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Sassolungo (Langkofel in German, Saslonch in Ladin, all meaning "long rock") is the landmark of Val Gardena, a long row of dolomite towers seen from Passo Sella. The Val Gardena tourist board places the group between Val Gardena and upper Val di Fassa, with the Sella massif to the east and the Alpe di Siusi to the west; the main summit is 3,181 m and was first climbed by Paul Grohmann on 13 August 1869.
This post covers what to decide before you go: whether your level and experience are enough for routes this long, which months, how to get up to Passo Sella without a car, and how much time to allow for the descent. The Sella group opposite is in the Sella post; for a season-by-season and region-by-region comparison of Italian crags, see the series overview.
What kind of crag is it
Style. This is mainly alpine trad climbing, not a bolted sport crag. UKC says the N and NE faces host "1000m+ rock routes", while the S and W faces have shorter routes of varying length. SummitPost warns that many classic Dolomite routes have no bolts and belays often aren't bolted either, so bring a medium rack and slings, and pitons for the harder routes.
Peaks. The main summits are Sassolungo itself, Punta delle Cinque Dita (Five Finger Peak, Fünffingerspitze), Punta Grohmann, Torre Innerkofler, the Dente and Sassopiatto (Planetmountain's Cinque Dita piece). Planetmountain describes a maze of towers and ridges "che confondono anche gli alpinisti di oggi" (that still confuse climbers today; Punta Grohmann piece).
Size. Route counts don't mean much on a mountain like this. theCrag lists only 31 routes on the main peak and treats Cinque Dita, Punta Grohmann and others as separate areas.
Who it suits. The grade isn't the barrier; length and route finding are. The Pichl route on the north face is only UIAA IV, but theCrag records 27 pitches and 1,000 m and says "It is difficult to find the right directions". The South Tyrol Alpine Club section AVS Schlern writes on Outdooractive that the leader must master the grade "because there is no time to secure everything properly". James Rushforth notes in UKC's Dolomites guide that here "9 pitches equates to a relatively short route", so experience matters even at modest grades. It suits people who have done trad multi-pitch, can build their own belays and abseil, and can read a topo. If that's not you yet, start with the short Cinque Dita routes by Forcella Sassolungo, or hire a guide.
Descent. There's no easy way off the main summit. theCrag says the normal route goes up the southwest face to the summit ridge (II) and then to the top (III), and is "extremely long". Fassa Guide calls it "one of the most difficult normal routes in the Dolomites". Parties who climb the north face also descend this way (Outdooractive).
When to go
Summer window. Guiding company Südtirol Alpin gives "July - August" as the best time for the Pichl. AVS advises waiting for stable weather and warm temperatures. dolomiti.it says summer and early autumn are best for high ground, July and August are the busiest, September is quieter, and early in the season there can still be snow on the higher trails.
Snow and ice. The normal route crosses the scree bowl of the Sassolungo glacier and a snow gully. Sergio Ramella's route description (1984) says the glacier is "in abbondante ritiro" (well into retreat) and the gully is about 150 m, with crampons advisable.
Aspect. Although the Pichl is called the north face, Alberto De Giuli's trip report says it's in the sun all day on a clear day: "I would say that it is more East facing". The Dimai route on Punta Grohmann faces south (Scuola Guido Della Torre).
Afternoon storms. Planetmountain says plenty of people get lost among the Cinque Dita or caught by storms; this is "una montagna alta, affilata e sempre severa" (a high, sharp and always serious mountain). Start long routes before dawn; Südtirol Alpin's itinerary leaves the car park by headtorch.
Getting there
| Public transport | Driving | |
|---|---|---|
| To Passo Sella | Line 471 from Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva (summer) | From Val Gardena via Selva; from Val di Fassa via Canazei |
| To the routes | Walk from Passo Sella, or take the Forcella Sassolungo lift to Rifugio Toni Demetz | Same |
| Rifugio Vicenza side | — | Park at Monte Pana, chairlift to Mont de Seura, about 60 min on foot to Rifugio Vicenza (theCrag) |
Public transport
The line 471 timetable (PDF) on South Tyrol's südtirolmobil network runs Ortisei–Santa Cristina–Selva–Plan de Gralba–Passo Sella (Schutzhaus Sellajoch / Rifugio Passo Sella) from 7 June to 11 October in 2026. During the day there's an uphill bus about every 20 minutes, and the last one down leaves before about 5:30 pm. fahrplan.it shows some runs continuing to Passo Pordoi and Canazei; on 19 October the same site says "Line 471 is currently not in service".
So from mid-October to early June there's no bus to Passo Sella. Check the current PDF before you go.
Driving
SummitPost: from the north, leave the A22 at Chiusa/Klausen and drive up Val Gardena to Selva and on to Passo Sella; from the south, leave the A22 at Ora/Auer and go via Val di Fassa to Canazei and up. dolomiti.it gives the pass as about 2,240 m, linking Selva and Canazei.
