The Dolomites ( Italian : Dolomiti [doloˈmiːti] ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains , Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps , are a mountain range in northeastern Italy . They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley ( Pieve di Cadore ) in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley (Italian: Valsugana ). The Dolomites are in the regions of Veneto , Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli-Venezia Giulia , covering an area shared between the provinces of Belluno , Vicenza , Verona , Trentino , South Tyrol , Udine and Pordenone .
19-632: Cima Palon , also called Monte Pasubio , is the highest peak of the Pasubio group of Little Dolomites in Veneto , Italy . It has an elevation of 2,239 metres. The Pasubio plateau is one of the most relevant Little Dolomites massifs, and it held a high strategic role during the Great War (1914-1918), since it represented the last defensive position of the Venetian Plain . It was the site of fierce mine warfare on
38-614: A UNESCO World Heritage Site . The Adamello-Brenta UNESCO Global Geopark is also in the Dolomites. The Geological Museum of the Dolomites (in Italian Museo Geologico delle Dolomiti ) is located in Predazzo , Fiemme Valley . The Dolomites, also known as the "Pale Mountains", take their name from the carbonate rock dolomite . This was named after the 18th-century French mineralogist Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu (1750–1801), who
57-460: A shorter ski was worn on the other foot for kicking. The underside of the short ski was either plain or covered with animal skin to aid this use, while the long ski supporting the weight of the skier was treated with animal fat in a similar manner to modern ski waxing . Early skiers used one long pole or spear. The first description of a skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. Troops in continental Europe were equipped with skis by 1747. Skiing
76-692: A week to walk, and are served by numerous rifugi (huts). The first and the most renowned is the Alta Via 1 . Radiocarbon dating has been used in the Alta Badia region to demonstrate a connection between landslide activity and climate change. The region is commonly divided into the Western and Eastern Dolomites, separated by a line following the Val Badia–Campolongo Pass–Cordevole Valley (Agordino) axis. The Dolomites may be divided into
95-469: Is practiced in certain areas that are reserved exclusively for ski jumping. Telemark skiing is a ski turning technique and FIS-sanctioned discipline, which is named after the Telemark region of Norway. It uses equipment similar to Nordic skiing, where the ski bindings are attached only at the toes of the ski boots, allowing the skier's heel to be raised throughout the turn. However, the skis themselves are often
114-509: The Altai Mountains , according to an interpretation of ancient paintings. However, this continues to be debated. The word "ski" comes from the Old Norse word "skíð" which means to "split piece of wood or firewood". Asymmetrical skis were used in northern Finland and Sweden until at least the late 19th century. On one foot, the skier wore a long straight non-arching ski for sliding, and
133-520: The Marmolada Glacier, which lies on the border of Trentino and Veneto, the small towns of Alleghe , Falcade , Auronzo , Cortina d'Ampezzo and the villages of Arabba , Urtijëi and San Martino di Castrozza , as well as the whole of the Fassa, Gardena and Badia valleys. The Maratona dles Dolomites , an annual single-day road bicycle race covering seven mountain passes of the Dolomites, occurs in
152-710: The Antelao, Marmolada, Tofana, Monte Cristallo and the Boè. Around 1860 the Agordin mountaineer Simone de Silvestro was the first person to stand on the Civetta. Michael Innerkofler was one of the climbers of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo . Later very important local mountaineers, known for many first ascents, were Angelo Dibona and Giovanni Piaz . During the First World War , the front line between
171-803: The Italian Front . In May 1916, after the Austro-Hungarian Strafexpedition , an Italian contingent was urgently transferred from the Isonzo Front and under the command of General Achille Papa, they stopped the Austro-Hungarian Army at Cima Palon. In 1917, a team of Italian miners built the Strada delle 52 Gallerie , the route of 52 tunnels, which leads from the base to the summit area of Monte Pasubio. Dolomites Other mountain groups of similar geological structure are spread along
190-568: The Italian and Austro-Hungarian Army ran through the Dolomites, where both sides used mines extensively. Open-air war museums are at Cinque Torri (Five Towers), Monte Piana and Mount Lagazuoi. Many people visit the Dolomites to climb the vie ferrate , protected paths through the rock walls that were created during the war. A number of long-distance footpaths traverse the Dolomites. They are called alte vie (German: Dolomiten Höhenwege – high paths), and are numbered 1 to 10. The trails take about
209-516: The River Piave to the east— Dolomiti d'Oltrepiave ; and far away over the Adige River to the west— Dolomiti di Brenta (Western Dolomites). A smaller group is called Piccole Dolomiti (Little Dolomites), between the provinces of Trentino, Verona and Vicenza. The Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park and many other regional parks are in the Dolomites. On 26 June 2009 , the Dolomites were declared
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#1733105735380228-471: The bottom of alpine skis to give them traction on snow. This permits Nordic style uphill and back-country travel on alpine skis. For downhill travel, the heels are locked and the skins are removed. The Nordic disciplines include cross-country skiing and ski jumping , which both use bindings that attach at the toes of the skier's boots but not at the heels. Cross-country skiing may be practiced on groomed trails or in undeveloped backcountry areas. Ski jumping
247-740: The first week of July. Other characteristic places are: Skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport . Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS). Skiing has a history of almost five millennia. Although modern skiing has evolved from beginnings in Scandinavia , it may have been practiced more than 100 centuries ago in
266-498: The following ranges: The Dolomites are renowned for skiing in the winter months and mountain climbing , hiking, cycling and BASE jumping , as well as paragliding and hang gliding in summer and late spring/early autumn. Free climbing has been a tradition in the Dolomites since 1887, when 17-year-old Georg Winkler soloed the first ascent of the pinnacle of the Vajolet Towers . The main centres include: Rocca Pietore alongside
285-531: The same width as Alpine skis. The following skiing disciplines are sanctioned by the FIS . Many have their own world cups and are included in the Winter Olympic Games . Equipment used in skiing includes: Technique has evolved along with ski technology and ski geometry . Early techniques included the telemark turn, the stem , the stem Christie , snowplough , and parallel turn . New parabolic designs like
304-478: The supervision of the ski patrol and the ski school . Alpine skiing branched off from the older Nordic type of skiing around the 1920s when the advent of ski lifts meant that it was no longer necessary to climb back uphill. Alpine equipment has specialized to the point where it can now only be used with the help of lifts. Alpine Touring setups use specialized bindings which are switchable between locked and free-heel modes. Climbing skins are temporarily attached to
323-548: The two is the type of ski binding (the way in which the ski boots are attached to the skis). Also called "downhill skiing", Alpine skiing typically takes place on a piste at a ski resort . It is characterized by fixed-heel bindings that attach at both the toe and the heel of the skier's boot. Ski lifts , including chairlifts , bring skiers up the slope. Backcountry skiing can be accessed by helicopter , snowcat , hiking and snowmobile . Facilities at resorts can include night skiing , après-ski , and glade skiing under
342-500: Was primarily used for transport until the mid-19th century but, since then, it has also become a recreation and sport. Military ski races were held in Norway during the 18th century, and ski warfare was studied in the late 18th century. As equipment evolved and ski lifts were developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, two main genres of skiing emerged— Alpine (downhill) skiing and Nordic skiing . The main difference between
361-580: Was the first to describe the mineral. For millennia, hunters and gatherers had advanced into the highest rocky regions and had probably also climbed some peaks. There is evidence that the Jesuit priest Franz von Wulfen from Klagenfurt climbed the Lungkofel and the Dürrenstein in the 1790s. In 1857 Irishman John Ball was the first known person to climb Monte Pelmo. Paul Grohmann later climbed numerous peaks such as
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