The 3,025 m high Mt. Sas Rigais (in Ladin language), main peak of the Odle Group, is as heigh as the neighbouring Mt. Furchetta
Image gallery: Sass Rigais
In the Val Gardena valley, the two majestic Sass Rigais and Furchetta mountains rise side by side up to more than 3,000 m a.s.l. They are the highest peaks of the Odle Group in the Dolomites, a mountain group which stretches into the Val di Funes valley. In the west of Mt. Sass Rigais there’s Mt. Sass de Mesdì (2,762 m a.s.l.), whereas in the east there are the above mentioned Furchetta mountain and Mt. Sas dla Porta (2,970 m a.s.l.).
Mt. Sass Rigais was scaled for the first time in 1878 via the west wall and 10 years later via its eastern flank. Nowadays there are two via ferrata routes leading to the top: the eponymous Sass Rigais Route proceeds from the mountain station of the Col Raiser Funicular in the Val Gardena valley via the Forcella della Roa wind gap (2,597 m a.s.l.) to the summit cross.
The other route is more difficult and starts at the Forcella Saliëries wind gap, located at the northern end of the Val dla Saliëries valley. It snakes its way on the eastern flank to the top. The name Sass Rigais probably derives from the Ladin terms “sas” (rock) and “reguz” (vertical crevice).
