Location - Climate - Geology - Rock climbing, via ferrata, hikes, ski

Location

The Dolomites (or Dolomiti) are in the north-east of Italy, between the Austrian border in the north and the big Venetian plain on the south.  They lie in the most northern regions of Italy, Veneto and Trentino Alto-Adige, and they are part of the provinces of Belluno, Trento and Bolzano.

Geological outline
The fantastic scenery of the Dolomites is due to their geology. These shapes are quite strange and unusual compared to the rest of the Alps and to the other mountains on our planet. The main geological difference is the combination of two different kinds of rocks, volcanic and dolomitic.

The name Dolomite derives from their discoverer: Deodat de Gratet de Dolomieu (1750-1801) a French chemist and mineralogist. While travelling to Rome in 1789 he collected a strange kind of rock in Valle Isarco. Later examination proved that the rock was made of an unknown mineral: calcium magnesium carbonate, CaMg(C03)2.  The word Dolomite is now a scientific term applied for mineral formation.  Not all the rocks of this region are made of dolomite. The Latemar and the Marmolada (the highest peak of the Dolomites – 3343 m) for example are limestones, a slightly different rock with similar origins. When these rocks formed, they were all limestones. The dolomite process began later and it left out the Latemar and the Marmolada, possibly because they were covered by volcanic rocks.
The processes that formed the Dolomites were in the Permian-Triassic (200-265 million years ago). They remained undisturbed for more than 100 million years under a great layer of marine sediment. During the Tertiary (between 60 and 5 millions years ago), the collision between the African continent and the European continent deformed the crust and the sea deposits emerged. The Alps, including the Dolomite region, were born in that period.
A lot of fossils was find in the area, and you can find others when you are hiking close to these amazing mountains.

Geography
These mountains cover an area of more than 90 km north to south and 100 km east to west. The Dolomites are made up of 15 different massifs, each of which reaches around 3000 meters in altitude. These massifs are divided by rivers, valleys and passes.  The most important rivers are Isarco and Adige in the west; Rienza in the north; Piave in the east; and Avisio and Cordevole which run from north to south through the Dolomiti. The only massif west of the Adige River is the Brenta Group, a big oval shaped group that is a little separated from the rest of the Dolomites.

Climate
The Dolomiti are generally warm and they get less precipitation than the alpine regions of Austria, Switzerland and France.  The bad weather generally comes from south south-west. Wind from the north usually brings good weather. As in all other mountain regions, the weather can change suddenly, especially in July and August. During the summer period, from the middle of June to the beginning of August, the climate is pleasantly warm during the day and fresh during the night.
From mid-July to mid-September there are sometimes thunderstorms in the afternoon.  A warm sunny day can transform in a kind of hell in less than an hour. Considering the wind-chill factor, temperature can fall up to 15 degrees. For this reason, anyone planning to set off climbing or trekking is well advised to first check the local weather report or to visit the local Alpine Guide Office.  It is also advisable to start any activity early in the morning.

From September to October (and sometimes also in November) the weather is stable and clear with chill nights and possibility of snowfall on the highest peaks when the weather is bad. During these months there are fantastic autumn colors to be seen in the woods and forests. From December to March it is wintertime and a white blanket of snow covers the Dolomites. Springtime is usually short of good weather, rain is frequent and this is not a good time for outdoor activities.
There is a lot to say about the flora and fauna of the Dolomites, and since there is not space here, I advise the reader to refer to a specialist publication on the subject.

Bibliography:
James and Anne Goldsmith :  “The Dolomites of Italy”  - Hunter Publishing Inc,1989