SELLA ROCK

The Sella group is simply enormous, with hundreds of itineraries. Over the years many routes were opened, a few of which have been forgotten or covered by new lines which brush against, cross over or include the previous. More than one modern route has cancelled remains of old historical lines, mainly unrepeated and which have been completely forgotten.

A complete monography could be written about the famous Towers and Piz Ciavazes, but the Sella Group is not only Piz Ciavazes, and the immense Sass Pordoi rock face is there to remind us of that; then all you have to do is turn the corner of Passo Sella to find yourself standing in front of the shady walls of the north face, passing under the imposing sport crags of Cansla, and fearfully looking at the Mesule walls, a strictly no bolt area par excellence. Further ahead the Frea crag with its multipitch routes takes us back to a more relaxing atmosphere but the rock faces of Sass dla Luesa take us back to the more classic type of alpinism. Shortly after the immense rock face of Pisciadù stands high and from Torre Brunico the classic and sport route of great class can be tackled. At Colfosco the Faccia oscura della luna offers 15 sports routes set up by the never tiring Roly Galvagni, while the last corner left of this rocky paradise described in this guide book deals with the rock faces surrounding Vallon, near Rifugio Kostner.

Our attention has gone towards the more interesting routes giving more detail to the description of the route rather than the number of routes presented. Obviously we did not repeat all the routes but we made the most of first hand descriptions given to us by the route openers or those climbers who repeated the routes, hoping to supply a product which is as precise as possible.

Alessio Conz. Started climbing and skimountaineering during the 80’s and climbed regularly in the Dolomites for fifteen years. Later on he favoured sports climbing. In 2010 he became Mountain Guide and created the Lagorai Avventura – outdoor offers in Valsugana and Lagorai. As well as proposing tourist activities and carrying out rope work at height he also publishes books and articles.

Renato Bernard. Born and bred in Campitello di Fassa in the Dolomites, he has a diploma in physical education. He is a ski instructor and coach, Mountain Guide and Instructor of Mountain Guides. At the beginning of the year 2000 he joined the group of teachers at Tione’s high school as director of the mountain sector as well as teaching at the ski instructor freeride courses. His mountaineering and professional cv consists of thousands of ascents and repetitions in the Dolomites and the Alps, in Europe and all over the world. He has taken part in various extra European expeditions. He currently works as a Mountain Guide and is director of the Mountain Guide courses in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.