Cima Undici

Overview

Cima Undici 2517 m

Cima Undici, there are more than one mountain in the Alps bearing this name! On this page we are going to describe the Cima Undici located in Val di Fassa, not to be confused with the namesake Cima Undici in the Sesto Dolomites. The existence of different mountains bearing this name is not due to a lack of imagination, rather to the fact that certain mountains in many alpine valleys act as natural sundials, so you can know what time it is when the sun is over that certain peak. In this case it is eleven o'clock.

Cima Undici 2517 m (Undesc in the ladin language), together with Punta Vallaccia (Valacia in ladin ) and Cima Dodici (Dodesc) overlooks the Val di Fassa to the East. These mountains belong to the Monzoni-Vallaccia group, a subgroup of the Marmolada group, little known and secluded if compared to the neighboring Catinaccio, Sella and Sassolungo. Although not quite correctly, this subgroup takes the overall geo-alpinistic name of Vallaccia. It resembles a horseshoe in the middle of which it's located the Bivacco Zeni. In fact the name Vallaccia, which originally indicated the wild side valley of the Val San Nicolò, a lateral valley of the Val di Fassa, has been extended to the whole mountain node, whose borders are the Vall San Nicolò to the North, the Val di Fassa to the West, the San Pellegrino valley to the South, the Costabella-Auta to the East. It is divided into two massifs, separated by the Vallaccia groove: the Cima Undici massif and the Cima Dodici massif.

To the West Cima Undici falls with a high, wide and steep rock wall overwhelming the Val di Fassa (West face).  The wall is extremely complex showing different independent rock structures, such as towers and pillars,  where there are various challenging climbing routes on high quality rock, generally not often attended. On the contrary the East side shows easy slopes of grass and rocks along which it is possible to reach this magnificent peak without climbing difficulties. The climb to the summit of Cima Undici is a beautiful panoramic hike crossing the long Val Monzoni and offers splendid views, in particular on the nearby peaks of the Catinaccio group.  It starts from Malga Crocifisso 1526 m, located on the road that leads from Pozza di Fassa to the characteristic Valle San Nicolo.

Getting There

The starting village to climb Cima Undici is Pozza di Fassa.

Road access 

- from Trento follow the Brennero Motorway towards North, exit Egna-Ora and take the road S51 towards Val di Fassa, getting to Cavalese, Predazzo, Moena and Pozza di Fassa (48 km. from Egna-Ora). From Pozza di Fassa you drive up the beautiful Val San Nicolò until you reach Malga Crocifisso 1526 m. Park in the square before the transit ban. From here you can start the climb on foot reaching Malga Monzoni, or for the less trained you can take advantage of the shuttle that goes up to the malga with a saving of about height difference

Cima Undici Normal Route

Cima Undici Normal Route from Malga Crocefisso

Summit: 2517 m
Difficulty: EE
Difference in level: 1000 m. from Malga Crocefisso, 650 m from Malga Monzoni
Starting point: Malga Crocefisso 1526 m

The climb to Cima Undici is a very satisfying route. It starts from Malga Crocifisso 1526 m, located on the road that leads from Pozza di Fassa to the Valle San Nicolo. Park the car in the wide parking lot near the road-bar. If you want to take it easier, there are shuttle buses departing from here and quickly bringing you to the Malga Monzoni. If on the other hand you want to go on foot, after passing Malga Crocifisso, you can take the detour to Val Monzoni by car, parking just before the metal barrier. Here you begin to climb without too much effort following the dirt road (n. 603) in the middle of the wood at first following some hairpin bends that can be cut with shortcuts and arriving first at the Rifugio Monzoni 1792 m (destroyed in a fire) and then at the Malga Monzoni 1862 m. Continue along the path 603 directed to the Rifugio Taramelli, but pay attention at the first crossroad, where you must ignore the path 603 to the Taramelli and take the trail to the right, steeply in the woods, following the trail markers 624 to the Rifugio Vallaccia. At first the path climbs quite steeply in the wood, after half an hour the climb becomes less steep.

We are now in a grazing area with an alm and a wider view of the Monzoni Valley from the pasture below the Rifugio Vallaccia. After a couple of bends you reach the Rifugio Vallaccia 2275 m. Behind the hut the trail continues in the direction of the Forcella Vallaccia. Proceeding upwards after about 15 minutes you come in sight of a large shelf, where at a crossroads a signpost indicates an unnumbered path detaching diagonally to the right of the main path. Take this obvious track, crossing steep grassy slopes and in about 25 minutes you reach the summit of Cima Undici 2517 m. Beautiful panorama on the Catinaccio and Marmolada groups, Monzoni and on the nearby Cima Dodici, Sass Aut and Punta Vallaccia. Given the low difference in height between Cima Undici and Punta Vallaccia and their relative proximity it is advisable to combine the two climbs.

