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Civetta rises between Alleghe and Val di Zoldo in the province of Belluno, Veneto, with a main summit of 3,220 m. Its north-west face, facing Alleghe, runs from Cima Su Alto to Torre Coldai; Le Dolomiti says it is up to about 1,200 m high and that climbers call it "the wall of walls". Planetmountain calls the 1925 route by Solleder and Lettenbauer "one of the legendary and most coveted routes in the entire Alpine arc".
This post helps you decide what level the classics on the north-west face demand, which huts to book, how to reach Alleghe without a car, and what to watch for on the descent and with rockfall. For seasons and regions across Italy, see the series overview; for a south-facing big wall in the Dolomites to compare, see the Marmolada south face.
What kind of crag is it
The wall. The north-west face is one continuous line of big walls and spires, taking in Punta Civetta, Punta Tissi, the main Civetta summit and Piccola Civetta. Le Dolomiti notes the small Cristallo glacier hanging in the middle of the face; the first half of the Solleder climbs up beside it. UKC says the routes on the central north-facing wall are "universally long and serious". The rock isn't all that solid, the gullies and chimneys can hold ice throughout the summer, and most routes deserve a mountaineering grade.
Size. For the north-west face alone, the 2025 guidebook introduction published by Planetmountain says Civetta Nord-ovest covers the 78 routes opened from 1895 to today, not counting the many variants. UKC lists 57 climbs for the whole Civetta group.
History. The same introduction says the Solleder-Lettenbauer is traditionally considered the first sixth-grade route in the Alps, and it turned 100 in 2025; the hardest routes on the face now need the letter X to describe their grades.
Style. Alpine trad. The classics on the north-west face are mostly around 1,000 m and about 30 pitches, with some pegs but plenty of gear to place yourself (see the route table). The Solleder has a scree pulpit higher up used for bivouacs, and guide Claudio Betetto spent a night on the wall on the Philipp-Flamm. To the south, above Val Corpassa, Torre Venezia and Torre Trieste belong to the same group; they face south, with routes from 300 m to 900 m.
Who it suits. Climbers who have already done 20-plus-pitch routes in the Dolomites such as the Marmolada south face, can judge rockfall on loose rock, and know how to bivouac and retreat on a big wall. The grades here are not high; the length, the rock and the route-finding are much harder than the numbers.
When to go
Summer, set by the huts and the lifts.
| Item | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rifugio Coldai (2,135 m) | mid-June to end of September | hut website; the CAI Venice section gives an "indicativo" 20/06–20/09 |
| Two Alleghe gondolas (Alleghe–Piani di Pezzè–Col dei Baldi) | 13 June to 27 September 2026, 8:30–17:30 | Alleghe tourist office, summer 2026 lift sheet |
| Palafavera chairlift (Zoldo side) | 4 July to 6 September 2026 | same |
The Rifugio Tissi website gives no season dates, only that booking for the 2027 season opens on 1 November; for Vazzoler, Torrani and other huts, check their own websites.
Wet rock and ice. Planetmountain's Solleder page mentions an overhanging band that is "spesso bagnata" (often wet), and a "Tiro della cascata" higher up that is almost always wet. UKC warns that chimneys can hold ice all summer. Ask the hut about recent conditions on the face before you set off.
Getting there
There are three usual starting points:
| Start | Public transport | Driving | To the huts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alleghe (north) | Dolomiti Bus line 3 to Alleghe | Via Agordo or Caprile | Gondolas to Col dei Baldi, path 556 to Coldai, then 560 and 563 to Tissi, about 3–4 h |
| Palafavera (Zoldo side, east) | Not listed in the sources | On the Val di Zoldo road towards Passo Staulanza | Paths 564 and 556 to Coldai; about 4–5 h to Tissi |
| Listolade / Capanna Trieste (south) | Dolomiti Bus line 3 to Listolade | Val Corpassa road to Capanna Trieste (free parking) | Via Rifugio Vazzoler and path 560 to Tissi, about 3–4 h |
Walking times are from the Rifugio Tissi access page.
