Cimon della Pala

Cimon della Pala, 3,184 metres, is the elegant sentinel of the Pala group in the eastern Dolomites, rising above the resort of San Martino di Castrozza. Its slender, tilted summit earned it the nickname the Matterhorn of the Dolomites, and it is unmistakable from the Rolle Pass road.

The Pala group is the largest Dolomite massif, a high desert of pale rock plateaux ringed by sheer walls, and Cimon is its most photographed peak. First climbed in 1870 by the British pioneer Edward Whitwell with local guides, it has drawn alpinists for over a century and remains a coveted prize.

Reaching the top is a genuine alpine climb rather than a walk. The normal route from the Rosetta plateau involves grade II to III rock scrambling on exposed ledges with a short protected section, requiring rope, helmet and climbing experience; the classic north-east ridge and the harder faces run to grade IV and beyond on brittle limestone. Loose rock and fast-building afternoon thunderstorms are the main dangers, so parties start early and move efficiently.

A cable car and chairlifts from San Martino reach the Rosetta hut on the plateau, the usual base for an ascent and a fine viewpoint in itself. The season runs from July to September, when the rock is dry and the huts are open. San Martino di Castrozza is the valley resort, with guides available for the ascent. Even those not climbing to the summit can walk the lunar Rosetta plateau for close views of the spire and the surrounding Pala walls, one of the most atmospheric high plateaux in the Dolomites.