Each summer the pass roads close on some days for cycling events, and Passo Sella was on the list for Val Gardena's planned traffic restrictions. Local site val-gardena.net (August 2026) says the trial restriction planned for Passo Gardena from 1 September 2026 became a digital monitoring test only, and plans for Passo Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo aren't settled (second-hand: no original provincial notice found). Check before a summer 2027 trip.
Parking
Südtirol Alpin meets at the Sellajochhaus (Rifugio Passo Sella) car park; Ramella starts from the car park of the CAI hut just below Passo Sella. None of the primary sources found give parking fees. dolomiti.it warns that Passo Sella is very crowded in summer and recommends buses and lifts where possible, and checking parking arrangements in advance if you drive.
The lift
The Forcella Sassolungo lift runs from Passo Sella to Rifugio Toni Demetz on Forcella Sassolungo. Its tiny two-person cabins are known as the "coffin lift", and you board while they're moving. The Val Gardena tourist board says it runs every year from mid-June to early October, while the Val di Fassa tourist board's lift table lists 30 May–11 October for 2026; the operator sassolungo.bz gives summer hours of 8:15–17:00 (checked October 2026). De Giuli advises planning your timing on the Pichl so you don't miss the last cabin down.
Without the lift, walk up path 525 from Passo Sella to the Forcella; theCrag gives 30–45 minutes to reach Cinque Dita.
Rules to know before you go
Route finding. UKC's destination guide calls route finding in the Dolomites "notoriously difficult": routes often don't follow the obvious line of weakness, and following a line of pegs can lead onto a harder variant or a failed new route. Planetmountain describes people setting off for the Enzensperger chimney on Torre Sud and ending up climbing the Fistil chimney on Punta Grohmann's first tower. Carry a topo and study the line through binoculars from below (De Giuli).
The descent is part of the route. AVS: "The descent via the normal route is also part of the route and must be prepared!". Ramella gives 3–4 hours and 6–7 abseils from the summit back to the Forcella. Parties topping out from the north face can shelter in Bivacco Giuliani (3,100 m) just below the summit; his report says it sleeps six and has a radio for calling rescue. Ramella suggests carrying a light bivvy bag.
Rockfall. SummitPost says the Schmittkamin chimney on Cinque Dita is usually wet and exposed to rockfall from the busy normal route above. At the Dantersasc sport wall above Rifugio Vicenza, theCrag mentions loose blocks: "CASCO OBBLIGATORIO" (helmet required).
Closures. As of October 2026, no closure or climbing ban for routes in the group was found.
Rescue. South Tyrol mountain rescue (Bergrettung / CNSAS Alto Adige) is reached on 112, staffed 24 hours; CNSAS South Tyrol says 118, 115 and 113 are also routed to the emergency centre in Bolzano, and some narrow valleys have no mobile signal.
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 all the classic Sassolungo routes are UIAA-graded trad, listed in the last table. The four bands below only cover French-graded sport walls in the group; single-pitch sport at Città dei Sassi is in the Sella post.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
The small Dantersasc wall sits 30 m above Rifugio Vicenza. theCrag says guide V. Schrott and the hut keepers rebolted it from summer 2013, and it's in the shade most of the day. Reach it by chairlift from Monte Pana to Mont de Seura and about 60 minutes on foot.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zaramin | 5a | 5.7 | 25 m | Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza) | theCrag one star; a comment says it's harder than expected with some long run-outs |
| Nene | 5b | 5.8 | 18 m | Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza) | theCrag three stars |
| Dantersasc | 5c | 5.9 | 23 m | Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza) | theCrag three stars |
| Elke | 6a | 5.10a | 20 m | Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza) | theCrag |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vroni | 6a+ | 5.10b | 23 m | Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza) | theCrag |
| Karl | 6b | 5.10c | 18 m | Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza) | theCrag |
| Otto | 6c | 5.11a/b | 23 m | Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza) | theCrag |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
Not listed in the sources. theCrag's Sassolungo southeast face has sport routes up to 7a+, concentrated at the small L Parëí area by Rifugio Toni Demetz, but no verifiable route names turned up.
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
Not listed in the sources.
Trad and multi-pitch (UIAA grades)
All of these need a trad rack, and belays and descents are mostly your own judgement. The grade column is the hardest pitch or the overall grade.
