summits identifier pic

It has a quite simple structure, just as a big ridge oriented North-South, starting from Seiser Alm (alpe di Siusi)
and ending with the Passo di Costalunga (Carer Pass)

Highly frequented in summer (from people spending summer holidays in Val di Fassa) because of fine sceneries and sweet paths that cross it.
Little frequented by climbers, only on the Vajolet towers you can see a lot of climbers "on stage"
On the southern zone some ski areas.
Three "special" mountains call climbers here :
- Roda di Vael - with its big red wall you can see from Carer Pass
- Catinaccio east wall - with many fine routes (some very difficult)
- Torri del Vajolet - 3 pinnacles that are as known as the Lavaredo

Best way to amuse this group is getting it from Val di Fassa (TN), on the East side.
Gardeccia (route from Pera di Fassa) is the central point you can start from for all hikings and climbings.

This page is to be considered as a small "container" more info about the single summits are in the linked pages

Catinaccio - Rosengarten Group - panoramic from Sciliar (NW)

Catinaccio - Rosengarten Group seen from the north of the Pale di San Martino Group

Getting There

coming from Lombardia or Veneto the best route is the Brennero-Autoroute : get out in Ora (Auer) and with a wonderful run through the Val di Fiemme and val di Fassa you can reach the eastern side (the best and more confortable)
coming from Austria the best route is getting out from Brennero-Autoroute in Bolzano (Bozen) than, via Nova Levante, reach the Passo di Costalunga (with its wonderful lake) and the Val di Fassa

For the approach to the sub-group see sections

Antermoia (Kesselkogel)

This subgroup has the highest summit of the whole group : the Catinaccio di Antermoia (3002 m) Kesselkogel in which page you can find complete info about it.

Larsec

Antermoia pass (2710 m) divides this subgroup from Antermoia
Many summits and towers here, wild subgroup, rock not always fine, some good climbing route, in this group, even in summer you can find stillness :)
main summits :
- Cima Scalieret - 2890 m
- Torre Gardeccia
- Pala di Mezdì
- Gran Cront - 2778 m
- Punta Scalpello

Better huts for climbing here :
- Rif. Stella Alpina - 2010 m
- Gardeccia - 1940 m

Valbona - Vajolet

Just to the west of Antermoia, divided from it by a valley, the Cima Valbona is the main summit of this subgroup (2824 m)
On the NW edge of Valbona eastern summit (2705 m) the very fine Dulfer route (D sup)
At the southern limit this subgroup ends with the world-renowned Torri del Vaiolet

Better huts for climbing here :
- Rif. Re Alberto - under the Vajolet towers - 2620 m
- Rif. Vajolet - 2243 m
- Rif. Passo Principe - 2600 m

Catinaccio - Croda di Re Laurino (Rosengartenspitze)

Catinaccio (2981 m) is the most important mountain of the group, its name comes from the 2 big basins ("catini" in Italian) in the upper part of the east wall.
This wall , about 700 m drop, has many routes:
the most classic, important and climbed is the Steger route (TD - very elegant)
Many other routes get the southern basin with less difficulties, the most famous and sometimes climbed is the Kiene route (via della "cotoletta").
Some extreme routes, on the black wall, get the northern basin (the largest one).
At the northern limit of the east wall a big cylindrical tower, the Punta Emma, has two very fine and classic routes often climbed : the Piaz route (TD inf) and the Steger route (D sup).
On the west side Catinaccio has a shorter wall that ends into a large saddle that divides it from the Croda di Re Laurino (here the Passo Santner - 2741 m) ), here starts the normal route (2° degree UIAA - not for hikers)

Croda di Re Laurino (2813 m) rises for about 100 m over the Passo Santner and drops with a big wall on the other side (west) this is the wall that is famous for the "Enrosadira" (at sunset wall gets a brilliant red colour)

One very fine hiking turns round the Catinaccio subgroup :
starting from Gardeccia - passo Coronelle - passo Santner - Vajolet valley to come back to Gardeccia - it takes few hours and has only one point that can require attention if some snow or ice is still there (fixed ropes).

Better huts for climbing here :
in the eastern side of the group :
- Rif. Stella Alpina - 2010 m
- Gardeccia - 1940 m

on the west side of the group :
- Rif. Fronza alle Coronelle - 2339 m
- Rif. passo Santner - 2734 m

Mugoni and Coronelle

An important but little known subgroup.

- Coronelle is a tower made ridge connecting the Catinaccio with the Mugoni, no climbing importance but very fine for hiking.
- Mugoni (2750 m) is a fine mountain with the famous difficult : Vinatzer route, sometimes climbed.

Better huts for climbing here :
- Gardeccia - 1940 m
- Rif. Fronza alle Coronelle - 2314 m

Roda di Vael (Rotwand)

Its red wall, on which the Buhl route runs, is a spectacular showel always ready to be climbed.
Many routes on this wall, all very difficult, some extreme

Useful for climbing here the
- Rif. Pederiva and Rif. Roda di Vael - 2283 m
- Rif. Paolina - 2127 m

When To Climb

June to September, Catinaccio allows some climbing even if weather and mountain conditions are not the finest

Some fine ski-mountaneering tours from Gardeccia toward northern side (passo Principe)

Camping and Huts

Rifugio/Hut	Height	Open	Tel.
Re Alberto I / Gartlhütte	2620m	mid June - end Sept.	+39 0462 763428
Passo Santner / Santner Pass Hütte	2734m	not available	+39 0471 642230
Aleardo Fronza / Rosengartenhütte	2337m	mid June - mid Sept.	+39 0462 764461
Vajolet	2243m	mid June - mid Sept.	+39 0462 763292
Preuss	2243m	mid June - end Sept.	+39 0462 764847
Gardeccia	1963m	mid June - mid Oct.	+39 0462 763152
Ciampedie	1998m	beg. June - mid Oct.	+39 0462 764432
Negritella	1990m	mid June - mid Sept.	+39 0462 764097
Stella Alpina	1963m	June - Oct.	+39 0462 764388
Roda di Vael / Rotwandhütte	2280m	mid June - mid Sept.	+39 0462 764450
Catinaccio	1960m	end May - end Sept.	+39 0462 766987
Passo Principe / Grasleitenpasshütte	2599m	end June - end Sept.	+39 0462 764244
Bergamo al Principe / Grasleitenhütte	1887m	not available	+39 0471 642103
Antermoia	2476m	mid June - mid Sept.	+39 0462 750480

many very confortable campings in Val di Fassa, (you can also place a tent in Gardeccia woods without troubles ...)

Books and Maps

Choosing among all the books regarding Catinaccio group, I want to mention the classic:
Arturo Tanesini, "Sassolungo, Catinaccio, Latemar", Guida dei Monti d'Italia, ed. CAI-TCI (1953)

and chiefly the Bible for the hiker:
Luca Visentini, "Gruppo del Catinaccio", Ed. Athesia (1979)
also in german language with the title "Rosengarten"

thanks to livioz for these info

Best map for the whole area of Val di Fassa is (I think)
Val di Fassa e Dolomiti Fassane - 1:25.000 - foglio 06 - Tabacco

Miscellaneous pics

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