Three Peaks

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Three Peaks
View of the north face of the Three Peaks.

View of the north face of the Three Peaks.

Highest peak Great pinnacle ( 2999  m slm )
location South Tyrol and Belluno , Italy
part of Sesto Dolomites , Dolomites , Eastern Alps
Three Peaks (Alps)
Three Peaks
Coordinates 46 ° 37 '7 "  N , 12 ° 18' 20"  E Coordinates: 46 ° 37 '7 "  N , 12 ° 18' 20"  E
rock Main dolomite
Age of the rock Triad
p1

The Three Peaks ( Italian: Tre Cime di Lavaredo ) are a striking mountain range in the Sesto Dolomites on the border between the Italian provinces of Belluno in the south and South Tyrol in the north.

The highest point of the group is the 2999  m slm high Great Zinne (Italian: Cima Grande ). It stands between the other two peaks, the western pinnacle ( Cima Ovest , 2973  m ) and the small pinnacle ( Cima Piccola , 2857  m ). In addition to these striking rock towers, there are several other summit points in the massif, including the Punta di Frida ( 2792  m ) and the Preuss Tower , also Kleinste Zinne ( Torre Preuss , Cima Piccolissima , 2700  m ).

Since the first ascent of the Großer Zinne in 1869, the Drei Zinnen has been one of the most popular summit destinations in the Alps for climbers . They are made accessible by numerous climbing routes of various degrees of difficulty and have thus become a center of alpine climbing , from which many important developments in the history of this sport began. In addition, they are an attraction for mass tourism due to their easy accessibility . In particular, the view of the steep north walls is one of the most famous landscapes in the Alps and is considered a symbol of the Dolomites . During the mountain war in World War I , the Three Peaks and its surroundings were fiercely contested as part of the front between the Kingdom of Italy and Austria-Hungary .

Location and surroundings

The three peaks and their surroundings

The Three Peaks rise on the southern edge of the extensive pinnacle plateau with the Langen Alm (La Grava Longa), an alpine plateau at about 2200  m to 2400  m , which here forms the end of the Rienz Valley (Valle della Rienza). There are three small mountain lakes, the Zinnenseen. This area north of the mountains up to their peaks belongs to the municipality of Toblach in South Tyrol and to the Drei Zinnen nature park (until 2010 the Sesto Dolomites nature park), which has been part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage since 2009 .

The ridge of the battlements, which runs in a west-east direction, forms the border with the municipality of Auronzo di Cadore in the province of Belluno, which also represents the German - Italian language border . To the northeast, this ridge continues to the 2454  m high Paternsattel (Forcella Lavaredo), where it turns north to the mountains Passportenkopf (Croda di Passaporto, 2719  m ) and Paternkofel (Monte Paterno, 2744  m ). In the west it continues over the Forcella Col di Mezzo ( 2315  m ) to the Zinnenkuppe (Col di Mezzo) ( 2254  m ) and on to the 2252  m high Katzenleiterkopf (Croda d'Arghena).

To the southwest of the Drei Zinnen, the Forcella Col di Mezzo is joined by the Plano di Longeres plateau above the Valle di Rinbianco, a side valley of the Rienz Valley. Immediately south of the western pinnacle, the Forcella di Longeres saddle ( 2235  m ) separates the Plano di Longeres from the Vallone di Lavaredo, a side valley of the Piave valley . To the south lies the Cadini group .

Via the 2454  m high Paternsattel as the lowest point, the Zwölferkofel can be reached as the next summit, which is higher than the Große Zinne. This means that the height of the Great Zinne is 545 m, the dominance is 4.25 km.

Cortina d'Ampezzo , 17 kilometers southwest, is the largest city in the area. Other larger towns are Toblach 13 kilometers northwest and Innichen 12 kilometers north.

Places, bases and routes

The Dreizinnenhütte in front of the Drei Zinnen

The most easily accessible base in the vicinity of the Three Peaks is the Auronzo Hut ( Rifugio Auronzo , 2320  m ). This refuge of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) is located immediately south of the massif above the Forcella di Longeres and is accessible from the south-west of the Auronzo hotel resort Misurina via an asphalt toll road. The hut can be reached from the Lavaredo valley via a hiking trail from the southeast.

The privately managed Rifugio di Lavaredo ( 2325  m ) is located about a kilometer east of the Auronzo hut and can be reached from there via a wide road at the southeast foot of the Kleiner Zinne .

Northwest of the battlements is farmed in the summer hut Lange Alm (also Lange Alpe , 2,296  m ). A hiking trail leads from the Auronzo hut over the Forcella Col di Mezzo, another from the north from the Rienztal.

The owned by the CAI, 2438  m high altitude Dreizinnenhütte northeast of the Three Peaks is a little further away with about a kilometer of the massif. It is particularly known for the view of the north walls and can be reached via a wide hiking trail from the Auronzo hut over the Paternsattel. There are other access options from Sexten through the Fischleinboden from the east, from Innichen through the Innerfeldtal from the north and through the Rienztal from Höhlenstein (Landro) in the Höhlensteintal (Valle di Landro) . The hut can be reached from the Langen Alm from the southeast.