Descent: reversing the same itinerary - An advised possibility,  once back on the path n. 624, is to continue up to Forcella Vallaccia and from there, descending a very steep scree (trail n. 613) to reach the Bivacco Zeni 2090 m. From the bivouac, descending towards Pozza di Fassa, you will find (immediately after the aided section) a crossroads: here you turn right onto 637, the path that, crossing the wood and crossing 635 in the final part, leads back to the Monzoni refuge, closing so the loop. 

Climbing routes

To the West Cima Undici falls with a high, wide and steep rock wall overwhelming the Val di Fassa (West face).  The wall is extremely complex showing different independent rock structures, such as towers and pillars,  where there are various challenging climbing routes on high quality rock

- Torre della Vallaccia 

This tower, certainly the most beautiful and eye-catching structure of the Vallaccia subgroup, is joined to Cima Undici by a marked saddle. Towards the Val di Fassa it has an overhanging edge along which it runs the route: Spigolo Rizzi-Gros 1961. Another challenging route is:  Via Maffei-Frizzera VI+/A1, 700 m. First ascent: Graziano Maffei and Mariano Frizzera summer 1971. It's a long and demanding route on the North face to the left of the yellow and overhanging Rizzi - Gross edge.

- Punta Salvanes di Cima Undici

- Via Bernard-Vigo  VI-, 400 m - First ascent: Antonio Bernard and Mario Vigo, August 4th 1989

- Pilastro Zeni - The Pilastro Zeni rises, detaching itself from Cima Undici, right in front of the Bivacco Zeni, to the left of the triangular Piramide Armani.

- Via Maffei-Frizzera VII/A3, 550 m - First ascent: G. Maffei e M. Frizzera, May 25-29th 1994

- Via Giove VI+, VII+ e VIII - First ascent:  Heinz Grill, Florian Kluckner, Klaus Oppermann, Franz Heiss e Barbara Holzer, July/August 2015 More info: planetmountain - via giove

- Piramide Matteo Armani

- Via “dei tre diedri” VI+/A2,  - First ascent:  M. Stenico e G. Maffei, 21-23rd July 1974

- Via dello Spigolo  VI+, 450 m  - First ascent: Graziano Maffei and Giuliano Stenghel 1976

- Via dei 5 muri VIII-, 400 m - First ascent: Graziano Maffei and Paolo Leoni 1986 

- Via Canto del cigno  VII, A4, 1986 - First ascent: G. Maffei e R Leoni July 1986 

- Via Saturno VII+/VI+, A0 - First ascent: Heinz Grill, Ivo Rabanser, Franz Heiss, Florian Kluckner, Klaus Oppermann, Barbara Holzer, Petra Himmel and Maurizio Giordani in September 2014.  More info: piramidearmani - It does not reach the summit of Sass da le Undes but that of the Matteo Armani Pyramid: an elegant triangular tower of gray plates which at first sight is confused with the imposing wall of the main peak. At the end of the route it is possible to continue up to the main summit with another 5/6 pitches.

- Piramide Delmonego

The Piramide Delmonego is the rocky structure located to the right of the Piramide Armani which, like this one, detaches from the W wall of the Cima Undici. It is recognizable by the large proboscis-shaped summit overhang.

- Via Stenico-Maffei VI+, 500 m - First ascent: M. Stenico e G. Maffei, 29 luglio 1978

- Pilastro Bello   VII-, VI, A0, V+, First ascent: H. Grill and co.

- Torre di Mezzaluna

- Via dei Bambini

- Geremia Brothers

- Linnéa  Planetmountain   First ascent: Tiziano Buccella, Silvia Merlo, Ivan Feller e Gianni Scrinzi 

- Giallo Dream

- Mururoa

More info: Heinz Grill: Vallaccia  Sergio Ramella: La Vallaccia

Red Tape

No particular restrictions in climbing and hiking. The road starting from Malga Crocifisso to Malga Monzoni is closed to the private cars from the end of June to October. more info here: Fassa bus

When to Climb

The best season to climb goes from June to September

Accomodation

Meteo

Meteo Trentino 

External links

Heinz Grill: Vallaccia 

Sergio Ramella: La Vallaccia