an easy track to Rifugio Calvi, switchbacks to Passo Sesis, then a steep gully with a long fixed cable and grade I steps to the summit ridge. About 900 m of ascent and 2¾ hours; the line John Paul II walked in 1988.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 4.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +883 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,694 m
- Time Up
- 3h 32m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 23m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Cima Sappada drive the narrow, partly steep paved road up the Val Sesis to the car park just before Rifugio Sorgenti del Piave (about 1,830 m), at the source of the Piave. Walk up the dirt road (path 132) to Rifugio Pier Fortunato Calvi (about 2,165 m) in about an hour, or take the steeper 'Sentiero delle Marmotte' shortcut. From the hut, path 132 climbs in easy, wide switchbacks to Passo Sesis (about 30 minutes). From the pass the route, named after Pope John Paul II, who climbed it on 20 July 1988, turns onto the north side: loose ground and short grade I rock steps lead to a steep, broken gully with a long steel cable on its right wall; some short sections are unprotected, and the rock is often wet and polished in places. Above, the path climbs diagonally to the summit ridge, a broad crest exposed on both sides, which leads gently to the summit with its Madonna statue. Allow about 2¾ hours from the car park. Descend the same way (about 1½ hours), taking care not to knock stones onto parties in the gully. Snow or ice can linger on the north-facing gully in early summer; ask at Rifugio Calvi. Alternatives are the Ferrata Sartor on the south-east face and the west ridge from the Sorgenti del Piave, steeper and more exposed but without cables.
Start
Rifugio Sorgenti del Piave1,830 m
- Bus to Sappada (from Santo Stefano di Cadore or Forni Avoltri); no regular service up the Val Sesis to the Sorgenti del Piave.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rifugio Sorgenti del Piave → Peralba | 4.4 | 883 | 24 | 3h 32m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Rifugio Sorgenti del Piave1,830 m
- Hut: Rifugio Pier Fortunato Calvi2,167 m
- Col: Passo Sesis2,310 m
- Summit: Peralba2,694 m
Key Passages
- Passo Sesis
- Cabled gully on the north side (grade I steps)
- Exposed summit ridge
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
A massive block of pale limestone (2,694 m) above Sappada and the source of the Piave, a few hundred metres from the Austrian border. The normal route from Rifugio Calvi is a short scramble with a cabled gully; the Ferrata Sartor gives a steeper alternative.
Peralba (Hochweißstein in German) is one of the highest summits of the Carnic Alps, standing on the main chain between the Austrian Lesachtal to the north and the head of the Piave valley to the south, at the meeting of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto. Its name means 'white stone', after the pale limestone of the western Carnic Alps, sometimes called the Carnic Dolomites. Seen from the south it is a huge cube with a broad summit ridge, and the Piave rises at its foot.
A paved road up the Val Sesis from Cima Sappada reaches the Sorgenti del Piave at about 1,830 m, so the summit is only about 900 m above the car park. The normal route, named after Pope John Paul II who climbed it in 1988, goes via Rifugio Calvi and Passo Sesis, then up a steep cabled gully on the north side to the summit ridge; it is a scramble for sure-footed hikers rather than a walk. The Ferrata Sartor (B/C) on the south-east face is a popular alternative, and the west ridge offers an exposed uncabled line. On fine summer weekends the summit, with its Madonna statue, is crowded.
The Peralba was on the front line of the First World War, and remains of forts, positions and trenches are still visible on and around it.
Climbing Notes
Fit hikers with some scrambling experience can do the normal route in 4–4½ hours return from the Sorgenti del Piave. The cabled gully is steep, often wet and polished, with grade I steps; a helmet is sensible because of stones knocked down by other parties, and gloves help on the cable. Snow and ice can linger in the north-facing gully into early summer, so ask at Rifugio Calvi before going. The Ferrata Sartor needs a full via ferrata kit and helmet and is usually climbed up, with the normal route as descent.
Arrive early: the car park at the Sorgenti del Piave fills on summer weekends. Rifugio Calvi, open from early June to early October, makes a good base for an early start, and is a stage on the Traversata Carnica long-distance route.
History
Chamois hunters probably reached the summit in the early 19th century; the first recorded ascent was in 1854 by Oberleutnant Schönhuber during triangulation work. During the First World War the mountain and the Val Sesis were fought over between Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops, and fortifications remain. Rifugio Calvi was built in 1926. Pope John Paul II walked to the summit on 20 July 1988, and the normal route from the hut has been named after him since.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- 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: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; ski touring only for experienced parties
- Feb
- Winter; avalanche risk
- Mar
- Winter; spring ski tours
- Apr
- Snow
- May
- Snow on the north side
- Jun
- Rifugio Calvi opens in early June; snow or ice likely in the gully
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; crowded at weekends
- Sep
- Stable weather, fewer people
- Oct
- Hut closes in early October; early snow and ice
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Pier Fortunato Calvi: book by phone (+39 0435 469232) or through the contact form on explorerfvg.com; 48 beds in dormitories and four-bed rooms.
- Rules
- The summit lies a few hundred metres from the Italy–Austria border; the border passes are open to walkers
- Getting There
Sappada
Venice Marco Polo (VCE) or Trieste (TRS)
- Car: from Sappada to Cima Sappada, then the narrow, partly steep paved road up the Val Sesis (SP22) towards the Sorgenti del Piave; park just before Rifugio Sorgenti del Piave
- Public transport: buses reach Sappada; there is no regular service up the Val Sesis
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,167 m
Rifugio Pier Fortunato CalviHutStaffed
48 beds · Daily from early June to early October