The three peaks

The Three Peaks from the northwest, from the Langen Alm

Great pinnacle

The Great Peaks (Cima Grande) , the middle of the Three Peaks, is the highest peak in the group at 2999  m . It stands out due to its 500 meter high, vertical to overhanging north face, which is sometimes counted among the great north faces of the Alps , although, unlike the other walls, it does not have any ice passages. The south side is much less steep and criss- crossed by numerous bands and rubble terraces . The normal route also leads through this south face , with a difficulty of III (UIAA) the easiest route, which is also used as a descent from the summit. Other well-known climbing routes are the northeastern edge ( Dibonakante , IV +), Dabistebaff (V) to the northeast wall and Dülfer (V +) on the west wall. The routes through the north face are much more difficult, especially the Direttissima (also Hasse / Brandler , VIII +, VI A2), Sachsenweg (also Superdirettissima , V A2), Via Camillotto Pellesier (X, V + A2), Comici (VII, V + A0), ISO 2000 (VIII +), Claudio-Barbier-Gedächtnisweg (IX- A0), Alpenrose (IX-) and Phantom der Zinne (IX +).

To the east, behind the pyramid (approx. 2630  m ), which is insignificant in alpine terms, are the Zinnenscharte and the Kleine Zinne. In the west, the Große Zinnenscharte forms the demarcation from the Western Zinne.

The first ascent of the Großer Zinne took place on August 21, 1869 from the south.

Western pinnacle

View from Höhlenstein (Landro) to the Großer (left) and the western pinnacle with its porch (Croda degli Alpini, Il Mulo, Zinnenkopf)

The 2973  m high western pinnacle (Cima Ovest) , formerly also called Vordere or Landroer pinnacle , is similar in shape to the large pinnacle. Its north wall, however, has much more overhanging passages that protrude up to a horizontal distance of 40 meters above the foot of the wall, so that the north face of the western pinnacle is also known as the "largest roof in the Alps". Because of its step-like structure, it is often described as the "giant inverted staircase" and is one of the most distinctive rock formations in the Alps.

The mountain is south-west and surrounded by a massive stem connected to the Torre Lavaredo 2,536  m , the battlements head ( Sasso di Landro , 2736  m ), Croda di Mezzo ( 2,733  m ), Croda del Rifugio , even Hüttenkofel (ca. 2730  m ), Il Mulo (approx. 2800  m ), Croda degli Alpini ( 2865  m ), Croda Longéres and Torre Comici ( 2780  m ) has several other summit points. This porch is separated from the western pinnacle by the western pinnacle slit and the Forcella Col di Mezzo lies in its west. In the east of the western pinnacle, the Torre di Forcella della Grande is in front of the Großer Zinnenscharte .

The normal route to the Western Zinne leads from the Western Zinnenscharte on the southwest side with difficulty II to the summit; today it is mainly important as a descent route. Important routes are the Dülferkamin (IV) in the south face , Innerkofler (IV) in the east face , Langl / Löschner (IV) in the northeast face , the Demuthkante (northeast edge , VII, V + A0), Dülfer (IV +) in the west face and the Scoiattolikante (VIII, V + A2). The Swiss guide (VIII +, 6 A3), Cassin / Ratti (VIII, VI- A1), Baur-Dach (VI + A3), Alpenliebe (IX), Jean-Couzy -Gedächtnisführe (also French guide , X, 5 + A3), Bellavista (XI-, IX A3), PanAroma (XI-, IX A3) and Pressknödl (7c).

The first ascent of the Western Zinne took place on August 21, 1879 from the south.

Small battlements, Punta di Frida and Preuss Tower

Summit of the Kleiner Zinne, seen from the northeast edge ("Dibonakante") of the Großer Zinne. On the right the southern pre-summit Anticima . View of the southwest face with the normal route

The massif of the Kleine Zinne ( Cima Piccola , 2857  m ) is much more subdivided than the Great and Western Zinne and has other important summit points with the Punta di Frida ( 2792  m ) and the Preuss Tower ( 2700  m ). Also to be mentioned are the Anticima , a southern pre-summit of the Kleiner Zinne and the Allerkleinste Zinne ( Torre Minor , often just referred to as "porch"), a small rock tower in front of the Prussian Tower.

The small pinnacle, which differs from the other pinnacles due to the slim shape of its summit structure, is considered the most difficult to reach pinnacle summit with a normal route of difficulty IV (over the southwest face). Other important climbs are the Yellow Edge ( Spigolo Giallo , VI, V + A0) on the south edge, Innerkofler (IV +) and Fehrmannkamin (V +) on the north face, Langl / Horn (V) on the east face and Orgler (VI-), Egger / Sauscheck (VI +, V + A0), Ötzi meets Yeti (VIII +) and Yellow Wall (also Perlen vor die Säue , IX-) on the south wall.

The normal route (III) leads to Punta di Frida from the west as well as several other routes such as Dülfer (IV +) in the north face or Zelger (IV) in the south-east face .

The Preuss Tower (Torre Preuss) , originally known as the Kleinste Zinne (Cima Piccolissima) or Punta d'Emma , was named in 1928 after its first climber, Paul Preuss . While this name quickly became popular in Italy, it was soon kept secret in German-speaking countries because of Prussia's Jewish origins and only the term "smallest pinnacle" (coined by Preuss himself) was used. Since the 1960s, the name “Preuss Tower” has been used again and again. The most important ascent is the Preussriss (V) on the northeast side , and the Cassin (VII-, VI A0) and Via Nobile (IX +) routes that lead through the southeast face must also be mentioned.

