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Mountain/Rock |
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46.50980°N / 11.82920°E |
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10341 ft / 3152 m |
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Piz Boè is the highest mountain of the Sella Group, the giant fortress of rock in the heart of the Dolomites. It is the only 3000er of the group and thanks to its short and easy access has been dubbed "the easiest 3000er of the Dolomites". And except for Marmolada and Tofana di Mezzo, to the summits of which cable cars run, it might well be true. The usual access to Piz Boè starts at Passo Pordoi from which another cable car takes you to Sass Pordoi, already close to 3000m. A short walk across the Sella Plateau takes you to the base of the mountain, from which a steep and in some places protected trail leads.
In the high season caravans of people climb the mountain and you will never have the summit to yourself. The crowds are indeed so large that a one way system has been established - ascent via the south-west rib of the mountain, descent across the choss of the west face. On top of Piz Boè there is a little mountain hut, Capanna Piz Fassa, another attraction for the many tourists. It has sleeping room only for half a dozen people but caters with food and drink to the crowds.
Ignoring the crowds you still can enjoy Piz Boè. First of all, try to catch the first cable car and try to be among the first to reach the base of the summit pyramid. Then, from the top of the mountain, you will have exceptional views to the mountains all around. Piz Boè is located rather central in the Dolomites so that most of the mountain groups can be distinguished from its summit. Have a look at Victor Suffer's panoramas below and judge for yourself.
Beside the normal route to Boè (all hiking routes combine at Rifugio Boè and use the aforementioned one-way system for the final 200m) there are two interesting ferratas up the mountain. The more rewarding of the two is the Ferrata Cesare Piazetta, an exposed route across ledge systems to the south of the mountain. It starts at Passo Pordoi and heads directly up the mountain. Lichtenfels Klettersteig (Ferrata Lichtenfels) traverses the Sella Ringband in the east of the group. It starts at Franz Kostner Hut above Corvara in the north-east of the mountain.
There are several trailheads for Piz Boè. The closest one is Passo Pordoi, where the Pordoi cable-car takes you to the top of Sass Pordoi, from where a short stroll takes you to the base of the Boè pyramid. A second trailhead is Corvara from where a cable-car takes you to Crep de Munt. The third trailhead is at Kolfuschg / Colfosco, from where Val di Mesdi takes you to the Boè Hut at the base of the summit pyramid. The fourth trailhead is a bit to the south-east of Sella Pass and leads through Val Lasties to the Sella Plateau and the Boè Hut.
There's no Red Tape on Piz Boè.
Mountain Huts:
Books:
There is one very recommendable book, Sella - Langkofel Extrem, which the original submitter kletterwebbi used to help put up this page. It gives an overview over hundreds of climbing routes in the area. Two thirds of the book deal with the Sella Group.
Maps:
I have been using the maps by Kompass Verlag. There are several which differ in scale: