Three Peaks - South Tyrol

The area around the Three Peaks in South Tyrol offers many hiking trails for experienced hikers and for beginners. The majestic rock spurs offer mountain lovers many climbing tours of various degrees of difficulty.

Talking to locals he discovered that a fellow mountain climber from Sesto, Franz Innerkofler, had already explored the area and discovered a possible entry to the Cima Grande. On 21 August 1869 Grohmann, Innerkofler and Peter Salcher from Luggau started their climb. The path led from the South-eastern base of the mountain across a ravine to the top of the Cima Grande at 2,999 metres. 2 hours and 55 minutes later the majestic mountain had been conquered.
In the following years no-one dared to repeat this risky adventure. After a whole 10 years Franz’s namesake Michl Innerkofler and Georg Ploner from Carbonin successfully climbed the Cima Occidentale. Together with his brother, Hans, Michl also conquered the Cima Piccola. At that time it was a masterly performance, as the Piccola was the most difficult of the Three Peaks.
Over the subsequent years, hiking and climbing attracted a large number of tourists, until the First World War broke out in Europe and put an end to all travelling. For many years the Three Peaks returned to being towering rock faces to be seen from a distance.
Finally, in 1933, conversations between mountain climbers about the search for a route via the North face to the summit of the Cima Grande tempted mountain guide Emilio Comici from Trieste to make a first attempt and to climb the rock face, contrary to any logic. The call of the mountain was so strong that on 14 August 1933, after several attempts, he was able to enter a new route to the summit of the Cima Grande in the summit record book. Thus, Emilio Comici made climbing history.
Since that time, the Three Peaks have been a magnet for passionate climbers and every year many of them conquer one of the peaks. Despite having been climbed countless times, the Three Peaks have retained their magic and their mightiness still captivates all visitors.

Source: Drei Zinnen/Helmut Dumler

Blessing of the time capsule
To celebrate the anniversary of the first ascent of Cima Grande by Paul Grohmann, Peter Salcher and Franz Innerkofler, the idea was born to erect a monument to the Three Peaks, one of the symbols of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage. The anniversary of the first ascent not only refers to the Alpine achievement itself, but also to a new sense of responsibility for the protection and preservation of the Dolomites. It is a time capsule which will be dedicated on August 21, 2019 at the Rifugio Antonio Locatelli and sealed for the next 50 years until the year 2069.
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