From the Sella Pass, the peaks of the smallest Dolomite group stand out, that of Sassolungo, whose profile is among the most famous in the Alps.
A legendary massif like the legend that describes it as the burial place of a giant punished for stealing from men by blaming the animals of the forest. The only part of the body visible would be the "five fingers", or the pinnacles of this mountainous crown. The Sassolungo is a series of sculptural towers that stretch from northwest to southeast for a kilometer, from Passo Sella to Sasso Piatto, whose inclined part is the slope that connected the summit of an ancient tropical island to the seabed. Other famous peaks in the group are Punta Grohmann, the Innerkofler Tower and the Dente. The Col Rodella, one of the international take-off stations for free flight, has been detached.
From Passo Sella, you can reach the Toni Demetz Refuge and the Forcella del Sassolungo at 2,681 meters, from there climb up towards the Vicenza Refuge and enter the Giro del Sassolungo/Sassopiatto. Going up in altitude, you may be lucky enough to admire chamois and ibex. Between June and July, you can also witness the blaze of colours, guaranteed by the flowering of over 50 different species of orchids that mix with the many other flowers in the area. In winter, it is at the centre of the Col Rodella-Belvedere ski area, whose slopes connect with the nearby Val Gardena through the Città dei Sassi.
How to get there
The routes start from: Col Rodella (ascent by cable car from Campitello di Fassa); Passo Sella (reachable by car or by public transport - free in summer with the Val di Fassa Guest Card); Pian de Frataces ("White Wolf", ascent with the systems towards the Val Salei); Val Duron (possible shuttle bus from Campitello di Fassa). Plants included in the PanoramaPass.