Public transport
From Belluno railway station, take Dolomiti Bus line 1 to Agordo, then line 3. The line 3 timetable valid from 10 September 2026 has a first weekday bus from Agordo at 06:02, stopping at Listolade, Cencenighe, Masarè and Alleghe Piazza on the way to Caprile. The Alleghe lift station (Alleghe Impianti) is listed as an on-request stop. Timetables are reissued each period, so check the current version.
Lifts and parking
Alleghe has two gondolas, Alleghe to Piani di Pezzè and on to Col dei Baldi, running continuously 8:30–17:30 from 13 June to 27 September in summer 2026 (Alleghe tourist office PDF). Rifugio Tissi says parking at Piani di Pezzè is paid, while the Capanna Trieste car park is free. On the Zoldo side, the Pecol–Pian del Crep gondola was closed for summer 2026 for replacement works (same PDF).
From the huts to the face
The Rifugio Tissi access page has a specific warning: going from Coldai to Tissi, take the lower path after the col, "NON quello sotto la parete" (not the one under the face), which is exposed to rockfall.
Rules to know before you go
Rockfall. Planetmountain's Solleder page says the rock on the hard sections has been cleaned by repeated ascents, but the pitches after the Cristallo are "piuttosto friabile" (rather loose); with several parties on the wall, assess the rockfall risk before you start.
Gear and belays. Planetmountain says the Solleder is now "chiodata a sufficienza" (adequately pegged) with almost all belays in place, but fixed gear varies a lot across the face. Mountain guide Claudio Betetto, writing about the Philipp-Flamm, says route-finding is not easy once you are on the wall and that topos will contain errors, so you have to rely on your own sense of the line.
Descent. The Solleder descent (Planetmountain): 20 minutes from the summit to Rifugio Torrani (2,984 m), then the normal route down to the Tivan path and back to Rifugio Coldai. The normal route is itself a serious mountaineering route; Le Dolomiti calls it "still demanding".
Protected status. Civetta and Moiazza are part of system 3 of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage site (Le Dolomiti). None of the sources mention a climbing registration or access fee.
Rescue. CNSAS, the Italian mountain rescue service, says to call 112 or the local rescue number; the CNSAS Veneto page says "IN CASO DI EMERGENZA CHIAMARE IL 118".
Paying at the hut. Rifugio Tissi warns that its internet connection is unstable and card payments may not work, so bring cash.
Routes by level
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
Almost every route on Civetta is graded in UIAA. The four French-grade bands hold only the modern routes that have French grades; the rest are in the trad table at the end. A grade here is only the hardest pitch; length, loose rock and route-finding are the main barriers.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
Not listed in the sources. The north-west face has no French-graded beginner routes; for UIAA IV+ to V+ routes on the southern towers, see the trad table below.
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
Not listed in the sources. For classics around UIAA VI (Solleder-Lettenbauer, Philipp-Flamm, the Carlesso on Torre Trieste), see the trad table below.
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length/pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonne d'Ercole | 7c (obligatory 7a+) | 5.12d | 1,210 m, 29 pitches | Punta Tissi, NW face | Planetmountain: Baù, Beber, Tondini 2009–2012; original grade "IX (7c) R3/4", seriously run-out |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length/pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donnafugata | 8a (obligatory 7a/A2) | 5.13b | 750 m | Torre Trieste, south face | Planetmountain: Hainz, Schäli 2004, opened with bolts |
Trad and multi-pitch (UIAA grades)
Original grades follow each source (Planetmountain's Da Roit page says "4+", written here as the equivalent IV+). The first four are on the southern towers above Val Corpassa, reached from Capanna Trieste or Rifugio Vazzoler; the rest are on the north-west face.
