Doss dela Torta Hike

Published on 2009-5-20 by Michael Stanton

Doss dela Torta

May, 2009

ehile vacationing at the Garda Lake with the family, I took our last full afternoon for a solo hike. I could see an alpine crest northwest of Riva, and my map just covered the area. Driving to the pretty Lago di Tenno, I parked the car at the trailhead by the village of Ballino. Heading up trail 420 to the west, it wasn't long before I was out of the cool forest and on a broiling dirt road climbing the mountainside in long switchbacks. I was making for a mountain called Doss dela Torta. Finally the road ended and I traversed trail into a gully to find a big surprise: a massive avalanche had occurred here, maybe even 1-2 years ago, but the snow was still here, well protected under a layer of forest debries. The snow was about 10 feet thick at the most, it descended another 200 feet down below, and far above in the gully as well. I spent a few minutes climbing on then crossing the thing. Very strange! The next gully provided me with some water.

Many forested switchbacks got me up to alpine country, then a nice alpine hut with an open winterroom (called Nardis). Now in snow, I traversed southwest into a basin below Doss dela Torta. I finally decided to climb straight up the slope, which was fine, then I dealt with a pitch of 4th class loose climbing to reach the ridge crest. The summit view was really special, because it took in the Ademello-Presanella Group two ridges away to the west. Broad glaciers and ridges decorated the massif. "Wow, gotta go there," I thought.

As I marched down, I managed to short cut many of the long road switchbacks, which pleased me. 4600 feet elevation gain/loss. Quarts of water sweated: 12,000.