| Route | Original grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Face | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daumenkante (thumb ridge) | IV- | 5.4 | about 2 h to the thumb | Cinque Dita, thumb | SummitPost: start of the Cinque Dita traverse, bolted belays, very popular; Planetmountain mentions queues in summer |
| Normal route | III+ | 5.3 | about 3 h | Cinque Dita | SummitPost: from the Forcella, some bolted belays, often very crowded; first climbed 1891 |
| Cinque Dita traverse (NE-SW Traverse) | IV | 5.4 | 610 m, 15 pitches | Cinque Dita | theCrag two stars; thumb ridge, three abseils, then index and middle fingers |
| Schmittkamin | IV+ | 5.5 | about 3 h | Cinque Dita | SummitPost: the 1890 first-ascent route, chimney usually wet, watch for rockfall from above |
| Diagonalriß | V- | 5.6 | about 4 h | Cinque Dita | SummitPost: "one of the big, classic climbs of the dolomites", 1912 |
| Zanardi/Landi | VI- | 5.8 | about 3 h | Cinque Dita, ring finger S ridge | SummitPost; 1935 |
| Via Dimai | IV- | 5.4 | about 500 m, 13 pitches | Punta Grohmann S face | Scuola Guido Della Torre: AD+, 5–6 h, 4 h descent with about 6 abseils; cemented rings on the first pitches, then belays to back up; first climbed 1908 |
| Normal route | III | 5.3 | about 1,300 m of ascent | Sassolungo SW face | theCrag: ridge II, summit III; Fassa Guide gives III+; Ramella (1984) gives AD, hardest III-, 6–7 abseils on descent |
| Rampenführe | IV- | 5.4 | 1,000 m, 17 pitches | Sassolungo SE face | theCrag; first climbed 1907, passes above the carved wooden Madonna on the east side |
| Pichl (north face) | IV | 5.4 | about 1,000 m, 27 pitches | Sassolungo N face | theCrag three stars; Outdooractive gives 1,300 m of climbing, 7 h up plus 3 h down; Ramella has one move of V-; first climbed 1918 by Eduard Pichl and partner |
Where to look things up
- theCrag: Sassolungo: routes and pitch grades on each face of the main peak and on Cinque Dita, Punta Grohmann and other sub-areas.
- SummitPost: Punta delle Cinque Dita: grades, times and first ascents of the Cinque Dita routes.
- Outdooractive: The "Pichl": AVS Schlern's route description, approach and descent times.
- Sergio Ramella's route descriptions: pitch-by-pitch notes on the normal route and the Pichl (Italian; the normal route write-up dates from 1984, so check current glacier and snow conditions).
- südtirolmobil timetables: current PDF for line 471.
- sassolungo.bz: operating hours of the Forcella Sassolungo lift.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Climbing in Val Gardena - Dolomites (Mauro Bernardi; Athesia; 2016; English): 70 selected alpine multi-pitch routes around Val Gardena, including Sassolungo, Sella, Odle, Puez and Marmolada (Mountain Project listing). The Val Gardena tourist board recommends it, ISBN 8868392259. De Giuli calls the Pichl topo in Bernardi's guide "very good".
- Klettern in Gröden und Umgebung - Band 1 (Mauro Bernardi; Athesia Tappeiner; 6th edition 2019; German; 240 pages): classic and lesser-known Val Gardena routes the author has climbed many times.
- Klettern in Gröden & Umgebung - Band 3 (Mauro Bernardi; Athesia Tappeiner; 2015; German; 272 pages): 111 routes, over 60 of them new or re-equipped.
- Rockfax's The Dolomites: Rock Climbs and Via Ferrata (2019) doesn't list the Sassolungo main peak in its chapters, only Città dei Sassi in the Sella Pass chapter (Rockfax).
References
- Val Gardena tourist board: The valley's symbol: Val Gardena's mountain
- UKC Logbook: Sassolungo Group
- UKC: Destination Guide: The Dolomites (James Rushforth, 2010)
- theCrag: Sassolungo
- theCrag: Pichl-Route
- theCrag: Southeast Face
- theCrag: Cinque Dita
- theCrag: Dantersasc (Rifugio Vicenza)
- SummitPost: Pizes di Cin Dëic / Fünffingerspitze / Punta delle Cinque Dita
- Outdooractive (AVS Sektion Schlern): The "Pichl", 1000 m north face on Langkofel
- Südtirol Alpin: Langkofel – Pichl
- Alberto De Giuli: Climbing the Pichl route on the North Face of Sassolungo (2018)
- Sergio Ramella: Relazione via normale al Sassolungo (in Italian)
- Sergio Ramella: Relazione via Pichl al Sassolungo (in Italian)
- Fassa Guide: Sassolungo Normal Route
- Scuola Guido Della Torre: Punta Grohmann, parete sud - via Dimai (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Punta delle Cinque Dita, Sassolungo, Dolomiti (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Punta Grohmann, Sassolungo, Dolomiti (in Italian)
- dolomiti.it: Sassolungo Group
- südtirolmobil: Timetables
- südtirolmobil: Line 471 timetable (PDF)
- fahrplan.it: 471 Val Gardena - Passo Sella - Passo Pordoi
- Val Gardena tourist board: The Coffin Lift in the Dolomites
- sassolungo.bz: Timetables and prices
- Val di Fassa tourist board: Impianti aperti (in Italian)
- val-gardena.net: La limitazione del traffico al Passo Gardena (in Italian)
- Bergrettung Südtirol: Raising the alarm
- CNSAS Alto Adige: Safety
- Mountain Project: Climbing in Val Gardena - Dolomites
- Val Gardena tourist board: Sport Climbing in Val Gardena
- Athesia Tappeiner: Klettern in Gröden und Umgebung - Band 1 (in German)
- Athesia Tappeiner: Klettern in Gröden & Umgebung - Band 3 (in German)
- Rockfax: The Dolomites: Rock Climbs and Via Ferrata