Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 46.50998°N / 12.05126°E
Additional Information County: Veneto
Activities Activities: Trad Climbing
Seasons Season: Summer
Additional Information Elevation: 7569 ft / 2307 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

Geographical classification: Eastern Alps > Dolomites > Cinque Torri Group > Torre Barancio

 

Torre Barancio m 2307

 

The Cinque Torri ( Five Towers) area is a wonderful grouping of small towers - seeming to be only five when seen from the Ampezzo basin, but actually more than five - belonging to the Averau-Nuvolau group, located between the Croda da Lago mountains to the East and the impressive South face of the Tofana di Rozes to the West. The area offers a multitude of easy sport climbs as well as many classic multipitch trad routes, getting to the airy summits of the towers, from 40 to 170 meters of length. 

Cinque Torri
Cinque Torri from Rifugio Scoiattoli
The small group Lusy - Barancio - Romana
The small group Lusy - Barancio - Romana

An excellent group of towers showing the shape of stunning narrow pinnacles is the small tryad Lusy – Barancio – Romana. The set of the three towers is also named Terza Torre (Third Tower). Torre Barancio is located very close to Torre Lusy, between this latter and Torre Romana. On its narrow North face runs a direct line on excellent grey “dolomia”, a steep climb on a compact wall surrounded by a surprising environment. A beautiful solution for a short climbing day or in case of undoubted weather.

Cinque Torri, Cortina Dolomites
Approaching from Rifugio Cinque Torri

 

Getting There

The closest town is Cortina d’Ampezzo. The starting point of the various approachs is the road Cortina – Falzarego
 
Road access to Cortina d’Ampezzo
 
- From Belluno: follow the road SS 51 towards North, pass Longarone and reach Pieve di Cadore; in Pieve di Cadore turn to left and follow the roaad to Borca, San Vito di Cadore and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Arrived in Cortina take the road SS48 to Passo Falzarego. 
 
- From Trento or Bolzano: take the Brennero Motorway, exit Ponte Gardena and then follow the Val Gardena road to Selva di Val Gardena and Passo Gardena, reaching Corvara and La Villa. Turn to right towards Passo Falzarego, get the pass and here descent towards left along the road SS48 towards Cortina d’Ampezzo as far as the Cinque Torri chair-lift station (about 3 km East to the Falzarego Pass) and the starting point of the path to Cinque Torri.
 
High and Low Torre Quarta

Torri Quarta Alta e Bassa da Torre Barancio

Torre Barancio and Torre Romana

Torre Barancio and Torre Romana

 

Approaching 

 

Cinque Torri plan

Three possibilities ( the starting point of the three different possible approachs to Cinque Torri is the road Cortina – Falzarego) :

- by the Cinque Torri chair lift to Rifugio Scoiattoli 2255 m.  The chair-lift station is situated along the main Falzarego road 3 km east of Passo Falzarego (in the direction of Cortina)

- by foot to Rifugio Scoiattoli m. 2255 along the path rising from the chair-lift station

- by car to Rifugio Cinque Torri 2137 m. A narrow paved road starts in locality Cianzopè, on the Passo Falzarego road at km 112,200 and leads in a small parking lot near the refuge

From Rifugio Scoiattoli take the trail leading towards Torre Grande Cima Ovest. Before you come too close to the towers, turn on your left and go down on a trail crossing the meadows, then enter a kind of valley surrounded by the various towers and covered with gravels and boulders. Pass a cave below Torre Quarta and from here in 1 minutes you reach the start of the route, in the left part of the narrow face of Torre Barancio

From Rifugio Cinque Torri follow the good path starting here and climb up, then ignore the branch rising towards Torre Grande and take on the right the horizontal path getting briefly below Torre Lusy and Torre Barancio

 

Via Dibona-Apollonio report

Via Dibona-Apollonio report
 
Summit altitude: m. 2307
Difficulty: UIAA IV+
Equipment: pegs, natural , equipped belays
Climbing length: 120 m.
Exposure: North
First ascent: Ignazio Dibona, P. Apollonio e F. Stefani 1934, September 7th
 
