Jôf di Montasio

Jôf di Montasio, 2,755 metres, is the second-highest peak of the Julian Alps and the highest lying wholly within Italy, rising in the Friulian mountains close to the Slovenian and Austrian borders. Its broad grey limestone bulk overlooks the Montasio plateau, famous for its cheese of the same name.

The mountain offers a wilder, quieter alternative to the crowded Dolomites, with big faces, karst terrain and a small pocket glacier on its northern flank, among the lowest-lying glaciers in the Alps. Its remote setting has long appealed to mountaineers from Trieste and Udine.

Ascent options centre on via ferrata. The Via Ferrata Anita Goitan traverses the ridge in a long, serious protected route, while the Via Ferrata Amalia gives a more direct line to the summit; both require a full ferrata kit, stamina and steadiness on exposed cabled ground. Rock routes on the imposing north face reach higher grades on typically solid limestone. Rockfall and rapid weather changes are the main risks, so an early start and a helmet are advised.

The Rifugio Giacomo di Brazzà on the Montasio plateau is the standard base, reached by a panoramic road from Sella Nevea. The dependable season is July to September, once the ferratas are clear of snow. Sella Nevea and Chiusaforte are the valley approaches, with guides available in the region. Views reach across the Julian Alps to Triglav and Mangart and, on clear days, southward to the shimmering Adriatic, making the effort of the ascent well rewarded.