Tofana di Rozes

Tofana di Rozes, 3,225 metres, is the boldest of the three Tofane summits that rise west of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Its sheer south wall, a clean sweep of pale Dolomite limestone more than 800 metres high, dominates the approach to the Falzarego Pass and glows fiery orange at sunset.

The mountain is soaked in history from the First World War, when Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops fought across these ridges and tunnelled galleries straight through the rock. Several of those wartime passages survive and are now walked by visitors, giving the peak a rare blend of natural drama and human memory.

Two disciplines meet here. The Via Ferrata Giovanni Lipella threads the old military tunnels and cabled ledges to the summit, a long and strenuous protected route requiring a ferrata set, headlamp and a full day of effort. On the south face, rock climbers tackle classic multi-pitch lines such as the Costantini-Apollonio at grades from V upward on generally solid limestone, where afternoon storms and rockfall are the main dangers.

Base yourself at the Rifugio Dibona or Rifugio Giussani, both reachable by mountain road from Cortina, which also make fine viewpoints in their own right. The reliable season is June to September; the tunnels stay cold and icy into early summer, so gloves and a warm layer help even on hot days. Cortina offers guides and gear hire. The lifts around the Falzarego and the surrounding trails let non-climbers reach dramatic vantage points, and sunset light on the Rozes wall is a long-standing favourite of photographers gathered along the pass road.