A massive rockfall tore loose from the northern walls of Tofana di Dentro in Italy’s Dolomites on Sunday afternoon, October 4, sending huge quantities of rock cascading toward Val Travenanzes west of the famous ski resort Cortina d’Ampezzo. The collapse occurred at approximately 3 p.m., according to Italian media reports, with eyewitnesses describing a deafening bang as the mountainside gave way.The resulting dust cloud was so dense that rescue workers initially could not approach the collapse zone by helicopter. An emergency medical helicopter from Pieve di Cadore attempted to inspect the area alongside mountain rescuers from Italy’s financial police, but the swirling dust made an aerial approach impossible. Rescue teams instead deployed drones and sent personnel overland to determine whether anyone had been caught in the rockfall.
The immediate concern was whether hikers or mountaineers had been caught beneath the falling rock.
The Tofane are among the most prominent mountain groups in the Dolomites and attract large numbers of hikers and climbers during the summer and early fall. Val Travenanzes is also a popular hiking destination. Initial aerial and ground searches, however, found no evidence that anyone had been buried. The search flights were subsequently called off. Initial assessments indicated that the rockfall debris came to rest on a higher section of terrain rather than reaching the floor of Val Travenanzes.
Several trails in the area were nevertheless affected. Authorities closed Trail 401 through Val Travenanzes and the Cengia Paolina area as a precaution. Currently no announcement has been made when those routes would reopen.
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The rockfall comes amid growing concern about unstable mountain terrain across the Alps. Freeze-thaw cycles, water infiltration and the degradation of permanently frozen ground can all contribute to instability in high mountain environments, although no specific cause had been established for Sunday’s collapse at Tofana di Dentro.
Cortina d’Ampezzo is a premier ski resort in the Italian Dolomites and is part of the Dolomiti Superski conglomerate. The ski area covers 12 resorts on one ski pass which together offers more than 750 miles (1,200 km) of groomed ski runs serviced by 450 lifts. At the heart of the ski area lies the famous Sella Ronda which connects several, but not all, of the Italian ski resorts. The famous conglomerate is also part of the IKON pass product offerings in Europe.