Vezzana
3,192 m
Italy
Also known as Cima di Vezzana, Cima della VezzanaAlso known as
Cima di Vezzana · Cima della Vezzana
- Elevation
- 3,192 m
- Prominence
- 1,274 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: EE (Appenninista, Montagnavissuta (Italian hiking scale))
The normal route to the highest summit of the Pale di San Martino: from the Rosetta cable car and hut over Passo Bettega, down a cabled step into the Val dei Cantoni, up a rock band on a cabled ledge to Passo del Travignolo (2,925 m), then easy grade I rock on the south ridge to the summit cross. About 790 m of ascent, EE/F, 3 hours up.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.3 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +809 m
- −230 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,192 m
- Time Up
- 3h 41m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 55m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From San Martino di Castrozza take the Colverde gondola and the Rosetta cable car to the top station (about 2,630 m), and walk 10–15 minutes down to Passo di Rosetta and Rifugio Rosetta 'Giovanni Pedrotti' (2,581 m) on the edge of the Pale plateau. Path 716 leaves from behind the hut, signed for Passo Bettega and Cima della Vezzana. It traverses under the west face of Cima Corona on a path cut into the rock (one step and a slightly exposed, often wet slab) and climbs to the scree saddle of Passo Bettega (2,667 m), about 30 minutes from the hut. Beyond the pass the path drops north-east about 100 m of easy rock; a steel cable and a metal staple protect a short vertical wall down to the floor of the Val dei Cantoni (about 2,540–2,550 m). Climb the valley, often on snow, to a rock band (about 2,700 m): a short, nearly vertical wall with a cable gives access to an ascending ledge-ramp across the band, the crux of the route. Above it, a snowfield that often lasts all summer leads to Passo del Travignolo (2,925 m), between Cimon della Pala and Vezzana, about 2¼ hours from the lift. From the pass, a small path climbs right over a sloping slab (I) and scree zigzags to the saddle between Il Nuvolo and the Vezzana (about 3,040 m). The stepped south-south-east ridge, with grade I moves and red marks, leads to the narrow summit and its cross (3,192 m), about 50 minutes from the pass. Descend the same way (about 2 h 20 back to the lift, including about 230 m of reascent); waymarks on the rock are harder to spot going down, and the last lift down leaves Rosetta at about 16:40.
Start
Rosetta2,614 m
- Colverde gondola and Rosetta cable car from San Martino di Castrozza (summer 2026: 20 June – 27 September, last descent from Rosetta 16:40; return pedestrian ticket EUR 34)
- Buses run to San Martino di Castrozza (Trentino Trasporti from Primiero/Feltre and Trento); the Colverde lift station is in the upper village.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosetta → Cima della Vezzana | 4.3 | 809 | 230 | 3h 41m |
Waypoints
- Lift: Rosetta2,614 m
- Hut: Rifugio Rosetta "Giovanni Pedrotti"2,577 m
- Col: Passo Bettega2,652 m
- Feature: Val dei Cantoni2,560 m
Reached by a cabled descent; snow often lies in the upper valley
- Col: Passo del Travignolo2,952 m
- Summit: Cima della Vezzana3,192 m
Key Passages
- Rock-cut traverse under Cima Corona
- Cabled descent into the Val dei Cantoni
- Cabled wall and ledge-ramp across the rock band (crux)
- Snowfield below Passo del Travignolo
- Grade I south-south-east ridge to the summit
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
The highest summit of the Pale di San Martino (3,192 m), just higher than its famous neighbour Cimon della Pala. Lifts from San Martino di Castrozza put the normal route within reach of a long day: cabled steps, a snowy valley and an easy grade I ridge to the cross.
Cima della Vezzana rises at the northern end of the Pale di San Martino, the great dolomite massif above San Martino di Castrozza, on the boundary between Primiero (Trentino) and Taibon Agordino (Veneto). It is the culmination of the group, eight metres higher than the sharp Cimon della Pala to its south, and with almost 1,300 m of prominence it is one of the most independent summits in the Dolomites. To the north lie the Cima dei Bureloni and the remnants of the Travignolo glacier, to the east the vast limestone plateau of the Pale.
The normal route from Rifugio Rosetta crosses typical Pale terrain: rock-cut paths, scree passes, a deep, often snow-filled valley (the Val dei Cantoni) and a short protected rock band, before a stepped ridge to the summit. It is popular and well marked but long, with many ups and downs, and early or late in the season snow and ice change its character.
The Pale di San Martino are part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Climbing Notes
Fit, experienced mountain walkers with a head for heights can manage the normal route in a day using the Colverde and Rosetta lifts: about 3 hours up and 2¼–2½ hours down, with about 1,000 m of total ascent including the reascent on the way back. The difficulties are short: two cabled sections (a via ferrata set is optional) and grade I scrambling on the summit ridge. A helmet is advisable.
Snow is the main variable. The upper Val dei Cantoni and the slope below Passo del Travignolo often hold snow and ice well into summer, when crampons and an ice axe are needed, and a crevasse can open above the rock band; take particular care on the descent. A night at Rifugio Rosetta (open late June to late September) allows an early start and avoids the race for the last lift. Check conditions with the hut or the San Martino mountain guides before going. A harder alternative is the Via Ferrata Bolver-Lugli on Cimon della Pala to Bivacco Fiamme Gialle, then on to the Vezzana.
History
Douglas William Freshfield and Charles Comyns Tucker made the first ascent on 5 September 1872, approaching from the Travignolo glacier and Passo del Travignolo, roughly along the upper part of today's normal route. Their local guides declined to go beyond the glacier, so the two finished the climb unguided, an unusual feat at the time.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- 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 mountaineering or ski touring only
- Feb
- Ski touring only (e.g. from Passo Rolle)
- Mar
- Ski mountaineering for experienced parties
- Apr
- Spring ski mountaineering
- May
- Lifts closed; heavy snow on the route
- Jun
- Lifts and hut open from about 20 June; much snow in the Val dei Cantoni
- Jul
- Snowfields likely; crampons may be needed
- Aug
- Main season; afternoon thunderstorms
- Sep
- Lifts and hut close late September
- Oct
- Lifts may run on some weekends; early snow and ice
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Rifugio Rosetta 'Giovanni Pedrotti' (SAT, 70 beds): book by phone (+39 0439 68308 in season, +39 349 5331742 from October to June) or info@rifugiorosetta.it.
- Fees
- Colverde gondola and Rosetta cable car: return pedestrian ticket EUR 34 (summer 2026)
- Paid parking at the Colverde lift station
- Rifugio Rosetta half board EUR 60 (CAI/SAT members) or EUR 80 (non-members) in summer 2026
- Rules
- SAT/CAI huts require a personal sleeping bag (sold at the hut)
- Getting There
San Martino di Castrozza (Primiero)
Venice Marco Polo (VCE) or Verona (VRN)
- Car: to San Martino di Castrozza via Feltre and Fiera di Primiero, or from the Val di Fiemme over Passo Rolle; park at the Colverde lift station (paid)
- Lifts: Colverde gondola then Rosetta cable car (summer 2026: 20 June – 27 September, first ascent around 08:10–08:30, last descent from Rosetta 16:40)
- On foot from San Martino to Rifugio Rosetta via Col Verde and path 701 takes about 3 hours
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Crevasses
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,581 m
Rifugio Rosetta "Giovanni Pedrotti"HutStaffedBooking required
70 beds · Summer 20 June – 27 September 2026; also open over Christmas and on winter weekends while the ski lifts run; winter room with 10 places