The first ascent of the Kleiner Zinne took place on July 25, 1881 from the southwest.

geology

The north face of the western pinnacle. The horizontal bench is clearly visible. Rock falls led to the formation of the roof overhanging up to 40 meters. Above that, cyanobacteria have stained the rock black.

The Three Peaks consist of main dolomite , which was formed in the Triassic around 200 to 220 million years ago through sedimentation in shallow water areas of the ancient sea of Tethys . The fossils are therefore mainly marine organisms such as megalodonts and gastropods . Due to the tides and other fluctuations in the sea level, which led to alternating periods of flooding and drying out of large areas of land, and the simultaneous steady sinking of the subsoil, the rock was deposited in the form of superimposed layers. The rock of the Drei Zinnen therefore has a clear and even bank , with thin layers of clay between the individual dolomite layers .

In conjunction with this horizontal vertical Bankung led fractures to fractures in rectangular forms which are evident in the often cubic boulders the extensive scree show at the foot of the steep walls. The main mechanism of erosion is frost blasting , which, in addition to constant falling rocks, often also results in major rock falls . In 1948, for example, there was a large rock fall from the south face of the Großer Zinne, in July 1981 a rock bridge between the Allerkleinster Zinne and the Preussturm, which until then had often been climbed by climbers, collapsed.

The breaking away of large pieces of rock is promoted by the instability of the subsoil. The extensive pinnacle plateau, which forms the base of the group, rests on a base made of Sciliar dolomite . This is covered by moraines from the Würme Ice Age , but above all by relatively easily weatherable rocks from the Raibler layers . The erosion of these layers gradually removes the base of the rock towers lying on them and leads to the breaking away of exposed rock sections. These processes, which continue to this day, led to the development of the steep forms of the battlements and, in particular, of the heavily overhanging rock roofs on the north walls.

Climate, flora and fauna

The three peaks from the south
The south side of the Three Peaks photographed from a glider pilot

The Sexten Dolomites are surrounded on all sides by other mountain groups. This protected location in the interior of the Alps has relatively favorable climatic conditions for the altitude. Nevertheless, violent sudden falls in weather can occur here even in midsummer . In shady gorges and below the north walls, snow usually remains until late in summer, sometimes all year round, but glaciations do not occur here.

The alpine mats of the Raibl layers dominate the area around the Three Peaks belonging to the alpine altitude level . The plateau around the Lange Alm is one of only a few areas in the nature park that is grazed . The alpine grass and mountain pastures stand out for their abundance of flowers. Among other things, the bearded bellflower , edelweiss and the Clusius gentian thrive there . There the marmot occurs in large numbers, another mammal worth mentioning is the mountain hare . Another inhabitant of this environment is the chamois , whereas the ibex does not occur in the Sesto Dolomites. As representatives of the bird fauna, rock ptarmigan , raven and golden eagle should be mentioned, and the eagle owl sometimes hunts at these altitudes. The adder , especially the black variety Hell's viper , can be found there up to an altitude of 2600  m , which is unusual for reptiles .

The vegetation on the extensive scree slopes and on the southern flanks of the battlements is characterized by plants from the frost rubble zone, which are adapted to the living conditions in the constantly moving scree slopes. These include alpine toadflax , shield dock , round-leaved hellerkraut , dolomite cinquefoil and alpine poppy . In the field scoring even more compact walls of the find savings engined saxifrage , the Rock Kugelschötchen that dwarf Minimize and the rare Blue Mänderle . There are hardly any taller plants in the steep, shady north walls . The most noticeable growth here, along with a few mosses and lichens, are extensive carpets of cyanobacteria , which appear in the form of characteristic "ink streaks", particularly in damp rock areas. One mammal that climbs up into the rocky zone is the snow mouse . The wallcreeper and the alpine chough hunt insects there.

history

"3 Zinnern Spize" in the Atlas Tyrolensis

Historical forms of names

The earliest records of German names for the summit group come from the 16th and 17th centuries and are Dreyspiz , Dreÿ Spitz and auff gegen den Zwain high Spizenn . In Peter Anichs and Blasius Huebers Atlas Tyrolensis from 1774 the mountains are listed as 3 pewter spikes . In Johann Jakob Staffler's Tyrolean state topography from 1845 the spelling Dreizinnen -spitze appears . The Austrian military map from 1900 uses today's abbreviated form of the name Drei Zinnen for the first time . Until 1940, was Sesto and San Candido nor the altmundartliche Three Zinte known. Today, Drai Zinn is used dialectically , especially since the en- ending is omitted in the Pustertal valley .

First ascents

Paul Grohmann, first to climb the Großer Zinne
South side of the Drei Zinnen seen from the Lavaredo hut

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Dolomites, and with them the Three Peaks, received relatively little attention from mountaineering , during this time the focus was on the high peaks of the western Alps . Mountains that demanded less classic expedition mountaineering and more technical climbing skills did not become the focus of interest until 1850. The first ascent of Monte Pelmo by John Ball in 1857 and the construction of the railway line over the Brenner Pass in 1867 were important dates for the development of the Dolomites.

