🌏 中文版
Tofana di Rozes is the southernmost peak of the Tofane group west of Cortina d'Ampezzo, at 3,225 m (SummitPost). Drive from Cortina toward Passo Falzarego and the huge red-and-yellow wall on your right is its south face; SummitPost describes it as almost 1,000 m high and made of "eight distinct pillars". Cinque Torri, on the same road, is short multi-pitch; here a route takes the whole day.
This post covers the decisions to make before going: which edge or pillar fits your level, when to go, how to reach the foot of the wall, how to get down afterwards, and where the October 2026 rockfall closure applies. For seasons and regions across Italy, see the series overview.
What kind of crag is it
One huge south face. SummitPost splits it in two. The western part is the broad main wall, with long routes of 800 to 1,150 m, from Bonatti's Via della Tridentina (1952) to the Dimai-Eötvös (1901). The eastern part has three great pillars, from west to east the Terzo (third) pillar, the Pilastro (second pillar, Pilastro di Rozes) and the Primo (first) pillar, with routes of 380 to 630 m.
Rock. The Tofane are Upper Triassic Main Dolomite (Dolomia Principale, SummitPost). The lower Pilastro is cracks in grey rock; the upper part is a yellow overhanging wall with two roofs (Planetmountain).
How many routes. There is no single total. SummitPost's south-face list has around twenty, and the Tofane category of the Planetmountain route database has a dozen or so (checked October 2026). Classics use UIAA grades; modern bolted routes from the 1990s on use French grades.
Who it suits. For the famous Costantini-Apollonio, winterclimb says you must be comfortable on "grade VI+ Trad climbing in limestone". A gentler option is the Primo Spigolo (about 400 m, hardest V+), which REDclimber calls probably the easiest and shortest of the three edges. If you have not done long Dolomite routes yet, practise route-finding and rappelling first at Cinque Torri or on the south side of the Tre Cime.
When to go
Summer. Scuola Guido Della Torre gives "estate" (summer) as the recommended season for the Terzo Spigolo, facing south-west. REDclimber climbed the Primo Spigolo at the end of September.
A sunny face with wet sections. The face looks south to south-west (Planetmountain gives south-west for the Costantini-Apollonio). The "schiena di mulo" (mule's back) high on the Pilastro is often wet and is one of the cruxes (Planetmountain); winterclimb also says the overhanging chimney on pitch 12 is "very endurance and quite often wet".
Snow on the north side. SummitPost says snow lingers on the north-east normal route (the side you walk down) into full summer; Della Torre also warns of snow on the descent.
Allow plenty of time. winterclimb gives 8–10 hours for the Costantini-Apollonio; Della Torre gives 8–10 hours up the Terzo Spigolo, an hour of descent, then another 45 minutes back to the car.
Getting there
| Public transport | Driving | |
|---|---|---|
| To Cortina | Dolomiti Bus line 30 (Calalzo–Cortina) | — |
| Below the wall | Dolomiti Bus line 52 (Cortina–Passo Falzarego) has a request stop called Sotto Rozes | SR48 toward Passo Falzarego; past Pocol turn right onto the narrow road to Rifugio Dibona |
| To the wall | 30–45 minutes on foot from Rifugio Dibona | Same |
Public transport
Dolomiti Bus line 52 (Cortina–Passo Falzarego) ran 5 times a day from 10 September to 4 October 2026, leaving Cortina Scuole at 08:00, 10:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00 and reaching Pocol in 15 minutes. Its list of request stops includes "Sotto Rozes"; the timetable does not say which junction it is, and we could not find how far it is from Rifugio Dibona. Line 52 is a seasonal line, and the 2026 summer timetable ended on 4 October (checked October 2026). The last bus back leaves Passo Falzarego at 18:20, hard to catch after a long route.
Driving
From Cortina take the SR48 toward Passo Falzarego. Past Pocol and a few hairpins, a signposted narrow road turns off on the right to Rifugio Dibona (Planetmountain); SummitPost puts the turn about 6 km west of Cortina, just after Pocol. REDclimber says the last stretch is unpaved.
Parking
There is a large car park by Rifugio Dibona at 2,083 m (REDclimber).
To the wall. Planetmountain gives about half an hour from Rifugio Dibona to the foot of the Pilastro. For the Primo Spigolo, follow the track toward Rifugio Giussani, turn left at the start of the cableway onto the path to the Ferrata Lipella, then path 404 across the scree, about 45 minutes (REDclimber); the Terzo Spigolo is also about 45 minutes (Della Torre).
