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recommended route
Snowshoes
· San Martino di Castrozza,Primiero,Vanoi
Pale dei Balconi and La Fradusta from the upper station of the Funivia Rosetta
Little Fish Trek
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Departure with Rifugio Rosetta more or less in the center of the photo.Photo: Mario Briotto, Little Fish Trek
Pale di San Martino: from the upper station of the Funivia Rosetta "triangle snowshoeing" on the Pale di San Martino Plateau passing through Pale dei Balconi and Cima della Fradusta.
Snowshoeing aimed at reaching the two eastern extremes of the Pale di San Martino Plateau, namely the Pale dei Balconi toward the northeast and the classic Cima della Fradusta to the southeast.
Starting from the western edge (Funivia della Rosetta), it results in a triangle that circles the plateau.
Among the vertices of this triangle there are infinite route combinations, with the only limit being the available time based on your strength and… the cable car closing time.
In fact, you also need to consider the cable car opening time, because today it started running half an hour later than the official time due to wind problems at high altitude.
Therefore – having planned a rough itinerary – you then need to be flexible in execution.
GOOD visibility is MANDATORY: technically everything is easy, but with poor visibility it can become VERY VERY complicated amid typical labyrinthine ups and downs.
The only short challenging section of a few dozen meters is on the Fradusta ridge from the arrival point on the ridge to the summit marker: between these two points there is effectively no difference in altitude (nor panorama) and stopping a few dozen meters earlier does not change the final satisfaction of the circuit.
Author’s recommendation
Some photos are in vertical or panoramic format and do not display well in previews: switch to full format viewing for a more complete idea of the excursion environment.
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For another nice snowshoeing route on the Pale di San Martino Plateau see link → Cima della Fradusta - Cima delle Scarpe - Cima di Roda - Cima della Rosetta.
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For a complete overview of routes traveled and described in the Pale di San Martino and San Lucano, you can refer to the link → Pale di San Martino: hikes, climbing trails, snowshoeing.
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Rest stops
Rifugio RosettaSafety information
This snowshoe excursion – given the development and exposures of the route – requires careful assessment of the snow cover risk level for the chosen day.
It is advisable to consider the following:
- "Memorize" the avalanche and snow bulletin.
- In my opinion it is not enough to look at it the day before, but you should check it every day throughout the winter season to fully understand the evolution of the snow cover.
- At least one experienced person in the group who also knows the type of ground under the snow to better judge local situations.
- Provided that a book can never replace a professionally held course, my favorite on snow-avalanche topics is: "NEVE Compendium of Nivology" by Renato Cresta – Mulatero publisher.
- Excellent for risk reduction evaluation techniques is: "VALANGHE – How to reduce the risk" by Philippe Descamps and Olivier Moret – VERSANTE SUD EDITIONS.
- I report from another book a sentence that must always be memorized: "Often casual events are attributed to skill; snow is stable 95 percent of the time, but we confuse the absence of avalanches with our ability to make good decisions".
- Snowshoes and skis are "two different worlds": do not blindly follow previous ski tracks.
Bring all the necessary equipment.
Tips and suggestions
The recommended period indicated is from December to April, but you need to check each year the exact opening period of the ski lifts of San Martino di Castrozza, which never covers the first part of December and the second part of April.
Roadbook
Premise
This route was traveled on March 16, 2019, and all subsequent observations and considerations can fully apply only to that day.
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Route of this version of the Pale di San Martino Plateau circuit
Usual short descent from the cable car to Rifugio Rosetta and then easy snowshoeing on the CAI 707 route more or less up to the junction with CAI 709.
From here, contrary to those who head directly toward La Fradusta, continue left on CAI 707 always adapting the line according to the snow conditions: this is the Riviera di Manna area.
You reach the junction with CAI 776 which goes towards Campo Boaro descending into Val di Gares: if you follow this direction, before starting the decisive descent from the plateau, you pass just below the elevations of the Pale dei Balconi (coming from the plateau all elevations are a few meters of difference in height compared to the snowshoeing plane).
Today I did not follow CAI 776 going out, but went beyond the previous junction to cut a little farther ahead and pass near the upper edge of Tromba del Miel (always at a respectful distance from the avalanche fall point).
With a last series of ups and downs you reach the summit cairn of the northeasternmost elevation of the Pale dei Balconi.
From Pale dei Balconi I returned following a stretch of CAI 776 and then pointed almost straight towards the very obvious base of the final ridge leading to Cima della Fradusta.
From Fradusta I returned following "almost" always the more frequently used normal route.
Hochebene La Rosetta
Cima di Fradusta
Rifugio Rosetta
Rifugio Rosetta
Public transport
Public-transport-friendly
Directions
You have to go to San Martino di Castrozza up to the gondola of the Colverde Ski Area to take the Funivia Rosetta and then to its upper station.
Parking
Parking of the Colverde Ski Area at San Martino di Castrozza.
Coordinates
Book recommendation by the author
"Freeride Ski Touring and Snowshoeing in the PALE DI SAN MARTINO"
by F. Vascellari - A. Cagnati - I. De Biasio - D. Favero - T. Forin
VIVIDOLOMITI EDITIONS – MOUNTAIN GEOGRAPHIC SERIES
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"NEVE Compendium of Nivology" (Snow formation and evolution. Avalanche environment and dynamics. Prevention and rescue.)
by Renato Cresta
Mulatero publisher – SPECIALIST SERIES
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"VALANGHE – How to reduce the risk"
by Philippe Descamps and Olivier Moret
VERSANTE SUD EDITIONS
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"KNOWING AND INTERPRETING AVALANCHE TERRAIN" (STAYING ALIVE IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN)
by Bruce Tremper
Mulatero publisher – SPECIALIST SERIES
Author’s map recommendations
Publisher TABACCO number 022 "Pale di San Martino" 1:25,000
Publisher 4LAND number 154 "PALE DI SAN MARTINO - PRIMIERO - VANOI" 1:25,000
KOMPASS number 622 "Pale di San Martino - Primiero San Martino di Castrozza, Paneveggio, Valle del Vanoi" 1:25,000
Equipment
Normal equipment for snowshoe excursions plus all safety devices required by current regulations.
Localization
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
User Questions