Memorial stone for the first ascent of the Großer Zinne (right) on the way between Auronzo hut and Paternsattel

The Viennese alpinist Paul Grohmann , who had dedicated himself to the first ascent of numerous Dolomite mountains since 1862 , was the first mountaineer to notice the Three Peaks, which he regarded as a worthwhile summit destination not because of its height, but because of the “boldness of its construction”. In August 1869 he hired the local guides Franz Innerkofler and Peter Salcher for the first ascent of the Großer Zinne. Franz Innerkofler, who had already made the first explorations, led the group on the first attempt on August 21 in less than three hours along today's normal route ( III ) to the summit. This is roughly the same time that is still taken into account for this route today. Grohmann stated an altitude of 3,015 meters for the summit on the basis of air pressure measurements.

Due to its lower height, the western pinnacle was considered a less desirable goal. Luigi Orsolina and Gustav Gröger did not attempt to climb the summit until ten years after the first ascent of the Große Zinne. In August 1879 they came to a jagged rock on the southern flank, which in the fog they thought was the summit. A few days later, on August 21, 1879, Michel Innerkofler , a cousin of Franz Innerkofler, and Georg Ploner, landlord in Schluderbach , were able to reach the highest point and clear up the error.

For a long time, the Kleine Zinne was considered impassable because of its steeper walls. First attempts by Pietro Dimai and Richard Ißler (1878), as well as by Santo Siorpaes and Ludwig Grünwald (1881) over the north face failed, but Siorpaes and Grünwald reached the summit of Punta di Frida. On July 25, 1881, the guides Michel and Hans Innerkofler were supposed to lead the Viennese Josef von Schlögl-Ehrenburg up to the Kleine Zinne, but left him at the entrance and reached the summit via the southwest side. You only needed one and a half hours for the ascent, today, according to the guide literature, a time of two to three hours is estimated. This ascent was considered to be the most difficult climb to date ( level IV ) and a milestone in the development of climbing on steep rock, which began to emancipate itself from classic alpinism by placing greater emphasis on the sporty component.

The other peaks of the group were only opened up later: Paul Preuss and Paul Relly opened the Prussian crack at the Kleinsten Zinne in 1911 , which was then renamed the Preuss Tower . The Torre Lavaredo was first climbed in 1928, followed by the Croda degli Alpini and the Croda Longéres in 1929. Il Mulo was climbed for the first time in 1937, the Torre Comici in 1945.

Development of new routes

In the first few years after the first ascent, ascents via the normal routes played a role almost exclusively. These were now also climbed by women for the first time (Anna Ploner 1874, second ascent of the Große Zinne; Ada von Sermoneta 1882 Kleine Zinne; Frau Eckerth 1884 Westliche Zinne). The first ascent of a pinnacle summit without the help of a local guide by Otto and Emil Zsigmondy , Ludwig Purtscheller and Heinrich Koechlin (Kleine Zinne, July 23, 1884) was seen as an important step in the development of driverless mountaineering. The brothers Zsigmondy, Purtscheller and Koechlin did not exactly follow the route of the first climbers of 1881 on their guideless ascent of the Kleiner Zinne, but opened a variant on the summit tower (Zsigmondy-Kamin, key point of the new route), which is now the normal route and thus the easiest ascent to the Summit applies.

At that time, the main focus of mountaineering was still on reaching the summit on the path of least resistance; the development of alternative, more difficult climbs was only slowly gaining ground. In 1881, Michel Innerkofler and Louis Tambosi made the first ascent of a new route to the pinnacles, but this was only a variant through the lower part of the south wall of the great pinnacle. It was not until July 28, 1890 that the north wall guide was carried out on the small pinnacle Sepp Innerkofler , Veit Innerkofler and Hans Helversen undertook an important new tour. With the IV + level of difficulty, this is only rated half a degree more difficult than the normal route, but at that time it was considered by far the most difficult climb in the Dolomites. Several new openings followed in the next few years, such as the east face of the Große Zinne under the leadership of Antonio Dimai in 1897 and the east face of the Westliche Zinne, guided by Sepp and Michl Innerkofler in 1899. In 1906 Giovanni Siorpaes, Sepp Innerkofler and Adolf Witzenmann tried to climb the east face the small pinnacle, which they could only overcome with rope help from above. Otto Langl and Ferdinand Horn completed this route in 1907 and opened the first pinnacle route in the fifth grade. The Dibona edge on the large pinnacle, today one of the most popular trails, was first climbed by Rudl Eller in 1908 , but the ascent by Angelo Dibona in 1909, after whom the route was finally named, became known. Also in 1909, Rudolf Fehrmann and Oliver Perry-Smith opened up the Fehrmann chimney on the north face of the Kleiner Zinne. Hans Dülfer's route from 1913 through the west face of the Großer Zinne was for a long time the most difficult on the battlements.

First World War

Remains of Italian war systems near the Auronzo hut
Position of the Kaiserschützen north of the Zinnenplateau (Schwalbenjöchl)

