Angelo Dibona
Encyclopedia
Angelo Dibona was an Italian
mountaineer
. He is remembered as one of the great pioneers of climbing in the Dolomites
and is responsible for many first ascents throughout the Alps
. The Aiguille Dibona
in France and the Campanile Dibona in Italy are named after him.
in 1879. From 1905 he was a mountain guide
and a ski instructor in the Cortina area, and he became known for pioneering routes in the Dolomites, making more than 70 first ascents and becoming the leading climber during the heyday of climbing in the Dolomites. In 1910 he made the second ascent of the Christomannosturm in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, 13 years after its first ascent. Dibona's route included a 600 m (1,968.5 ft) high rock face with fifth-degree passages. He made notable ascents of a number of peaks in other parts of the Alps in the early 1900s.
One of his most notable first ascents was of the Pain de Sucre du Soreiller, a 3130 m (10,269 ft) granite peak in the French Massif des Écrins
, which he soloed in 1908 and again climbed in 1913 with Guido Mayer (an Austrian client with whom he climbed many peaks in the Dolomites and other parts of the Alps). This mountain was renamed the Aiguille Dibona in his honor. Dibona developed a long-term and almost symbiotic friendship with Mayer and his brother.
In the 1920s he climbed in the English Lake District
, making first ascents of gills
in the Honister Pass
area. In 1947 the Appalachian Mountain Club
reported that Dibona was still doing "spectacular" rock climbs at the age of 65.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. He is remembered as one of the great pioneers of climbing in the Dolomites
Dolomites
The Dolomites are a mountain range located in north-eastern Italy. It is a part of Southern Limestone Alps and extends from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern and southern borders are defined by the Puster Valley and the Sugana Valley...
and is responsible for many first ascents throughout the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. The Aiguille Dibona
Aiguille Dibona
The Aiguille Dibona, formerly called Pain de Sucre du Soreiller) is a mountain in the French Alps, in the Massif des Écrins, notable for its "astonishing triangular granite spear."...
in France and the Campanile Dibona in Italy are named after him.
Biography
Dibona was born in Cortina d'AmpezzoCortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
in 1879. From 1905 he was a mountain guide
Mountain guide
Mountain guides are specially trained and experienced mountaineers and professionals who are generally certified by an association. They are considered experts in mountaineering.-Skills:Their skills usually include climbing, skiing and hiking...
and a ski instructor in the Cortina area, and he became known for pioneering routes in the Dolomites, making more than 70 first ascents and becoming the leading climber during the heyday of climbing in the Dolomites. In 1910 he made the second ascent of the Christomannosturm in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, 13 years after its first ascent. Dibona's route included a 600 m (1,968.5 ft) high rock face with fifth-degree passages. He made notable ascents of a number of peaks in other parts of the Alps in the early 1900s.
One of his most notable first ascents was of the Pain de Sucre du Soreiller, a 3130 m (10,269 ft) granite peak in the French Massif des Écrins
Massif des Écrins
The mountains of the Massif des Écrins form the core of the Écrins National Park in France.-Mountains:*Barre des Écrins 4102 m*La Meije 3983 m*Ailefroide 3954 m*Mont Pelvoux 3946 m*Pic Sans Nom 3913 m*Pic Gaspard 3883 m*Le Râteau 3809 m...
, which he soloed in 1908 and again climbed in 1913 with Guido Mayer (an Austrian client with whom he climbed many peaks in the Dolomites and other parts of the Alps). This mountain was renamed the Aiguille Dibona in his honor. Dibona developed a long-term and almost symbiotic friendship with Mayer and his brother.
In the 1920s he climbed in the English Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, making first ascents of gills
STREAMS
In computer networking, STREAMS is the native framework in Unix System V for implementing character devices.STREAMS was designed as a modular architecture for implementing full-duplex I/O between kernel or user space processes and device drivers. Its most frequent uses have been in developing...
in the Honister Pass
Honister Pass
The Honister Pass, also known as Honister Hause, is a mountain pass in the English Lake District. It is located on the B5289 road, linking Seatoller, in the valley of Borrowdale, to Gatesgarth at the southern end of Buttermere...
area. In 1947 the Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C...
reported that Dibona was still doing "spectacular" rock climbs at the age of 65.
Notable first ascents
- Campanile Dibona (west peak, 2550 m (8,366.1 ft), Stubai AlpsStubai AlpsThe Stubai Alps is a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps of Europe. It is named after the Stubaital valley to its east. It is located southwest of Innsbruck, Austria, and several summits of the range form part of Austria's border with Italy...
, 1908—solo) - Torre Fiscalina (Sexten DolomitesSexten DolomitesThe Sexten Dolomites are a mountain range and a nature reserve in South Tyrol, Italy. The nature park was renamed in 2010 to Drei Zinnen Nature Park.- External links :*...
, 27 July 1909—with L. Rizzi, Guido Mayer, M. Mayer) - Einser/Cima Una (north face, Sexten Dolomites, 18 July 1910—with L. Rizzi, Guido Mayer, M. Mayer)
- Croda dei Toni (2945 m (9,662.1 ft), Sexten Dolomites, 22 July 1910—with L. Rizzi, Guido Mayer, M. Mayer)
- Campanile Rosa (TofaneTofaneTofane is a mountain group in the Italian Dolomites, west of Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the province of Belluno, Veneto, northern Italy. Most of the Tofane lies within Parco naturale delle Dolomiti d'Ampezzo, a nature park.-Peaks:...
, 17 August 1910) - Tofana di Rozes (south-south-west, 3225 m (10,580.7 ft), Tofane, 3 September 1930—with L. Apollonio and P.L. Edwards)
- Punta Michele (north face, 2898 m (9,507.9 ft), Stubai Alps, 1944—at age 65)