| Route | Original grade | YDS | Length/pitches | Wall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diedro Ovest (Da Roit) | IV+ | 5.5 | 280 m | Punta Agordo, west face | Planetmountain: 1941; an alternative to the famous Torre Venezia lines, easy scree ground at the halfway ledge |
| Via Andrich | V+ | 5.7 | 300 m | Torre Venezia, south-west edge | Planetmountain: Andrich, Faè 1934 |
| Carlesso + Cassin + Hasse | VI, A0 (obligatory VI) | 5.9 | 600 m height, 900 m of climbing | Torre Trieste, south face | Planetmountain: original Carlesso-Sandri 1934 line plus Cassin pitches and the Hasse exit; "tra le più belle delle Dolomiti" |
| Enigma | IX/IX+ | 5.12d | 28 pitches | Torre Trieste, south face | Single source: Planetmountain route list |
| Solleder-Lettenbauer | VI- | 5.8 | 1,100 m | Civetta main summit, NW face | Planetmountain: 7 August 1925; Lettenbauer Crack, the often-wet "Tiro della cascata"; loose rock above the Cristallo |
| Philipp-Flamm | VII (UKC) / VI+, A0/A1 (Betetto) | 5.10c | 1,050 m, 35 pitches (UKC) / about 1,000 m (Betetto) | Punta Tissi, NW face | 1957; UKC; guide Betetto rates it ED, 18 hours with a bivouac, with loose rock and several wet pitches |
| Capitani di Ventura | VIII | 5.11d | Not listed | Punta Civetta, NW face | Opened 2019; single source: Planetmountain route list |
| Chimera Verticale | IX | 5.12d | Base + 600 m | Punta Civetta, NW face | Planetmountain: Baù and others 2007–2008, between the Aste and Andrich corners |
| Pilastro Renato | IX+ | 5.13a | Not listed | NW face | Planetmountain route list: opened ground-up without bolts, freed in 2026 |
Where to look things up
- Planetmountain: Civetta route list: route pages for the north-west face and the southern towers (length, obligatory grade, first ascent, descent).
- UKC Logbook: Civetta Group: English overview and list of classics.
- Le Dolomiti: Civetta: layout of the group, huts and trails, in English.
- Guidebook: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Civetta Nord-ovest (Alessandro Baù, Luca Vallata, Idea Montagna, Roccia d'autore series, 2025, 480 pages, ISBN 9791257310004, Italian): the north-west face only, with a description and the opening story for each of 78 routes, plus approaches and descents. Both authors have opened new routes on the face.
- Rifugio Coldai, Rifugio Tissi: seasons and booking; Tissi's access page lists the paths and times from each start.
- Alleghe tourist office: Ski Civetta summer lift sheet: the year's lift season and hours.
- Dolomiti Bus: line 1 and line 3 timetables.
References
- Planetmountain: Solleder-Lettenbauer (Italian) (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Solleder-Lettenbauer (English)
- Planetmountain: Civetta, Nord-ovest, la nuova guida di Alessandro Baù e Luca Vallata (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Civetta route list (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Via Andrich, Torre Venezia (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Carlesso + Cassin + Hasse, Torre Trieste (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Diedro Ovest (Da Roit), Punta Agordo (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Donnafugata, Torre Trieste (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Chimera Verticale, Punta Civetta (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Colonne d'Ercole, Punta Tissi (in Italian)
- UKC Logbook: Civetta Group
- UKC Logbook: North-West Face (Philipp-Flamm)
- Claudio Betetto: Philipp-Flam – Punta Tissi – Civetta (in Italian)
- Le Dolomiti: The Civetta Group
- Rifugio Coldai
- CAI Venezia: Rifugio Coldai – Adolfo Sonino (in Italian)
- Rifugio Tissi (in Italian)
- Rifugio Tissi: Come arrivare (in Italian)
- Alleghe: Comprensorio Ski Civetta, novità estate 2026 (PDF) (in Italian)
- Dolomiti Bus: Linee extraurbane 2026-2027 (in Italian)
- Dolomiti Bus: line 3 timetable from 10 September 2026 (PDF)
- Idea Montagna: Civetta Nord-ovest (in Italian)
- CNSAS: Distress call
- CNSAS Veneto: Contatti (in Italian)