After Italy declared war on Austria on May 23, 1915, the mountain war began within a few days along the Paternkofel –Paternsattel – Drei Zinnen – Forcella Col di Mezzo line, which at that time represented the state border and the front line . On May 25th, the Dreizinnenhütte was destroyed by Italian artillery , on May 26th an Austrian attack on the Paternsattel held by Italy followed. A patrol tried to reach the Eastern Zinnenscharte to intercept the reinforcement of the Italian troops by Alpini from the Forcella Col di Mezzo. However, this was not possible due to the icing of the steep terrain, so that on the same evening it was necessary to retreat from the Paternsattel that had been taken in the meantime. This was followed by an expansion of the Italian positions, which reached from the Patern saddle to immediately below the Prussian tower. Compared to other mountains in the area such as the Paternkofel or the Toblinger Knot , which were massively expanded with positions for the war and on which there were also fighting, the Drei Zinnen itself was largely spared from the immediate fighting. However, they were of strategic importance as vantage points, but their use was very demanding from an alpine perspective. In July 1915, the Italian army began, at great expense, to transport a searchlight to the summit of the Großer Zinne. In the night of August 14th to 15th, it was put into operation and illuminated the Austrian positions on the Zinnen plateau. A cannon was also carried to the upper part of the mountain. The notches between the battlements were continuously manned by Italian field guards. In the course of the war, the alpine supply routes were also expanded, which formed the basis of the traffic-technical development of this area. A war memorial and the Alpine Chapel ( Cappella degli Alpini , 2314  m ) were erected in 1928 to the south-east of the Großer Zinne on the way to the Paternsattel .

The north walls

Well-known routes on the north face of the Große Zinne: 1 = Dibonakante, 2 = Via Camillotto Pellesier, 3 = The Phantom of the Zinne, 4 = Hasse / Brandler (Direttissima), 5 = Sachsenweg (Superdirettissima), 6 = Comici / Dimai

In the years after the First World War, there was hardly any alpine activity on the battlements. From 1930 appeared by reaching the VI. Difficulty level in the 1920s, it was possible to overcome the north faces of the Großer and Westlicher Zinne, which had previously been considered unclimbable, for the first time. In 1933 Fritz Demuth, Ferdinand Peringer and Sepp Lichtenegger reached the lower VI on the northeastern edge of the Western Zinne. Degree.

Finally, on August 13 and 14, 1933, Emilio Comici with Giovanni and Angelo Dimai succeeded in climbing the north face of the Große Zinne for the first time after an ascent of three days and two nights. The style of this first ascent was characterized by hooking many hooks and technical climbing and was controversial. This approach was considered unethical by many representatives of classical alpinism, the ascent was described as a "farce" and even interpreted by Julius Kugy as proof that the north face was inaccessible. In 1937 Comici repeated the ascent of the route in response to the criticism, single-handedly and largely without rope. As early as 1933, he had succeeded in another important first ascent with the Yellow Edge on the Kleiner Zinne.

In 1935 Riccardo Cassin and Vittorio Ratti were able to prevail against Hans Hintermeier and Josef Meindl, who had been working on the route for a long time, and were the first to climb the north face of the western pinnacle. This was the most difficult tour of the Three Peaks to date. In the same year, Sesto mountain guides erected the three-meter-high iron summit cross on the large pinnacle.

The Direttissima Age

After the Second World War, technical aids and bolts in particular were more readily available. This enabled securing points to be attached independently of natural rock structures such as cracks and thus a more direct route based on the fall line . From July 6 to 10, 1958, Dietrich Hasse , Lothar Brandler , Sigi Löw and Jörg Lehne opened up a route on the north face of the Große Zinne with 180 normal bolts and 14 bolts, the up to then direct ascent through a large wall. This Direttissima (also Hasse / Brandler ) shaped the climbing sport in the next few years, in which the Direttissima style with the attempt to follow the "line of the falling drop" was elevated to the ideal. The first direttissimas at the Westliche Zinne were in 1959 the Jean Couzy Memorial Guide by René Desmaison and Pierre Mazeaud and the Swiss Guide , which was the first route to touch the great roof. In January 1963 the Superdirettissima (Sachsenweg) followed at the Großer Zinne , which showed almost no deviation from the fall line. In 1967 Enrico Mauro and Mirco Minuzzi opened the Via Camillotto Pellesier on the Große Zinne with 340 bolts , in 1968 Gerd Baur and the Rudolph brothers climbed the roof of the Western Zinne with extreme technical effort.

Modern sport climbing

Some routes on the Western Zinne: 1 = Demuthkante, 2 = Alpenliebe, 3 = Franzosenführe, 4 = Schweizerführe, 5 = Bellavista, 6 = Pan Aroma, 7 = Cassin / Ratti

When the technically complex development was increasingly criticized in the 1970s and the idea of free climbing gained influence, climbers tried for the first time to master the technical routes in the north walls of the pinnacles without the aid of the hooks. In 1978 (or earlier) it was possible to climb the comic guide for the first time , and in 1979 also the red point Cassin guide . In the next few years, there were free climbs of other routes such as Egger / Sauscheck , Gelber Kante and Cassin on the Kleiner Zinne and the Preussturm, in 1987 Kurt Albert also climbed two Direttissimarouten rotpunkt with the Swiss guide and the Hasse-Brandler . The Jean Couzy Memorial Tour followed in 1999 and the Via Camillotto Pellesier in 2003 . The first freely climbed new tour on the north faces was the Alpenrose in 1988 by Michal and Miroslav Coubal, followed by Phantom der Zinne in 1995 on the Große and Alpenliebe in 1998 on the Westliche Zinne. With the route Perlen vor die Säue (1996) and Via Nobile (1997), later known as the Yellow Wall , Kurt Albert and Stefan Glowacz also set up modern sport climbing routes equipped with numerous bolts .

