Monte Cristallo

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Location

Cortina d'Ampezzo
Italy
46° 34' 59.9988" N, 12° 10' 59.9988" E
IT
General info: 

Monte Cristallo (3,221 m) is the highest peak of the Cristallo mountain group in the Italian Dolomites. The mountain group is a long, indented ridge with four summits higher than 3,000 metres. Cima di Mezzo (3,154 m) and Cristallino d'Ampezzo (3,008 m) can be reached by via ferratas, while Monte Cristallo and Piz Popena (3,153 m) both require climbing skills.

ACCESS
A cable lift system starts from Rio Gere in Cortina d'Ampezzo, first a lift to Rifugio Son Forca at the upper end of Val Padeon. The gondola lift up to Forcella Staunies (2919 m), close to Rifugio G. Lorenzi (2.932 m), was built for the Winter Olympics in Cortina in 1956.
Through the eastern part of the massif goes the Dolomite Highway number 3.

VIA FERRATAS
The two via ferratas VF Ivano Dibona and VF Marino Bianchi both start from the top of the cable car at Forcella Staunies. VF Marino Bianchi can be followed to the peak Cima di Mezzo.[4]
VF Ivano Dibona follows the Zurlon-ridge. It is a historical route used in World War I, and later restored and made safe for tourists.[5][6] At the beginning is the longest via ferrata suspension bridge in the Dolomites, the 27 metre long Ponte Cristallo.[4][6]

CABINS (RIFUGI) AND RESTAURANTS
Some of the cabins and restaurants available are the Rifugio Son Forca at 2,235 m; Capanna Guido Lorenzi at 3,003 m (Auronzo di Cadore); Ristorante Rio Gere at 1,680 m; Ristorante Lago Scin at 1,336 m; Ristorante Staulin at 1,370 m; Ristorante Son Zuogo at 1,800 m.

In 1993 the film Cliffhanger was shot on and around the bridge on the Zurlon-ridge, as well as some of the other peaks in the area.

Getting there: 

A cable lift system starts from Rio Gere in Cortina d'Ampezzo, first a lift to Rifugio Son Forca at the upper end of Val Padeon. From there you can take a gondola lift up to Forcella Staunies (2919 m), close to Rifugio G. Lorenzi (2.932 m).

Interesting places nearby

One of the world's pioneering ski areas, and certainly Italy's, Sestriere was built by the Fiat car company in 1934.

The ski area Silvretta Montafon in Vorarlberg is amongst the most beautiful ski areas in Austria.The Montafon, which reaches from Buldenz to the glaciers of the Silvretta and to the Piz Buin, is one of the widest skiing area in the Alps.

Since 1995 exists Skidome Rucphen. The skidome has a 160meters long and 25 m wide slope with real snow. Afterwards visitors can enjoy the Stube, the bar or the restaurant.

The ski area SkicircusSaalbach offers nearly endless slopes for all levels of difficulty. The ski area does also posses modern lifts and skyrides and almost all of the pistes can be prepared with snow-making equipment.

The ski area Wilder Kaiser – Brixental amidst the Kaisergebirge in Tyrol is the largest coherent ski area in Austria. It is one of the areas with the most reliable snow conditions and basically a very versatile wintersports’ region.

SnowLandgraaf is the world's largest indoor ski resort is in the south of Limburg. With five slopes and eight lifts there are innumerable possible descents.