The Trentino Dolomites and mountaineering.

The Trentino Dolomites and mountaineering. The magical dolomitic world originates from the sea: the fossils found here bear testimony to this. The landscape of the Dolomites is gentle, as are the wooded valleys and the lush, green meadows from where the imposing dolomitic towers arise. It is a landscape conducive to fantasizing: the kingdom of elves and pixies…….. The undescribable colours that tinge the mountains in the morning light can only enhance this enchanted world and render it even more fantastic. It is in this awesome setting that in the second half of the 18th century, an English man named John Ball, conquered the Dolomites with the ascent of the Pelmo. However, interest in mountaineering began long before in the Western Alps and in 1760 Mount Blanc was conquered: this bought mountaineering into a league of its own. The first ascent of the Dolomites is reported to being of the Marmolada by a group of priests in 1802, although there is no written documentation with regards to this. However, mountaineering in the Dolomites became very popular towards the mid 18th century. The alpine folk went into the mountains for various reasons: hunting, wood cutting and farming. These activities did not involve the climbing of mountain peaks which were looked upon, by the local folks as ,sacred, inaccessible places. Francis Fox Tuckett and Leslie Stephen were two English gentlemen, pioneers in mountaineering, who dedicated their time and energy to the exploration of the Trentino Dolomites, including the Brenta Dolomites. German, Austrian and Italian mountaineers soon followed in the discovery and conquest of the untouched peaks. From then on the Dolomites have been a much sought after terrain for some of the best Italian and European climbers: Messner, Cassin, Detassis, Maestri, Comici, Bonatti, Tito Piaz are just a few and all have left their mark on the Dolomites. Even nowadays, the “ pale mountains” attract millions of mountaineers from all over the world, some are content to repeat the routes opened by famous climbers of the past, others endeavour to open new ones. The Dolomites offer a truly spectacular stage on which to play and the less harsh climate, according to Motti, make them a Paradise for mountaineers:
“For mountaineers, there is no place on earth more beautiful to play in.................In the Dolomites the paths are never too long or too tiring. One often walks through luscious woods or on a soft grassy carpet. The ascent achieves the aesthetic perfection of a dance.” (Gian Piero Motti, Storia dell’Alpinismo, CDA Vivaldi editori): A short chronicle of the conquest of the major Dolomitic peaks in Trentino.

1852 PALON DEL LATEMAR (Latemar, 2812 m.) Grabmair. 1864: PUNTA PENIA (Marmolada, 3343 m.) Paul Grohmann with A. Dimai and F. Dimai.
1865: CIMA TOSA (Dolomiti di Brenta, 3173 m.) Giuseppe Loss and companions.
1869: SASSO LUNGO (Sasso Lungo, 3181 m.) Paul Grohmann with P. Salcher and F. Innerkofler .
1870: CIMON DELLA PALA (Pale di San Martino, 3185 m.) E.R. Whitwell with C. Lauener and S. Siorpaes.
1872: CATINACCIO D’ANTERMOIA (Catinaccio, 3002 m.) C.Comyns Tucker and T.H. Carson with A. Bernard.
1872: CIMA DI VEZZANA (Pale di San Martino, 3192 m.) D. H. Freshfield and C.C. Tucker.
1874: CATINACCIO (Catinaccio, 2981 m.) C.Comyns Tucker and T.H. Carson with F. Devouassoud.
1875: SASS MAOR (Pale di San Martino, 2812 m.) H.A. Beachcroft, C.Comyns Tucker with F. Devouassoud and B. Della Santa.
1882: CIMA BRENTA (Dolomiti di Brenta, 3150 m.) E.T. Compton and A. de Falkner with A. Dallagiacoma and M. Nicolussi.
1884: CROZZON DI BRENTA (Dolomiti di Brenta, 3123 m.) Karl schulz and M. Nicolussi.
1885: CAMPANILE ALTO DI BRENTA (Dolomiti di Brenta, 2938 m.) G. Merzbacher with B. Nicolussi.
1887: TORRE WINKLER (Catinaccio, Torri del Vajlet, 2800 m.) Georg Winkler.
1888: TORRE INNERKOFLER (Sasso Lungo, 3081 m.): L. Darmstadter, H. Stabeler, L. Bernard.
1890: Punta delle Cinque Dita (Sasso Lungo, 2996 m.) J. Santler, R. H. Schmitt.
1895: TORRE DELAGO (Catinaccio, Torri del Vajolet,2790 m.) Hermann Delago.
1899: CAMPANILE BASSO (Dolomiti di Brenta, 2877 m.) Otto Ampferer e K. Berger.