In March 2000, Alexander Huber and Bellavista opened a route that was only secured with normal hooks on the edge of the Baur roof in the western pinnacle, which he also did red point in 2001. It was the first alpine route in the XI. Difficulty level, to this day it is considered one of the world's most difficult alpine climbing routes. In 2007, Huber was able to put another tour of the same difficulty right through the roof zone with Pan Aroma .

Enchaînements

The short distances between the peaks of the Three Peaks offered early opportunities to line up several routes directly one after the other ( enchaînement ). As early as 1881 Demeter Diamantidi , led by Michel and Hans Innerkofler, climbed the summit of all Three Peaks in one day. In 1955 Gottfried Mair and Toni Egger were able to climb two north face leads in one day with Comici and Cassin for the first time, in 1961 Claudio Barbier climbed the north face of all three peaks, the Punta di Frida and the Prussian tower solo in one day. In 1988 Thomas Bubendorfer climbed three north face routes in one day and climbed the Marmolada and the Pordoispitze . However, the style of this venture has been criticized as it connected the routes with the help of a helicopter . In 2008, Thomas Huber combined the difficult north face routes Alpenliebe , Phantom der Zinne and Ötzi meets Yeti in one day, with each descending as a base jump . On March 17, 2014, the Swiss Ueli Steck and Michael Wohlleben managed to climb the three classic routes through the north face in winter. They connected Cassin to the Westliche Zinne, Comici to the Großer Zinne and Innerkofler with the north face at the Kleiner Zinne.

Going it alone

In 1937 Emilio Comici repeated his north face route single-handedly, climbing a large part of the route without a rope. In 1959 Claudio Barbier was successful in the first solo ascent of the Cassin . In these solo efforts, the help of Haken was used; Heinz Mariacher already climbed the north faces largely free in 1972. In 2002 Alexander Huber climbed the Direttissima Hasse / Brandler free solo , at that time one of the most difficult free solo ascents worldwide. In 2002, Much Mayr was able to climb another difficult pinnacle route without ropes with the Cassin, which was completely unknown to him . In 2010, Ueli Steck climbed the Cassin (Preuss Tower), Yellow Edge (Kleine Zinne) and Comici (Große Zinne) routes free solo in one day.

Mass tourism and marketing

The Three Peaks as an advertising motif, ca.1900

In the consciousness of the local population, the Three Peaks hardly seem to have played a special role until the 19th century. In contrast to many other striking rock formations in the area, no legend is known about the battlements. In travel reports from the early 19th century, only rough descriptions from a great distance can be found. From the second half of the 19th century, the Hochpustertal became a destination for summer visitors . Travel reports that significantly increased the international fame of the Three Peaks were The Dolomite Mountains by Josiah Gilbert and George Cheetham Churchill 1864 and Untrodden peaks and unfrequented valleys. A midsummer ramble in the Dolomites by Amelia Edwards in 1873. In addition, the postcards that had become fashionable at the time were the basis for the soon increasing popularity of the Three Peaks outside of mountaineering circles. In Höhlenstein, the only village in the valley with a view of the north face of the battlements, a colony of luxury hotels has emerged.

The First World War brought tourism to a standstill, but the pictures of the battles on the Zinnenplateau increased the awareness of the mountains. In war propaganda , the battlements on both sides served as symbols for the mountains. They were staged as a border marker and fortress. A picture of the recovery of the corpse of Sepp Innerkofler, who fell on Paternkofel in 1915, became known in 1918. The depiction of the funeral procession against the background of the battlements served to transfigure Innerkofler as a martyr and solidified the myth of the mountains. During the following period of fascism , the South Tyrolean patriotic movements stylized the Three Peaks as an icon of the whole of Tyrol , whereby the image of the mountains was charged with religious and political symbolism . The Three Peaks on postcards and posters, for example, symbolized the former Tyrolean border by serving as a background for depicting Tyroleans fighting. Landscape photography, which was flourishing in South Tyrol at that time, played a particularly important role in popularizing the view of the Three Peaks. The ostensibly ideology-free mountain photos conveyed in a covert form political messages that were hardly accessible to the repression of the fascist state.

The first uses of the Three Peaks in advertising were known as early as 1900 , and their name is still widely used as an advertising medium today. In particular, restaurants in the surrounding area like to use the Drei Zinnen as part of their name: Toblach is advertised as the "municipality of the Drei Zinnen". Since 1998 there has been a 20-kilometer mountain run from Sexten to the Dreizinnenhütte, known as the " Drei-Zinnen-Lauf ". The Three Peaks are a frequently used subject in South Tyrol's tourism advertising. The Nazi writer Karl Springenschmid called the summit group “God's most idiosyncratic creation in the Alps”. The Italian Post has been issuing a stamp with a drawing of the mountains since July 24, 2008 as part of the Tourism series . Stylized representations of the battlements can be found in the logos of several companies. Their shape was also modeled on a type of fruit ice cream called Dolomiti , which was popular in the 1980s.

Hikers on the way to the Dreizinnenhütte

The hiking tourism experienced in the early 20th century, its first peak. In 1908 more than 2000 people visited the Dreizinnenhütte , built in 1881 . Tourism continued to grow in the interwar period . After the Second World War, many old war routes, including Auronzostraße, were expanded for tourist purposes, which resulted in a renewed increase in visitor numbers. An extension of the car road to the Dreizinnenhütte has already been considered several times, but has so far been prevented.

