Prima Torre delle Giare Bianche

Overview

Prima Torre delle Giare Bianche 1700 m

Although located near some well-known and popular mountains as Baffelan and Primo Apostolo, Prima Torre delle Giare Bianche, together with the Seconda Torre, is situated on a sparsely visited place of the Piccole Dolomiti, which has been valued fairly recently with the opening of some new interesting climbing routes. When seen from the South the tower appears as a part of the ensemble of spires and walls, alternated to deep gullies and vegetation, located between Terzo Apostolo to the left and Monte Cornetto to the right. The towers take name from the nearby Passo delle Giare Bianche 1675 m., a saddle located between the towers and the Terzo Apostolo.

Set of spires with Prima Torre delle Giare Bianche on the right

The West side of Prima Torre delle Giare Bianche is a brief slope overlooking the Sentiero di Arroccamento, while to the East the tower casts a beautiful wall of good rock about 200 meters high, where it runs the fine route "Alba Nueva". The wall is sunny and secluded.

Getting There

You can start from Passo di Campogrosso or Malga Cornetto. It depends if you're coming from Vicenzo or from Trento and Rovereto. The approach from Campogrosso is shorter.

Road access to Passo di Campogrosso

- From Verona follow A4 Motorway, exit Montecchio Maggiore and take the road to Valdagno, Recoaro and Passo di Campogrosso (47 km. from Montecchio Maggiore); some hundred meters before getting to Campogrosso Pass follow the King’s Road on the right and park the car near the bar closing the road.

Road access to Malga Cornetto

- From Autobrennero Motoway, exit Rovereto and take the SS46 entering the Vallarsa; the road is passes some small villages like Valmorbia, Anghebeni and Raoxi and at the end reachs Passo Pian delle Fugazze m. 1162 (km. 27 from Rovereto). From the pass, situated on the border between Trento and Vicenza provinces, follow for a few meters the road towards Vicenza and the turn to right on Strada del Re (an old road open to vehicles only for some kilometers) leading to Malga Cornetto. Pull-out.

 Walking approach from Campogrosso - From the bar on Strada del Re (King’s Road, not be traveled by vehicles) continue on the road, skirting the East faces of the Sengio Alto, reaching the meadows of Malga Baffelan; skirt by far Baffelan and First Apostle. At the first bend on the road, leave the King's Road to turn left onto a track that goes first through the woods and then a scree. Up the scree in the direction of the wall of Terzo Apostolo. Leva Terzo Apostolo on the left, cross towards right in the direction of a wooded spur. From here traverse again to the right, getting the base of the wall where it starts the route Alba Nueva (1 hour from the bar).

Walking approach from Malga Cornetto - Follow the Strada del Re by foot, getting the same bend on the road as in the previous point, from which same approach as in the previous point.

Route: Alba Nueva

Via Alba Nueva description

Difficulty: IV, V, VI-, a move (UIAA scale)
Length: 240 m
Pitches: 6
Exposure: East

Pleasant and fun climb on excellent rock, fine ambience

Pitch 1 Enter in the left gully, climb the first step, ignore a stance and continues to the end of the ramp to the upper stance, III IV, 25 m
Pitch 2 Climb briefly to the left, then surpass the edge with a lateral movement and reach the stance under a vertical wall. 15 m., III, V, 15 m
Pitch 3 Overcome the vertical wall above, then continue more easily to the belay on a small ledge slightly to the left. 15/20 m. V spit, 20 m
Pitch 4 Climb the beautiful slab above, then up to a ramp with small pines (intermediate stance), overcome it and continue right up to the base of the corner where you belay, IV +, 30 m
Pitch 5 Climb up a few meters to the left at the base of the overhanging dihedral and then continue along the same dihedral with beautiful climbing up to a first frame, traverse left along the frame and go under the dihedral second part (intermediate stance), continue along the dihedral to the left until the end, where oblique left for a few meters to the stop behind a corner (route-book), V pp V+, VI- (1 move), 35 m
Pitch 6 Overcome the edge to the right, then follow it to a stance after a stretch with small mountain pines. 15 m IV+, 15 m
Pitch 7 Climb the slab above with exciting climb to the summit. 30 m IV+, V-, 30 m

 Descent: two solutions

- From the top head to left (facing out) on a secondary spur. Scramble down biefly to get a fixed anchor for abseiling. Abseil down 40 m to get  a small saddle that separates the tower from the main body of the mountain. Climb to the opposite side on a narrow path until you get the wide Sentiero di Arroccamento. If you started from Campogrosso follow it to the left (South), if you started from Malga Cornetto follow it towards right (North) towards Monte Cornetto and Passo dell'Emmele. From the Emmele col follow the path descending rightward to the Strada del Re.

- Rappelling (all equipped) along the same route, advisable only if there is nobody climbing on the route

Red Tape

No fees, no permits required.

When to Climb

Best period goes from May to the end of October

Where to stay

- Rifugio Campogrosso if you come from Vicenza
- Rifugio Albergo Passo Pian delle Fugazze if you come from Rovereto

Meteo Forecast

Arpav Dolomiti Meteo

Guidebooks and maps

"Piccole Dolomiti e dintorni - Arrampicate scelte" - Guido Casarotto, Cierre Edizioni 2015