Rules to know before you go
The October 2026 rockfall and closure. On the afternoon of 4 October 2026 a large rockfall came off the north face of Tofana di Dentro (the northern peak of the Tofane) and reached Val Travenanzes to the west (Montagna.tv). The same day the mayor of Cortina issued order no. 171, closing with immediate effect "sentiero numero 401 Val Travenanzes", the Cengia Paolina area and their access routes "sino a cessata esigenza" (until no longer needed) (Dolomiti d'Ampezzo Nature Park notice). When checked on 19 October 2026 the Cortina municipality homepage still carried the closure notice, with no reopening.
The closed area is the valley on the west side of the Tofane, not the approach from Rifugio Dibona to the south face. What it does affect is the circuit of Tofana di Rozes that SummitPost describes, which drops into Val Travenanzes. Check the municipality homepage for updates before you go.
The descent is where things go wrong. Most south-face routes finish by walking off the back; there is no rappel line straight back to the start. Planetmountain says that after the Costantini-Apollonio you traverse a ledge toward the big Punta Marietta spur, cross exposed ground and descend to Rifugio Giussani. winterclimb warns of "a hundred false trails" leading to cliffs: you must first go up over a col and follow the painted dots toward Rifugio Giussani. Della Torre says the Terzo Spigolo descent has several variants on easy but "infido" (treacherous) ground, and asks you not to knock stones onto people below. SummitPost notes that after the 2011 landslide the descents from the pillar routes changed to two new lines, so take care with old descriptions.
Bailing out. On the Costantini-Apollonio you can retreat from the first big ledge by traversing right and rappelling the gully between the Pilastro and the Primo Spigolo (Planetmountain).
Protection and gear. Planetmountain says the Costantini-Apollonio "è chiodata" and needs a normal rack; winterclimb adds 8 quickdraws, a set of nuts and mid-size cams. For the Terzo Spigolo bring nuts and cams; a hammer and pitons are not essential but useful for re-driving loose pitons and backing up belays (Della Torre). Belays on the Primo Spigolo are mostly two bolts (REDclimber).
Rescue and cost. Italy's emergency number is 112 (CNSAS). The Tofana is in Veneto; under DGR 1411/2011, when a climbing accident needs a helicopter or a mountain rescue team, the injured person pays a share according to the regional tariff, even if admitted to hospital. Buy insurance that covers helicopter rescue before you go.
Registration and fees. None of the sources mention climbing registration or an access fee.
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.
The French-graded routes are the modern lines in Planetmountain's database, concentrated on the Primo Spigolo and the wall left of the Pilastro; the list page only says "multi-pitch" for length. Classic routes have UIAA grades only and go in the trad table at the end.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
The sources list no French-graded routes in this band. The easiest lines are the Via Mirka (hardest IV) and the Dimai-Eötvös (hardest V) in the trad table, but both are over 850 m long.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed by the sources | — | — | — | — | See the trad table |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspettando la vetta | 6c | 5.11a/b | multi-pitch | Primo Spigolo | Planetmountain route list: modern but not very hard; exit shared with the classic Primo Spigolo |
| Il vecchio leone e la giovane fifona | 6c | 5.11a/b | multi-pitch | Primo Spigolo | Planetmountain route list: by Massimo Da Pozzo; joins Aspettando la vetta at the big ledge about 100–150 m below the top |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La danza del tapiro | 7a+ | 5.12a | multi-pitch | Wall above the Grotta della Tofana | Planetmountain route list: excellent rock, sustained; "forse la via più abbordabile" (probably the most approachable of Da Pozzo's modern routes) |
| Mai molar | 7a+ | 5.12a | multi-pitch | Tofana di Rozes south face | Planetmountain route list: bolted ground-up with a drill, 10 mm bolts; bring longish quickdraws and a few small and medium cams |
| Compagni di merenda | 7b | 5.12b | 350 m | Left of the Pilastro | Planetmountain route list: compact water-worn rock, crux on pitches 4 and 5; SummitPost gives ED+, 7b obligatory |
| Goodbye 1999 | 7b | 5.12b | multi-pitch | Left of the Pilastro | Planetmountain route list: same wall as Compagni di merenda, sustained throughout |