Top of Torre Lusy and Torre Barancio on the left
Top of Torre Lusy and Torre Barancio on the left
Climbing Dibona on Torre Barancio
Climbing Dibona on Torre Barancio

An exposed classic route up the middle of Torre Barancio North face, a steep wall of excellent grey “dolomia”. The climbing is enjoiable and interesting throughout

L1 - Climb directly to the niche, reach it , exit right and make a rising traverse left then back right to a ledge. Fixed anchors. IV, IV+, m. 30

L2 – An enjoiable pitch. Slanting left about 5 meters to reach two cracks. Climb the right-hand of these (crux, 10 meters), overcome a bulge at half-height, then continue to the large ledge formed by the horizontal break in the face. Gain a good ledge. Fixed anchors. IV, IV+

Beta of Dibona, Torre Barancio

Via Dibona beta

Torre Grande stunning North wall from Barancio abseils

Torre Grande stunning North wall from Barancio abseils

L3 – Up in the middle of the wall; at first climb rightwards, then directly, then heading slightly to left. Fixed anchors. IV, III, 18 m.

L4 – Up slightly slanting left on beautiful carved rock to a notch on the ridge Fixed anchors. III, IV-, 33 m.

L5 – Climb up with steep climbing the little overhang on the ridge directly above the ledge, then along left side of the ridge to the summit. Belay on fixed anchors. IV, IV-, 33 m.

Croda da Lago and Lastoni di Formin from Torre Barancio
Croda da Lago and Lastoni di Formin from Torre Barancio
Barancio rappels' start facing Torre Grande North wall
Starting the rappels

Descent: two spectacular abseils (25 m. + 25 m.) or, alternatively, a unique 50 m. abseil along the South Face (facing to Torre Grande).

Essential gear

Rope 2x50 m, helmet, nuts 4-9, friends 1,2,3, some quickdraws

Red Tape

No particulary restrictions in climbing and hiking. Be aware that cars on the road to Rifugio Cinque Torri are not allowed between 9 a.m. to 16 p.m. during the summer months.

Huts

 
Rifugio Scoiattoli
Rifugio Scoiattoli
 
 Rifugio Scoiattoli 2255 m, private
 
Situation: in front of Cinque Torri West side, at 5 minutes by walking
Open: 20 of June – 20 of September
Size: 20 persons 
Hut's phone: 0039-3338146960
Getting There: path or chair-lift from Falzarego road
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rifugio Cinque Torri
Rifugio Cinque Torri
 
 
- Rifugio Cinque Torri 2125 m, private
 
Situation: in front of Cinque Torri South side, at 10 minutes by walking
Open: 20 of June – 20 of September
Size: 20 persons
Hut's phone: 0039-04362902
Getting There: driving by a road starting from Falzarego road at km 112,200
 

When to Climb

Best season goes from the end of May to the end of September

Meteo

ARPAV DOLOMITI METEO
DOLOMITI METEO - VENETO

ARPAV DOLOMITI METEO Phone +390436780007 fax +390436780008
CENTRO VALANGHE DI ARABBA Phone +390436755711 fax 043679319 e-mail cva@arpa.veneto.it

Guidebooks

Dolomiti Orientali Vol. I Parte I by Antonio Berti - Collana Guide dei Monti d'Italia, CAI TCI
Arrampicare a Cortina d'Ampezzo e dintorni- Le vie più belle nelle Dolomiti by Mauro Bernardi Ed. Athesia
IV grado in Dolomiti by Emiliano Zorzi - Ed. Idea Montagna

Dolomiti Orientali Guidebook
Dolomiti Guidebook
IV grado in Dolomiti Guidebook

Maps

Dolomiti Ampezzane Tabacco 03 1:25.000
Cinque Torri (Five Towers) map
 


Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

Cinque Torri GroupMountains & Rocks