Becco di Mezzodì is one of the most popular peaks in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The 360-degree panorama from the summit is something special. The ascent via the normal route is frequented by everyone who loves solitary places and is mostly willing to hike. It’s fairly short technically but not without difficulties. The Barbaria Chimney, the key section of the normal route, protected by a couple of old pitons, requires good chimney technique – something unfortunately ignored by many climbers today… and the desperate scraping moves needed to overcome these ten meters could become interesting to watch.

Becco di Mezzodì, Via Haupt-Lompel. The chockstone wedged in the central chimney.

Becco di Mezzodì also offers more demanding routes, both classic and modern, though they are not climbed very often. In Mauro Bernardi’s guidebooks of classic climbs around Cortina d’Ampezzo, the 1912 Haupt-Lompel route is the last one described. For enthusiasts of rock climbing history, Oswald Gabriel Haupt is one of the great climbers of the early 1900s, famous especially for his route on the East Face of the Cinque Dita (Five Fingers), the Diagonal-Riss. His routes are never easy; they require superb technique in chimneys and cracks.

The Haupt route on Becco di Mezzodì is, in my opinion, truly beautiful. The rock is excellent and, although not very popular these days, it doesn’t need “cleaning” as it is so solid. It’s a short route: 8 pitches covering the 250 meters from the start to the summit, with difficulties not exceeding YDS 5.6 (originally UIAA V-) The black flake on the fourth pitch is truly spectacular, just as Bernardi describes in the route description. The following chimney is technical, requiring stemming with feet smearing. The large natural window on the last pitch forms an ideal frame with the Antelao dominating the view. The large summit cairn is just a few meters from the route’s exit.

I’m writing these few details to convince you to repeat it, even though it will remain a climb for connoisseurs. The long approach can be drastically shortened riding e-bikes up to the Rifugio Palmieri, where you can refresh and rest after the climb. Below you’ll find a selection of images from the climb.