Sorapiss
Sorapiss, also referred to as Sorapis or Punta Sorapiss, is a mountain in the Dolomites within the Veneto region of northern Italy. Situated in the comune of Cortina d'Ampezzo, it has an elevation of. In its vicinity is a mountain pass of the same name, as well as Sorapiss Lake, at the foot of the mountain.
Description
Sorapiss, with its huge perpendicular faces, forms part of the mountainous backdrop to the resort town of Cortina, situated roughly to the southeast of the town. The limestone dolomite formations, which are irregular, rugged and sharp-edged peaks, are part of the Eastern Alps. The Cristallo group lies to the north past the Passo Tre Croci, and its southern neighbour is the Antelao. A path to Sorapiss starts at Passo Tre Croci and continues along an easy slope, reaching the refuge at the base of the Sorapiss range, close to Lago di Sorapiss, which is at an elevation of.The elevation of Sorapiss is. The mountain has three ridges: a central ridge, a southern ridge, which is the part of the mountain that can be seen from Cortina, and, beyond a high pass and little to the west, a northern ridge that culminates in the skiing area of Mount Faloria. There are three glaciers on the mountain's slopes, although these have been melting considerably in recent years. Lago Sorapiss, at the foot of the mountain, is a glacial lake at an elevation.
History
There are three refuges in the vicinity: Rifugio Tondi di Faloria at, Rifugio Alfonso Vandelli at and Rifugio San Marco. Rifugio Alfonso Vandelli was built by Austrians in 1891 on the banks of Lago di Sorapiss. In 1895 it was destroyed by an avalanche, but was rebuilt the following year in a more sheltered spot. At the end of World War I in 1918, Cortina d'Ampezzo became part of the Kingdom of Italy and the refuge became the property of the CAI of Venice. In 1924, thanks to a donation by Cesare Luigi Luzzati, a new refuge was built. A fire destroyed it completely in 1959, and it was again reconstructed; the current shelter was opened on 18 September 1966 and was named after the president of the CAI of Venice, Alfonso Vandelli.Paul Grohmann made the first ascent of the mountain in September 1864, taking 8 hours and 30 minutes. There are at least two routes to the summit: the Grohmann-Weg, which crosses the mountain's west flank, joining the S. Vito route near the summit, and the Muller-Weg, which traverses the east glacier and ascends direct over the precipices on the northeast side.