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Mountaineering / Summits in Cortina d'Ampezzo
The queen of the Dolomites and a 2026 Olympic host, gateway to Dolomiti Superski: twelve valleys, 1,200 kilometers of pistes, and the pink alpenglow of UNESCO peaks.
Why here
The via ferrata was born in the Dolomites, and most of Cortina's iron paths follow the First World War front lines that created them: the Lagazuoi tunnels, the Tofane traverses, routes where the history is bolted into the rock. No Dolomites town has more ferratas on its surrounding peaks, from the classic Punta Anna to the Giovanni Lipella finishing on 3,244-meter Tofana di Rozes, and the rifugio network makes hut-to-hut ferrata journeys possible in a way that exists almost nowhere else. Cortina's own guide group, part of the historic Italian guiding tradition, supplies IFMGA-certified leadership and the kits.
Best months
Mid-June through September; snow holds on the high routes into early summer. Guides provide ferrata kits and adjust routes to weather. The Cinque Torri and Lagazuoi open-air war museums fill the rest days.
Getting there & around
Same access as the ski season: Venice (VCE) plus a two-hour bus. Book guides two to eight weeks ahead for July and August.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Guide Alpine Cortina
GuideThe Gruppo Guide Alpine Cortina is the guides' group of Cortina d'Ampezzo, running the town's Scuola d'Alpinismo under the IFMGA mark. It guides via ferrata, climbing, trekking, and summit routes in the Ampezzo Dolomites and publishes the current condition of Cortina's via ferratas on its site. The group has long worked the walls above town, including the Tofane and Lagazuoi.
Guide Dolomiti
GuideGuide Dolomiti is the practice of a local alpine guide born and raised in the Dolomites, working out of Cortina d'Ampezzo under the IFMGA mark. He takes clients on demanding ascensions and quiet excursions in summer and winter: via ferrata, classic climbing routes, trekking, and snowshoe outings. The site also carries an extensive blog on Dolomites alpinism.
Also good for mountaineering / summits in September:
Torn between Cortina d'Ampezzo and Zermatt for September?
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