Pale di San Martino

The Pale di San Martino form a vast Dolomite group above San Martino di Castrozza, including a high, largely bare rock plateau at around 2,500 metres. The group is part of the UNESCO-listed Dolomites, inscribed in 2009.

Why it matters

The Pale are among the largest mountain groups in the Dolomites, covering about 240 square kilometres. Their landscape contrasts sharp pinnacles such as Cimon della Pala with the broad Altopiano delle Pale. The pale walls are formed largely of Sciliar dolomite, deposited in near-tropical seas about 239 million years ago and later uplifted into the mountain range.

What to notice

The dolomite changes from pale in sunlight to grey after storms and rose-pink at dawn and dusk, a phenomenon known as enrosadira. Older coloured formations and the Richthofen conglomerate appear beneath the pale dolomite. The Fradusta glacier survives as a small remnant of the group's former ice cover.

Context and history

The central sector of the group was studied by geologist Déodat de Dolomieu in 1788. British and German mountaineers made early climbs in the late nineteenth century, including Douglas William Freshfield. The mountains also saw fighting between 1915 and 1918, with traces of the war remaining along the ridges. In June 2009 UNESCO inscribed the Dolomites as a World Heritage property for their scenic and geological value. The group is also associated with the imagination of writer Dino Buzzati.