Tofane
Tofane is a mountain group in the Dolomites of northern Italy, west of Cortina d'Ampezzo in the province of Belluno, Veneto. Most of the Tofane lies within "Parco naturale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo", a nature park. Peaks. The highest peaks of the Tofane group are "Tofana di Mezzo" (), "Tofana di Dentro" (), and "Tofana di Rozes" (). Tofana di Mezzo is the third highest peak in the Dolomites, after Marmolada () and Antelao (). All three peaks were first climbed by Paul Grohmann along with local mountain guides, in 1863 (Tofana di Mezzo - with Francesco Lacedelli), 1864 (Tofana di Rozes - with Francesco Lacedelli, Angelo  Dimai and Santo Siorpaes) and 1865 (Tofana di Dentro - with Angelo Dimai). Geology. The Dolomites were formed during the Cretaceous Period, approximately 60 million years ago, due to the collision of the African and European continents. The Tofane is largely formed from the Upper Triassic rock Dolomia principale. The strata are perceptibly folded, and the mountains are finally formed by wind, rain, glaciers and rivers. Tourism. Access. A cable lift system ("Freccia nel Cielo", "Arrow in the sky") goes from Cortina almost to the top of Tofane di Mezzo. There is only a short walk from the top cable car  to the summit. Alternatively the via ferratas "VF Punta Anna" and "VF Gianna Aglio" can be used to reach Tofane di Mezzo. Cabins (rifugi). Some of the cabins in the Tofane are the "Rifugio Angelo Dibona" (), the "Rifugio Giussani" (), the "Rifugio Duca d'Aosta" (), and the "Rifugio Pomedes" (). Via ferratas. The via ferratas of Tofane are "VF Punta Anna" and "VF Gianna Aglio" on Tofana di Mezzo, "VF Lamon" and "VF Formenton" on Tofana di Dentro, and "VF Giovanni Lipella" on Tofana di Rozes, where there also are tunnel systems from World War I. History. During the First World War, the  Tofane was a battlefield of the Italian Front for clashes between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces. The front lines went through the mountains. At the 1956 Winter Olympics, Mount Tofane hosted five of the six alpine skiing events. It regularly hosts women's speed events on the World Cup circuit, and hosted the World Championships in 2021. The men's 1956 downhill and the current women's World Cup races are on the Olimpia delle Tofane ski race course (often referred to as “Tofana” for short); it is famous for the Tofana Schuss, where athletes can reach speeds over