The Queen of the Dolomites, they call her, and the Marmolada earns the title: at 3,343 metres, Punta Penia is the highest summit of the range, and its northern flank carries the largest glacier in the Dolomites, while the south face drops away as a sheer wall of pale limestone. That glacier is shrinking fast, and in July 2022 a large section of it collapsed, killing eleven climbers, a tragedy that brought the effects of climate change home to everyone who loves these mountains.
The Marmolada saw some of the strangest fighting of the First World War. The front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary ran across the mountain, and Austrian troops dug a network of tunnels and shelters inside the glacier itself, the so-called City of Ice, where soldiers lived for months. Remains of the war still emerge from the melting ice. A museum at Punta Serauta, reached by the cable car from Malga Ciapela, tells the story.
The Passo Fedaia, at 2,057 metres, crosses the northern foot of the mountain, linking Canazei in the Val di Fassa with Malga Ciapela and the Agordino. The western side is gentle, passing the turquoise Lago di Fedaia reservoir with the glacier above, while the eastern ramp is one of the steepest pass roads in the Alps, a long, straight climb at gradients well into double figures. It is a challenging ride in both directions. The Sottoguda gorge below was badly damaged by the Vaia storm in 2018. The pass can close in winter and after heavy snow, and summer weekends bring heavy traffic and many cyclists.
Canazei, eight kilometres away, is a resort village with fuel, hotels and restaurants, and it makes a good base for exploring the Sella group and the passes around it, such as the Pordoi and the Sella. Malga Ciapela and Rocca Pietore on the east side have basic services. Ladin culture is strong in the valleys, with its own language and traditions, and the food mixes Italian and Tyrolean influences: canederli, dumplings, and polenta with venison. Early in the morning, the glacier catches the first light and the lake is still.