La Gusella, Mountain summit in Province of Belluno, Italy
Ra Gusela, also called Monte Gusela or Gusela del Nuvolau, is a 2,595 m summit in the Ampezzo Dolomites north of Passo di Giau. It is the southernmost and easternmost rise of the Nuvolaukamm ridge, built of Middle to Upper Triassic Cassian Dolomite. Its south and east faces drop several hundred metres vertically toward the pass, while the gentler north side descends toward Cinque Torri.
The area saw intense fighting between Italian and Austrian troops during World War I in mountain warfare campaigns. Trenches and fortifications from that period remain visible in the landscape today.
The mountain appears as Ra Gusela in Ladin and Monte Gusela or Gusela del Nuvolau in Italian; the German name is La Gusela. It marks the southern and eastern end of the Nuvolau ridge above the Passo di Giau. The Rifugio Nuvolau (2574 m) stands on the neighbouring Monte Nuvolau to the northwest, and the west ridge links the two summits.
Multiple hiking trails reach the summit from Passo Giau, with some equipped with steel cables and climbing aids. Visitors should exercise caution in poor weather as the peak quickly becomes shrouded in clouds and strong winds.
The south face was first climbed in 1899 by the Ampezzo guides Angelo Maioni and Angelo Gaspari with the Schmitt siblings. The easiest route reaches the summit from the neighbouring Monte Nuvolau in about 30 minutes on foot.
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