Piz Boè
3,152 m
Italy
Also known as Boèspitze, Боэ (гора)Also known as
Boèspitze · Боэ (гора)
- Elevation
- 3,152 m
- Prominence
- 939 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The easiest 3,000 m summit in the Dolomites: up the scree gully of path 627 (or by cable car to Sass Pordoi) to the Forcella Pordoi, then across the Sella plateau on path 638 and up a broad ridge with a few short cabled steps to the Capanna Piz Fassa hut on the summit. About 900 m of ascent on foot, or 300 m from the cable car.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 4.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +938 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,152 m
- Time Up
- 3h 43m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 29m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the large car park at Passo Pordoi (2,239 m) take the broad path with wooden steps starting right of the cable car station (path 627, Alta Via 2) towards the deep gap right of Sass Pordoi. At the foot of the gap ignore the path branching right (towards the via ferrata) and zigzag up steep scree to the Forcella Pordoi and its hut (2,829 m), 60–90 minutes. Many people instead ride the cable car to Sass Pordoi (2,950 m) and walk down in about 15 minutes to the col on path 627A. From the Rifugio Forcella Pordoi follow the obvious path north-east across the flank above the Val de Fos to a junction; keep right for Piz Boè (left goes to Rifugio Boè). The route is heavily marked with poles in metre-high cairns. After a flat section a gentle rocky ridge leads up with a few short cabled steps on polished rock, then the summit with the Capanna Piz Fassa hut, always in view; 60–90 minutes from the col. Descend the same way, or north on path 638 by a short cabled gully with wooden steps to Rifugio Boè (2,873 m), returning over the plateau to the Forcella Pordoi. The north-facing cabled gully quickly turns icy after a freeze; refrozen slush makes the polished steps treacherous early and late in the season. The last cable car down from Sass Pordoi leaves at about 17:00; missing it means descending the scree of path 627 (about 1¼ hours). The route is very busy in July and August; afternoon thunderstorms are the main danger on the open plateau and summit.
Start
Passo Pordoi2,238 m
- Passo Pordoi – Sass Pordoi cable car (2026: 14 May – 1 November, 09:00–17:00; EUR 18 one way, EUR 32 return)
- Summer buses run to Passo Pordoi from Canazei (Val di Fassa) and Arabba; check the Trentino Trasporti and Dolomiti Bus timetables.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Passo Pordoi → Piz Boè | 4.3 | 938 | 23 | 3h 43m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Passo Pordoi2,238 m
- Col: Forcella Pordoi2,855 m
- Hut: Rifugio Forcella Pordoi2,857 m
- Hut: Capanna Piz Fassa3,112 m
not on route line
- Summit: Piz Boè3,152 m
Key Passages
- Scree gully below the Forcella Pordoi (path 627)
- Short cabled steps on the summit ridge (path 638)
- North-facing cabled gully towards Rifugio Boè (if descending that way)
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 85%Overview
The 3,152 m high point of the Sella group above Passo Pordoi, with a staffed hut on its summit. With the Sass Pordoi cable car it is the easiest 3,000 m summit in the Dolomites, a T3 walk with a few cabled steps.
Piz Boè is the highest summit of the Sella, the fortress-like massif encircled by the Sella Ronda passes, and stands where Trentino (Val di Fassa), South Tyrol (Alta Badia) and the province of Belluno (Arabba) meet. Its rounded summit pyramid rises from the stony Sella plateau, a high, almost lunar limestone tableland at about 2,800–2,900 m, and the view takes in the Marmolada, Sassolungo, Civetta, Pelmo and most other major Dolomite groups.
The Sass Pordoi cable car lifts walkers from Passo Pordoi to 2,950 m, leaving about 300 m of ascent on a heavily marked path with a few short cabled steps; on foot from the pass it is about 900 m. That makes it the most accessible 3,000 m summit in the Dolomites and very busy in July and August. The Capanna Piz Fassa hut sits on the summit itself, with Rifugio Boè and Rifugio Forcella Pordoi on the plateau below.
For something harder, the Via Ferrata Cesare Piazzetta climbs the south face directly from Passo Pordoi and is one of the most strenuous classic ferratas in the Dolomites. In winter the plateau and the Val Mezdì and Val Lasties gullies are classic ski-touring and freeride terrain reached from the same cable car.
Climbing Notes
On the normal route Piz Boè needs ordinary hillwalking fitness and sure-footedness on scree and polished rock; no harness or lanyard is needed for the short cables. With the cable car it is a half-day outing; on foot from Passo Pordoi allow 4–5 hours return. At 3,152 m some people feel the altitude if they come straight up from the valley by lift; take it slowly.
The main dangers are weather and ice. Afternoon thunderstorms build quickly over the exposed plateau, and visibility can drop to a few metres in cloud, though the path is marked with tall poles. Early and late in the season, and after any summer snowfall, the north-facing cabled gully towards Rifugio Boè and the polished steps can be icy; microspikes or crampons are then useful. Check the last cable car time (about 17:00) if planning to ride down.
The Piazzetta ferrata requires real via ferrata experience, a full ferrata set and good arm strength for the first 30–40 m; less experienced parties should consider a guide or a belay rope. A night at the summit hut makes it possible to see sunrise over the Dolomites.
History
Local hunters probably reached the summit long before the alpinists. The first recorded tourist ascent was by Paul Grohmann with Giuseppe Irschara on 30 July 1864. The first winter ascent was made at Christmas 1897. The Via Ferrata Cesare Piazzetta, named after a Venetian journalist and mountaineer, was opened in 1982.
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 and freeride from the Sass Pordoi cable car only
- Feb
- Winter conditions; avalanche risk on the plateau slopes
- Mar
- Ski touring
- Apr
- Spring ski touring; snow on all routes
- May
- Cable car reopens mid-May but the plateau is still snow-covered
- Jun
- Summit hut opens mid-June; old snow and ice on the cabled sections
- Jul
- Main season; very busy; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season; very busy
- Sep
- Often stable and quieter; summit hut closes at the end of the month
- Oct
- Cable car runs to 1 November (2026) but huts closed; snow and ice likely on north-facing sections
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Capanna Piz Fassa (22 places): book by phone (+39 0462 601723 or +39 336 452523) or info@rifugiocapannapizfassa.com; bring or hire a sheet liner. Rifugio Boè and Rifugio Forcella Pordoi are booked directly with the huts.
- Fees
- Sass Pordoi cable car (2026): EUR 18 one way, EUR 32 return for adults; included in the Val di Fassa Panorama Pass and Dolomiti Supersummer pass
- Paid parking at the cable car valley station on Passo Pordoi
- Getting There
Canazei (Val di Fassa); Arabba
Bolzano (BZO); Innsbruck (INN), Verona (VRN) and Venice (VCE) are larger
- By car to Passo Pordoi (2,239 m) on the road between Canazei and Arabba
- Summer buses to Passo Pordoi from Canazei and Arabba
- Cable car from Passo Pordoi to Sass Pordoi (2,950 m), 2026 season 14 May – 1 November
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure
- Rockfall
Huts & Shelters
2- 2,829 m
Rifugio Forcella PordoiHutStaffed
Summer
- 3,152 m
Capanna Piz FassaHutStaffedBooking required
22 beds · Mid-June to end of September (from 15 June 2026)