Pickup Trucks Getting Bigger

Quando salgo a Pratopiazza, volgo sempre lo sguardo verso una cima poco nota e frequentata, perché priva di sentieri, da segnalare a chi ama l'alpinismo fuori dalle tracce, senza bolli né tabelle, in ambiente magnifico: la Ponta del Pin.

La Ponta emerge dalla dorsale che si allunga dalla Croda Rossa verso E, e la si può ammirare già da Cimabanche. Dal ramo che la montagna protende verso il Passo scende un crinale, in alto roccioso e sotto coperto di vegetazione, che limita in destra orografica la Val dei Canopi, storico punto di transito fra la Pusteria e Ampezzo.

La costiera si chiama Costa del Pin perché è rivestita da pini silvestri; l'elevazione che la domina, salita nel 1906 da alpinisti austriaci, pur non ospitando pini sulle sue pendici ha lo stesso nome, Ponta del Pin. Lungo il crinale della Costa corre il confine fra Veneto e Alto Adige, del quale - in mezzo a mughi inextricable - wishing you can indulge in identifying the stones.

Ponta climb, but with difficulty climbing is not very high commitment from Pratopiazza, moving first to the SW through meadows and woods, and then aiming at the entrance of a gravel down a notch between the tip and the spur E. For a short but steep channel blocks, standing on the right you come to a fork in a beautiful arch rock. Turn right again, continue on the partition wall and flank, easy little man with a few rocks and debris, which allow you to get up gently to the soft rock, far as the pre. Along the ridge a bit 'exposed, in short is the top.

for the first time I climbed the Bridge Pin, excellent on the observatory and the Croda Rossa and Dürrenstein in 1990. Documented and I was intrigued: I drove the short description of the ascent is in the guidance of Berti the Eastern Dolomites, and I had talked with his son Camillo, which confirmed to me that you have climbed the tip with his father in the '30s.

Since then I have shared that goal with several friends for five or six times. Following faint traces and forget, I discovered the magic of a corner of the most solitary and less trampled in the Dolomites, which I think deserves great respect.

From left: Bridge Pin, Croda Rossa, Crodaccia High, Little Croda Rossa
(from Pratopiazza, autumn 2009)