Via ferrata Giovanni Lipella, Mountain climbing route on Tofana di Rozes in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Via Ferrata Giovanni Lipella is a climbing route on Tofana di Rozes in the Dolomites featuring steep rock faces with vertical passages and exposed sections. The path traverses across narrow ridges and passes through tunnels carved into the mountain before reaching the summit.
The route began as a way to access mining areas safely and later became established as a climbing path. During World War I, military forces carved tunnels and built structures into the mountain to move soldiers and hold strategic positions.
The route preserves the Italian mountaineering tradition of anchoring metal cables and fixed ladders into rock faces to make steep alpine climbing safer. Visitors can see this equipment today, allowing people to climb sections that would otherwise be impossible to traverse.
The full route takes around eight hours to complete and requires climbing gear, a helmet, and a headlamp for the dark tunnel sections. Visitors should arrive in good physical condition with alpine experience and avoid attempting the climb during poor weather or heavy snow.
The route passes through an old war tunnel blasted into the rock during World War I, known as the Castelletto gallery. This hidden piece of history still bears the marks and scratches left by soldiers who walked through this passage over a century ago.
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