Sass Dlacia north couloir in the Dolomites

SASS DLACIA NORTH COULOIR by Francesco Tremolada

The North Couloir of Sass Dlacia cuts straight down the north face of this minor Alta Badia summit, known above all for its beautiful sports climbs on the west face. The mountain in itself isn't enormous, but the line of descent is fascinating and for those who love steep skiing it's a draw which is hard to ignore.

We monitored the snow conditions for various seasons through our binoculars, but a series of vertical drops resulted in the snow cover from being continuous. Until this season, one of those which we'll probably remember for a while and which will hopefully provide plenty of other great descents.

We ascended from the other side, from the Lagazuoi cable car and thanks to the ideal snow cover and not too high temperatures we skied the entire line with only two short abseils (bolt abseil), without ever taking our skis off. A big thanks to Norbert Frenademetz, always ready for a new adventure.

Sass Dlacia North Couloir
400m - 5.1/E2/PD - max 45°

For more steep skiing, freeride and ski mountaineering itineraries check out the books Freeride in the Dolomiti and Ski mountaineering in the Dolomites