The trip around the Drei Zinnen is one of the most popular hiking trails in the Dolomites, as the area is easily accessible via the toll road to the Auronzo hut. The path from the Auronzo Hut to the Paternsattel and the Dreizinnen Hut is also very broad and has only slight inclines. It is therefore easy to walk even for inexperienced hikers, so that on some days the high rush can lead to real traffic jams. The Dreizinnenhütte offers 140 overnight stays, with the numerous day guests it has up to 2000 visitors daily.

literature

Web links

Commons : Drei Zinnen  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Peter Ortner , Christine Kiebacher, Alfred Gruber: Sesto Dolomites Nature Park - The loneliness of big names . Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol, Nature and Landscape Department. Athesia, Bozen 2001.
  2. ↑ Unesco World Natural Heritage Dolomites. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on December 27, 2009 ; Retrieved September 29, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / dolomiten.suedtirol.com
  3. ↑ Tabacco hiking map: Sheet 10 - Sesto Dolomites (1: 25,000). Tabacco Editrice, ISBN 978-88-8315-010-4 . (Measured up to point 3.011 on the map west of the Zwölfergipfel)
  4. ↑ Alpine Club Guide, pp. 120–141
  5. ↑ Information board in Höhlensteintal, near Dürrensee.
  6. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , p. 24
  7. ↑ Alpine Club Guide, pp. 97–120
  8. ↑ Information board in Höhlensteintal, near Dürrensee.
  9. ↑ Alpine Club Guide, pp. 141–156
  10. ↑ Alpine Club Guide, pp. 156–159
  11. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 43
  12. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , p. 58
  13. ↑ Alpine Club Guide pp. 160–167
  14. ↑ Information board in Höhlensteintal, near Dürrensee.
  15. ↑ Volkmar Stingl, Michael Wachtler: Dolomites - the becoming of a landscape . Ed .: Naturmuseum Südtirol. 2nd Edition. Athesia, Bozen 1999, ISBN 88-7014-979-X , p. 84-89 .
  16. ↑ a b c Peter Ortner, Christine Kiebacher, Alfred Gruber: Sesto Dolomites Nature Park - The loneliness of big names . Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol, Nature and Landscape Department. Athesia, Bozen 2001, p. 14-23 .
  17. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 11
  18. ↑ Alpine Club Guide, p. 160
  19. ^ Volkmar Stingl, Michael Wachtler: Dolomites . The becoming of a landscape. Ed .: Naturmuseum Südtirol. 2nd Edition. Athesia, Bozen 1999, ISBN 88-7014-979-X , p. 126 .
  20. ↑ Annemarie Maurer, Margareth Pallhuber, Ulrike Lanthaler: Nature parks in South Tyrol . Nature experience inside and outside. Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol Nature and Landscape Department. 2004, p. 29 ( bz.it [accessed September 19, 2009]).
  21. ↑ Alexander Stahr, Thomas Hartmann: Landscapes and landscape elements in the high mountains . Springer, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-540-65278-7 , pp. 142 ( Google Books [accessed September 9, 2009]).
  22. ↑ Alois Haydn, Richard Goedeke: Sextener Dolomiten . Area guide for hikers u. Climber. Rother, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-7633-3336-3 , p. 8-9 .
  23. ↑ Peter Ortner, Christine Kiebacher, Alfred Gruber: Sesto Dolomites Nature Park - The loneliness of big names . Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol, Nature and Landscape Department. Athesia, Bozen 2001, p. 41-46 .
  24. ↑ Heinrich Erhard, Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Office for Hunting and Fishing, Forestry Department (Ed.): Das Steinwild in Südtirol . Athesia, Bozen 2000, ISBN 88-8266-073-7 , p. 39 .
  25. ^ A b Peter Ortner, Christine Kiebacher, Alfred Gruber: Sesto Dolomites Nature Park - The loneliness of big names . Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol, Nature and Landscape Department. Athesia, Bozen 2001, p. 47-50 .
  26. ↑ Peter Ortner, Christine Kiebacher, Alfred Gruber: Sesto Dolomites Nature Park - The loneliness of big names . Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol, Nature and Landscape Department. Athesia, Bozen 2001, p. 38 .
  27. ↑ Peter Ortner, Christine Kiebacher, Alfred Gruber: Sesto Dolomites Nature Park - The loneliness of big names . Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol, Nature and Landscape Department. Athesia, Bozen 2001, p. 37-50 .
  28. ^ A b Egon Kühebacher : The place names of South Tyrol and their history . tape 3 . Bozen 2000, ISBN 88-8266-018-4 , pp. 48 . (according to evidence in the San Candido Abbey Archives )
  29. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , pp. 19-22
  30. ↑ a b Paul Grohmann : The climbing of the large (middle) pinnacle . In: Anton Ziegler (ed.): Paul Grohmann - developer of the mountains . Munich 1927, p. 42-46 .
  31. ↑ Alpine Club Guide, p. 123
  32. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , pp. 21-25
  33. ↑ a b Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 33
  34. ↑ Alpine Club Guide, p. 144
  35. ↑ Carl Diener : The Sexten Group . In: Eduard Richter, German and Austrian Alpine Association (ed.): The development of the Eastern Alps . tape 3 . Publishing house of the German and Austrian Alpine Club, Berlin 1894, p. 514 .
  36. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , 28
