Rosszähne / Denti di Terrarossa

Overview

Roßzahn ridge seen from the east

The Rosszähne Ridge is part both of Schlern (Sciliar) and of Seiser Alm (Alpe di Siusi). To the east the Schlern plateau passes into this ridge and gradually becomes narrower until - to the east of Roterdspitze (cima di Terrarossa) it turns into bizzarrely formed peaks, towers and spires. The highest among them - Großer Rosszahn - is 2653m high.

The German name "Roßzahn" stands for horse tooth and quite literally translates the rugged outlook of the ridge into symbolic language. The Italian name "Denti di Terrarossa" as well as the German name "Roterdspitze" (the neighbouring summit to the west which sometimes is included in the Rosszähne ridge) describe the colourful red rock out of which the peaks are formed.

Similar to neighbouring Schlern the Rosszähne command very nice views of all surrounding Dolomite summits as well as the highest mountains of the Easern Alps. On a fine day you can see Rosengarten (Catinaccio) , Latemar, Lang- and Plattkofel as well as the Geissler Group on Schlern's Dolomite side. To the west you can cee as far as the Brenta-, Adamello-, Presanella-, and Ortler-Groups.

Finally there is an easy ferrata - Maximilianweg - which starts at Tierser Alpl Refuge and follows the ridge between Großer Rosszahn and Roterdspitze. The trail is described in a separate section below.

Getting There

Rosszähne and Schlern are easily accessible by car. Both are very close to the Brenner motorway and depending on the place you want to use as headquarter (or from where you arrive) you can turn of either at the exit Waidbruck (Ponte Gardena) to the north or at the exit Blumau (Prato) to the south.

There are a lot of possibilities to stay in the region - I can recommend any village on the flanks of Schlern. It probably depends on your other destinations:

- If you are also thinking of climbing Rosengarten (Catinaccio) stay to the south in Tiers (Tires) or Weisslahnbad (Bagni di Lavina Bianca).
- If you are looking for climbs in the Gröden (Val Gardena) region you better stay at Kastelruth (Castelrotto), Seis (Siusi) or Völs (Fié).

Any other village in Gröden (Val Gardena) or Eggental (Val di Ega) is possible as well since distances are rather small.

For hikes and climbs in the vicinity of Roßzähne you can chose among a multitude of refuges. The closest one is at Tierser Alpl on the ledge that connects Schlern and Rosengarten (Catinaccio) . For Adresses see below.

The Natural Park Schlern - Seiser Alm / Red Tape

In 1974 the complete region of Schlern and Seiser Alm was made a natural park. The Park contains some 6400ha. Within park boundaries any building activities are prohibited. Flowers, berries, mushrooms, minerals have to be left in their environment. Camping is prohibited and cars have to be parked in the official lots. Moreover between May and October the roads may not be used for car traffic - the hotels, huts and farms are excepted, however.

Many of the roads and trails on Seiser Alm are open for mountain biking. You will get as far as Tierser Alp to the south of Roßzähne. from there on it is NOT advisable to take your bike farther. On one hand you need to carry it along the narrow trails above the Tschamin gorge - on the other hand the Schlern plateau is a rather fragile fen. Even hiking boots leave deep impressions in the turf.

When To Climb

As with all Dolomite summits the best time is May through October but winter ascents are possible as well. Best time in my opinion is September or October since appartments are easily to be had and weather often is finest.

Accomodation

As stated within the "Getting There" section there are LOTS of hotels and appartments to be had in the region. In the summer months you most certainly will need reservations. A good entry point ist the Seiser Alm web page.

There is a campground at Seis (Siusi) but so far I haven't been able to find any contact data !?!

As for the multitude of refuges an Seiser Alm, here an overview:

Schlernhäuser :
Tel.: +39 0471 612024
mailto:info@schlernhaus.it

Tierser Alpl refuge :
Tel.: +39 0471 727958
mailto:info@tierseralpl.com

Mahlknecht refuge :
Tel.: +39 0471 727912
mailto:info@mahlknechthuette.com

Schlernbödele refuge :
Tel.: +39 0471 705345
mailto:info@schlernboedele.it

Tschafon refuge :
Tel.: +39 0471 642058

Mountain Conditions

For weather conditions in South Tyrol look at the page of Meteo Alpin. For the english text you have to scroll down the right frame.

Another good page (with web cams) is: Weather in Alpe di Siusi

Images

View Rosszähne / Denti di Terrarossa Image Gallery - 21 Images