Piz dles Cunturines
3,064 m
Italy
Also known as Piz Cunturines, Cunturines-Spitze, +1Also known as
Piz Cunturines · Cunturines-Spitze · Cima Cunturines
- Elevation
- 3,064 m
- Prominence
- 907 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: PD (VieNormali.it (EE - A - I - PD)) · 2/5 technical, 3/5 exposure (ferrate365.it)
A long day of about 1,350 m from Capanna Alpina (1,726 m): path 11 over Col de Locia to Jù dal'Ega, then the stony Cunturines valley past the dry Lago de Cunturines to the saddle with Piz de Lavarella, and a short protected path (ladders and cables, A/B, about 100 m) up the north-west ridge to the highest summit of the Fanes Group. 4–4½ h up, about 7½ h in all.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 9.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,410 m
- −76 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,064 m
- Time Up
- 5h 59m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 13m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at Capanna Alpina (1,726 m), reached by a side road from the Valparola pass road above San Cassiano/Armentarola, follow the broad path 11 gently across the Plan de Furcia and up to Col de Locia (2,069 m, about 45 minutes). A short descent and an easy crossing of the Gran Plan lead to the saddle of Jù dal'Ega (Passo Tadega, 2,157 m, about 1½ hours). Here turn left (west) into the Vallon/Büsc da Stlü and climb over stones, scree and dwarf pine past the now-dry basin of the Lago de Cunturines to the broad saddle between Piz de Lavarella (right) and Piz dles Cunturines (left), about 3½ hours from the start (point 2,885 m on some maps). Turn left up the broad ridge to the start of the protected section, about 4 hours from the car. The Tru Dolomieu (Cunturinessteig) gains about 100 m in 20–30 minutes: a metal ladder up the first rock step, an ascending ledge with a cable, a short rock step, a second longer and steeper ladder, then two steep ladders close together and a few metres of cable onto the north-west ridge. The ridge above is broad and easy except for an unprotected sloping slab that is dirty and slippery when wet; the summit is about 30 minutes from the start of the cables. Descend the same way, reversing the ladders. Below the protected section a faint scree track cuts down towards the dry lake and rejoins the ascent path, saving about 30 minutes; allow about 3 hours back to Capanna Alpina. Many parties add Piz de Lavarella (3,055 m) from the saddle (about 1 hour extra). The route can also be split by staying at the Lavarella or Fanes huts on the Fanes plateau and approaching via Jù dal'Ega from the east.
Start
Capanna Alpina1,729 m
- Summer buses on the San Cassiano–Valparola pass road stop near the Capanna Alpina turn-off (Armentarola/Sciaré); about 1 km on foot to the car park. Check the South Tyrol timetable.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capanna Alpina → Piz dles Cunturines | 9.1 | 1,410 | 76 | 5h 59m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Capanna Alpina1,729 m
- Col: Col de Locia2,038 m
- Col: Jù dal'Ega2,156 m
- Summit: Piz dles Cunturines3,064 m
Key Passages
- Col de Locia
- Jù dal'Ega
- Scree valley past the dry Lago de Cunturines
- Ladders of the Tru Dolomieu
- Unprotected sloping slab below the summit
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest summit of the Fanes Group (3,064 m), a pale dolomite peak above Alta Badia in the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park. A long but easy day: 1,350 m from Capanna Alpina, finishing with a short protected path of ladders and cables (A/B).
Piz dles Cunturines (Cunturines-Spitze in German, Cima Cunturines or Conturines in Italian) rises at the south-western edge of the Fanes plateau, between Alta Badia and the high karst basins of Fanes. With its neighbour Piz de Lavarella (3,055 m) it forms the twin 3,000 m tops of the Fanes Group, built of Triassic dolomite. The whole area lies within the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park.
The normal route is one of the easier 3,000 m summits in the Dolomites, but it is long: a broad path over Col de Locia and Jù dal'Ega, a lonely, stony valley past a lake that is now usually dry, and a final 100 m on the Tru Dolomieu, a protected path of ladders and cables named after the geologist Déodat de Dolomieu, who gave his name to dolomite. Above it an easy ridge, with one unprotected sloping slab, leads to the summit.
The mountain is also known for the Conturines cave, discovered in 1987 at about 2,800 m on the south side, which held the bones of cave bears and other animals around 50,000 years old; the cave is sealed and not accessible.
Climbing Notes
Expect 7–8 hours and about 1,350 m of ascent for the round trip from Capanna Alpina; adding Piz de Lavarella from the saddle takes about another hour. The protected section is short and technically easy (A/B, ladders and cables on ledges), and sure-footed walkers sometimes go without a via ferrata set in good conditions, but a helmet is advisable because of loose rock on the summit block, and less experienced walkers should use a set. The unprotected sloping slab just below the summit is slippery when wet.
The main challenges are length and weather: there is no hut or water after Capanna Alpina, the upper valley is lonely, and thunderstorms build quickly over the Fanes in summer. Snow or verglas on the ladders and the shaded ledges in early summer or autumn can make the top dangerous; carry microspikes or crampons then. To shorten the day, stay overnight at the Lavarella or Fanes huts on the Fanes plateau and approach via Jù dal'Ega from the east.
History
The first documented ascent was made on 4 August 1880 by the Cortina guide Santo Siorpaes with a client named Grünwald (sources disagree on his first name); local chamois hunters may have reached the summit earlier.
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; avalanche terrain
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Winter
- Apr
- Spring snow
- May
- Snow on the upper route
- Jun
- Late June possible; snow on the ladders and ledges likely
- Jul
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Aug
- Main season
- Sep
- Often stable weather, fewer people
- Oct
- Possible early in the month; ice on shaded ledges and short days
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No hut on the route. For a two-day trip, book Rifugio Lavarella or Rifugio Fanes on the Fanes plateau directly.
- Fees
- The car park at Capanna Alpina is paid in high season
- Rules
- Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park: South Tyrol nature park rules apply (no camping, stay on paths, dogs under control)
- The Conturines cave (cave bear site) is sealed and not open to visitors
- Getting There
San Cassiano (Alta Badia)
Bolzano (BZO), Innsbruck (INN) or Venice Marco Polo (VCE)
- By car: from San Cassiano towards the Valparola pass; near the long bridge over the Rio Sciarè (Armentarola) turn left on a paved road for about 1 km to the Capanna Alpina car park
- From Passo Falzarego, descend over the Valparola pass to the same turn-off
- Summer buses run between Alta Badia and the Valparola/Falzarego passes; check the South Tyrol timetable
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Remoteness