This impossible feat will only be possible if you have daredevilry.
Amazing pictures show an abandoned Italian World War I refuge embedded in a vertical rockface in the Monte Cristallo massif in the Natural Park of the Ampezzo Dolomites.
We don’t know of any secret backdoor. The shelter – which sits over 2,700m (8,858ft) above sea level – can only be accessed by negotiating challenging rocky ridges, as this YouTube video shows.
Pictured is an abandoned refuge from World War I embedded in the Monte Cristallo massif in Italy’s Dolomites
This spectacular shelter is located at 2,700m (8 858ft) above the sea level. It can be reached only by climbers and hikers.
It is not for the weak of heart. The shelter doorway looks like a gateway to the valley below.
Built inside one of the highest peaks of the mountain, the refuge features brick walls, a sloped roof, doors and four windows that are framed with wood. A few of the windows have been shuttered.
A glance at the doorway of the shelter makes it appear that you are about to plunge into the valley below.
It’s believed that the refuge was constructed by Italian soldiers during World War I, in what was known as ‘The White War’, due to the freezing conditions soldiers were faced with.
Italy declared war against Austria-Hungary on May 23, 1915. It was a bloody battle in the Dolomites between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian forces.
Soldiers and animals were able to transport artillery, munitions and supplies across unforgiving terrain. Tunnels and supply routes had been built into rock and ice. To eliminate their enemy, both sides activated avalanches.
These soldiers used cableways and rope ladders to reach difficult-to-reach areas, creating refuges for the fighting.
This incredible refuge was built in one of the highest peaks of this mountain range. Image courtesy Creative Commons
It’s believed the refuge was constructed by Italian soldiers during World War I, in what was known as ‘The White War’
While it’s unclear how this refuge was made, the soldiers were well-known for scaling the rockfaces using rope ladders or cableways.
The refuge is available to those who travel along Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona. A Via Ferrata, also known as an ‘iron path’, is a route comprising steel ladders, rungs and cables built into the rock, to help climbers safely traverse more extreme sections of a mountain.
The Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona starts from Cortina d’Ampezzo, a ski resort and town on the Boite river. Cortina Dibona says the trail requires a good level of fitness. She also adds that Monte Cristallo still carries the scars left from the Great War.
Experiential climbers reach refuge by climbing to the top of the ridge. They often take photos of their shelters, whether they are standing on the doorway’s ledge or sitting inside.
Photographed here are two hikers scaling Monte Cristallo. This feature is on Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona
Climbers traverse the suspension bridge at Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona. You can also see the Guido Lorenzi mountain house in the background
A TripAdvisor user who traveled along Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona stated that it took him six to eight hours and featured amazing views, as well as an incredible history with structures built into rock walls.
Climbers can also cross Ponte Cristallo, a suspension bridge that measures 27m (89ft). Sylvester Stallone ran across the bridge during the 1993 action film Cliffhanger, escaping from a bomb blast.
This bridge takes you to Guido Lorenzi’s mountain hut perched high atop a mountain pass.
Pictured is another shelter built into a mountain in the Dolomites, which were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2009
You can also find other shelters from wartime along these routes in Dolomites. These Dolomites were designated a Unesco World heritage site in 2009.
The melting glaciers and ice of the Dolomites has led to the formation of the Ortles Cevedale Alps near Ortles and Adamello Presanella Alps. These relics from The White War have been able to be seen in recent years.
An earlier year, Mount Scorluzzo, Lombardy was the scene of a World War I-era mountain camp that had been uncovered. It revealed clothing, postcards, and cans belonging to troops.
On November 4, 1918, the Italian front ended the war, claiming the lives of more than 600,000 Italians as well as 400,000 Austro–Hungarians.