Cinque Torri (sometimes named also ''Cinque Torri di Averau''; german: Fünf Türme) comprise a small rock formation belonging to
Nuvolao group in the
Dolomiti Ampezzane (part of the Eastern
Dolomites
The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...
) north-west of
San Vito di Cadore and south-west of
Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Description
Cinque Torri, as all the other mountains in the area, are made of
dolomite Dolomite may refer to:
*Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral
*Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock
*Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community
*Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
, with a particular pale grey colour. The group is formed by five towers (which give the name to the mountain) with a maximum elevation of 2,361 m (''Torre Grande'').
Every "tower" has its own name:
*''Torre Grande'', the highest one has three very appealing peaks for rock climbers: ''Cima Nord'', ''Cima Sud'' e ''Cima Ovest'';
*''Torre Seconda'', also named ''Torre del Barancio'' or ''Torre Romana'';
*''Terza Torre'', or ''Torre Latina'';
*''Quarta Torre'', formed by two blocks of rock with different height, respectively called then ''Torre Quarta Bassa'' and ''Torre Quarta Alta'';
*''Quinta Torre'', or ''Torre Inglese''.
They are located in the south-west area of the valley of Cortina d'Ampezzo, north of the
Averau mountain, of which Cinque Torri can be considered a part.
Summer and winter activities
In the Cinque Torri area there are the following
rifugi (
mountain hut
A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization ...
s):
*Rifugio Cinque Torri, m 2,137
*Rifugio Scoiattoli, m 2,255
During summer it is possible to make excursions in the woods and on paths, among which are the
Alta Via 1
Alta Via 1 is a 150-kilometre-long high-level public footpath which runs through the eastern Dolomites in Italy. It is also known as the Dolomite High Route 1. It passes through some of the finest scenery in the Dolomites. The path runs south from ...
of the
Dolomites
The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...
, the "Muraglia di Giau" (along the border between
comuni
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
of
Cortina and
San Vito di Cadore, with itineraries toward Nuvolau e il
Passo Giau, and the historical path in the trenches of the
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
The towers also provide good and popular
rock climbing with various routes at a range of grades up all of the towers.
In winter, Cinque Torri belong to an important ski area, whose tracks are part of the wider
Dolomiti Superski
The Dolomiti Superski is a ski area in Italy. Created in 1974, it is spread over an area of about 3,000 km2 in the Triveneto region of Italy, and includes most of the winter ski slopes of the Dolomites. Comprising 12 ski resorts and a total o ...
area. They are thus linked to the nearby mountains
Lagazuoi and
Col Gallina. Until a few years ago it was possible to ski only towards Lagazuoi - Col Gallina - Cinque Torri, but beginning in the winter season of 2008–2009, it has been also possible to ski downhill from the Cinque Torri area to the higher area of
Falzarego Pass by means of the "Croda Negra" lift and the corresponding track beyond Averau mountain.
History
This area was theater of conflict between
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
and
Austro-Hungarian troops during World War I; countless testimonies of the fighting and of the war shelters built by the Italian army are present and have been recently rebuilt, to create an open-air museum with historical itineraries.
References
*AA. VV.: ''Grande atlante escursionistico delle Dolomiti'', Kompass - Fleischmann editori, Trento, 2004.
*Ardito, Stefano: ''A piedi sulle Dolomiti di Cortina'', Iter edizioni, 2001.
*Dibona, Dino: ''Tutto quello che vorreste (e dovreste) sapere sulle Dolomiti'', Newton & Compton editori, 2005.
External links
dolomiti.org* Photo 360°
guidedolomiti.com
Cimbing on Cinque Torri
See also
*Dolomites
The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form pa ...
* Cortina d'Ampezzo
* Italian front (World War I)
* Nuvolau
{{Authority control
Mountains of the Alps
Mountains of Veneto
Dolomites
Geography of Cortina d'Ampezzo