  37. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 35
  38. ↑ Luca Visentini: Sexten Dolomites . Athesia, Bozen 1983, ISBN 88-7014-319-8 , p. 112-114 .
  39. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , p. 31
  40. ↑ Carl Diener : The Sexten Group . In: Eduard Richter , German and Austrian Alpine Association (ed.): The development of the Eastern Alps . tape 3 . Publishing house of the German and Austrian Alpine Club, Berlin 1894, p. 513 .
  41. ↑ a b Dumler, Drei Zinnen , p. 28
  42. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , p. 41
  43. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , pp. 62–63
  44. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , pp. 44–45
  45. ↑ Viktor Schemfil: The fighting in the Drei-Zinnen area and on the Kreuzberg near Sexten 1915–1917 . Written on the basis of Austrian war records, descriptions of fellow combatants and Italian works on war history. In: R. Klebelsberg (Ed.): Schlern writings . 2nd Edition. Universitätsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck 1984, ISBN 3-7030-0170-4 , p. 24-30 .
  46. ↑ Peter Kübler, Hugo Reider: Battle for the Three Peaks . The heart of the Sexten Dolomites 1915–1917 and today. 4th edition. Athesia, Bozen 1992, ISBN 88-7014-231-0 , p. 23-30 .
  47. ↑ Peter Kübler, Hugo Reider: Battle for the Three Peaks . The heart of the Sexten Dolomites 1915–1917 and today. 4th edition. Athesia, Bozen 1992, ISBN 88-7014-231-0 , p. 171 .
  48. ↑ Luca Visentini: Sexten Dolomites . Athesia, Bozen 1983, ISBN 88-7014-319-8 , p. 120 .
  49. ↑ Peter Kübler, Hugo Reider: Battle for the Three Peaks . The heart of the Sexten Dolomites 1915–1917 and today. 4th edition. Athesia, Bozen 1992, ISBN 88-7014-231-0 , p. 173 .
  50. ↑ Holzer, The Armament of the Eye , p. 75
  51. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , p. 78
  52. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , 82–85
  53. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 59
  54. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , 60–63
  55. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , pp. 85–91
  56. ↑ William Eppacher: mountain and summit crosses in Tirol . In: Raimund Klebelsberg (ed.): Schlern writings . tape 178 . Universitätsverlag Wagner, Innsbruck 1957, p. 99 .
  57. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , pp. 65–71
  58. ↑ Alexander Huber, Michael Meisl: Pan Aroma . Free through the largest roof in the Alps. In: Mountaineers . No. 11 . Bruckmann, Munich July 2007, p. 84-92 .
  59. ↑ Carl Diener : The Sexten Group . In: Eduard Richter, German and Austrian Alpine Association (ed.): The development of the Eastern Alps . tape 3 . Publishing house of the German and Austrian Alpine Club, Berlin 1894, p. 512 .
  60. ↑ Dumler, Drei Zinnen , pp. 91–93
  61. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 131
  62. ↑ Michael Wohlleben : Michi Wohlleben and Ueli Steck succeed in the north face trilogy on the Three Peaks in winter . In: Sebastian Eiden, kletterszene.com (Ed.): Kletterszene.com . tape 0 . kletterszene.com, Munich 2014, p. 0 .
  63. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , 148–153
  64. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , 145–148
  65. ↑ Ueli Steck: Trilogy in the Dolomites. bergstieg.com, September 21, 2010, accessed September 22, 2010 .
  66. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 9
  67. ↑ Annemarie Maurer, Margareth Pallhuber, Ulrike Lanthaler: Nature parks in South Tyrol . Nature experience inside and outside. Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol Nature and Landscape Department. 2004, p. 27 ( bz.it [accessed September 19, 2009]).
  68. ↑ Amelia Edwards : Untrodden peaks and unfrequented valleys. A midsummer ramble in the Dolomites . Longman's, Green and Co., London 1873 ( upenn.edu [accessed September 29, 2009]).
  69. ↑ Holzer, The Armament of the Eye , pp. 22, 24, 28, 38, 64.
  70. ↑ Holzer, The Armament of the Eye , p. 16
  71. ↑ Welcome to Toblach, the "community of the Three Peaks". (No longer available online.) Simply South Tyrol, formerly in the original ; Retrieved September 29, 2009 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.einfach-suedtirol.info  
  72. ↑ www.dreizinnenmarathon.com. Retrieved September 29, 2009 .
  73. ↑ Holzer, The Armament of the Eye , p. 43.
  74. ↑ Karl Springenschmid , Seven Days in Sexten , Munich 1968, p. 47
  75. ^ Il turismo 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2009 .
  76. ^ Anton Holzer, The Armament of the Eye , p. 18
  77. ^ A b Annemarie Maurer, Margareth Pallhuber, Ulrike Lanthaler: Nature parks in South Tyrol . Nature experience inside and outside. Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol Nature and Landscape Department. 2004, p. 18 ( bz.it [accessed September 19, 2009]).
  78. ↑ Annemarie Maurer, Margareth Pallhuber, Ulrike Lanthaler: Nature parks in South Tyrol . Nature experience inside and outside. Ed .: Autonomous Province of Bozen-Südtirol Nature and Landscape Department. 2004, p. 26 ( bz.it [accessed September 19, 2009]).
  79. ↑ Schwenkmeier, Huber, Drei Zinnen , p. 19.
  80. ↑ Auronzo Hut toll road. Retrieved September 16, 2019 .
This article was added to the list of excellent articles on December 17th, 2009 in this version .