{"id":20809,"date":"2013-10-01T18:05:28","date_gmt":"2013-10-01T16:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.albertodegiuli.com\/en\/2013\/10\/arrampicare-nelle-odle-grande-fermeda-via-normale\/"},"modified":"2025-06-05T08:57:08","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T06:57:08","slug":"climbing-odle-grande-fermeda-normal-route-gardena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.albertodegiuli.com\/en\/2013\/10\/climbing-odle-grande-fermeda-normal-route-gardena\/","title":{"rendered":"Climbing the normal route of Grande Fermeda, Odle. Val Gardena."},"content":{"rendered":"
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La parete sud della Grande Fermeda.<\/p><\/div>\n

Every time I set foot in the Odle mountains, it\u2019s a leap into the past\u2014back to childhood walks with my family among the alpine pastures of Val di Funes, beneath the Dolomites\u2019 most photogenic range. On long-hike days, we\u2019d cross\u00a0Forcella di Mesd\u00ec<\/em> to reach the sun-drenched slopes facing Val Gardena. It\u2019s here, on the south faces of the Odle, that the area\u2019s most popular climbs converge: rock solid and beautiful, unlike the dramatic but chossy north aspects.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Fermeda peaks<\/strong>\u2014a jagged cluster of spires\u2014gave the Odle their name (“Needles”<\/em>\u00a0in Ladin). Both\u00a0Piccola Fermeda<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Grande Fermeda\u00a0offer many fun, easy rock routes suited for a wide audience.<\/p>\n

The normal route up Grande Fermeda\u00a0is a rewarding climb for novice alpinists\u2014the\u00a0Cima Grande di Lavaredo<\/em>\u00a0of Val Gardena, if you will. First ascended in 1887 by guide Michele Bettega (the first guide from Primiero) and companions, it\u2019s easily accessed from the Col Raiser lifts. The south face delivers delightful, never-grueling climbing.\u00a0Who\u2019d guess, gazing up from Alpe di Cisles, that you can even walk midway up the wall?\u00a0The rock shines brightest here: magnificent steep slabs (max\u00a0Grade III – 5.4 YDS<\/strong>) rich with holds and footholds.<\/p>\n

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Climbing the Grande Fermeda, Odle. Val Gardena.<\/p><\/div>\n

Despite numerous cairns, Grande Fermeda sees few crowds, route-finding intuition and terrain mastery are essential, especially since the descent retraces the lengthy ascent. In short: a summit for lovers of quiet journeys, off the beaten tracksm, echoing the spirit of alpinism\u2019s golden age.<\/p>\n\n\t\t