| Il mio criceto | 7b | 5.12b | multi-pitch | Primo Spigolo | Planetmountain route list: opened by Koren and Vidmar in 2011, about 10 m from Aspettando la vetta |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
The sources list no French-graded routes in this band. The hardest, Never give up, is graded UIAA VIII+/IX-; see the trad table.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not listed by the sources | — | — | — | — | See the trad table |
Trad and multi-pitch (UIAA grades)
| Route | Original grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Wall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Via Mirka | IV | 5.4 | 850 m | South-west spur | SummitPost: D-, first ascent 1964 |
| SSW edge (Dibona) | IV | 5.4 | 850 m | South face | SummitPost: D, first ascent 1930 by Angelo Dibona and partners |
| Dimai-Eötvös | V | 5.6 | 1,150 m | Main south wall | SummitPost: D+, first ascent 1901; SummitPost quotes it as the "most rewarding" route on the face for a non-extreme climber |
| Primo Spigolo (Pompanin-Alverà) | V+ | 5.7 | 380 m (SummitPost) / 400 m, 11 pitches (REDclimber) | Primo pillar | First ascent 1946; REDclimber gives D+; mostly around IV |
| Terzo Spigolo (Alverà-Pompanin) | V+ (Della Torre) / IV, V (SummitPost) | 5.7 | about 830 m, 23 pitches (Della Torre) / 600 m (SummitPost) | Terzo pillar | Della Torre: 8–10 hours up; SummitPost calls it quiet and the most "old fashion" |
| Costantini-Ghedina | VI- | 5.8 | 630 m | Left edge of the Pilastro | SummitPost: mostly IV+, with one V+ and one VI- pitch; first ascent 1946 |
| Via della Tridentina | VI | 5.9 | 850 m | South-west spur | SummitPost: the only route Walter Bonatti opened in the Dolomites (1952) |
| Direttissima Stösser | VI | 5.9 | 850 m | Main south wall | SummitPost: 1929, one of the first grade VI routes in the Dolomites |
| Costantini-Apollonio | VII (Planetmountain) / VII+ (winterclimb) | 5.10c | 500 m (Planetmountain) / about 580 m, 23 pitches (winterclimb) | Pilastro south-west face | Planetmountain: obligatory V+ A2, the face's most famous and most repeated route; first ascent 1944; winterclimb: the VII+ roof can be aided |
| Leviti | VII- | 5.10b | 500 m | Pilastro south-west face | Planetmountain gives 7-: similar commitment to the Costantini-Apollonio, which it joins higher up |
| Paolo VI | VI+ A2 | 5.10a | 600 m | Pilastro south face | SummitPost: ED-, opened by the Scoiattoli over 6 days in 1963 |
| Never give up | VIII+/IX- | 5.12a | 500 m | Pilastro south-west face | Planetmountain route list: opened ground-up by Slovenians Grmovšek and Krajnc in 2007 and freed that August, straight through the big roof |
Where to look things up
- Planetmountain: Tofane route database: grade, obligatory grade, approach and descent for each route (in Italian).
- SummitPost: Tofana di Rozes: the south-face route list from west to east (UIAA and overall grade, length, first ascent) and the descents used since the 2011 landslide.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- The Dolomites: Rock Climbs and Via Ferrata (James Rushforth, Rockfax, 2nd edition 2019, English): a selection for the whole Dolomites with a Tofana group chapter (Tofana di Rozes and the Ferrata Lipella). Rockfax lists it out of stock with a reprint due in autumn; the full book is on Rockfax Digital.
- No recent dedicated Tofana guidebook was found. Scuola Guido Della Torre's route page cites Cortina d'Ampezzo – le più belle arrampicate by Stefan Wagenhals and friends (Lobo Edition); we could not find the publisher page, so the edition is unknown.
- Cortina d'Ampezzo municipality, Dolomiti d'Ampezzo Nature Park: trail-closure orders and reopening notices.
- Dolomiti Bus seasonal lines: the current line 52 timetable PDF.
- Route write-ups by climbers and schools: REDclimber (Primo Spigolo), Scuola Guido Della Torre (Terzo Spigolo), winterclimb (Costantini-Apollonio): pitch-by-pitch notes and descent details.
References
- SummitPost: Tofana di Rozes
- Planetmountain: Costantini-Apollonio (in Italian)
- Planetmountain: Tofane route list (in Italian)
- winterclimb: Constantini-Apollonio - Tofana di Rozes
- REDclimber: Alverà-Pompanin, il Primo Spigolo della Tofana di Rozes (in Italian)
- Scuola Guido Della Torre: Tofana di Rozes, via Terzo Spigolo (in Italian)
- Montagna.tv: Enorme frana sulle Tofane, chiuso il sentiero della Val Travenanzes (in Italian)
- Dolomiti d'Ampezzo Nature Park: closure of trail 401 (Order no. 171/2026, in Italian)
- Comune di Cortina d'Ampezzo (in Italian)
- Dolomiti Bus: line 52 timetable (10 Sep–4 Oct 2026, PDF)
- Dolomiti Bus: seasonal lines 2026 (in Italian)
- Rockfax: The Dolomites: Rock Climbs and Via Ferrata
- CNSAS: Distress call
- Regione Veneto: DGR 1411/2011 Annex A (rescue cost-sharing, PDF, in Italian)