A major rockfall broke away from the northern wall of Tofana di Dentro, part of the Tofane massif west of Cortina d'Ampezzo, on the afternoon of Sunday, October 4, 2026, according to local newspapers ilDolomiti, Corriere delle Alpi and Veneto Today. The Belluno fire command said it was alerted at around 2:50 p.m.
Residents in Cortina reported a very loud boom followed by a dust cloud that rose dozens of metres into the air, ilDolomiti reported. None of the local reports reviewed gave a precise measurement of the width of the detachment, describing it only as extensive or of significant size.
An active rescue was underway nearby
When the slope gave way, a Suem rescue helicopter from Pieve di Cadore was finishing the evacuation of an injured hiker on the normal route to Tofana di Rozes, a neighbouring peak, according to Corriere delle Alpi and tg24.Sky.it. The woman, 52, from Limana, had twisted her knee; she was winched to safety and flown to Codivilla hospital.
After dropping off the injured hiker, the same helicopter picked up two Guardia di Finanza mountain rescuers from Cortina to survey the collapsed area from the air. Dense, lingering dust initially stopped the crew from getting close enough to assess the site, both tg24.Sky.it and ilDolomiti reported.
No one reported missing, but the slope kept shedding material
Once visibility improved, the Venice regional helicopter unit carried out a more thorough aerial reconnaissance using the helicopter known as Drago, according to tg24.Sky.it and Sbircia la Notizia. The 7:45 p.m. flight allowed rescuers to rule out anyone being caught in the slide, even though the wall was still shedding material.
Mountain rescue teams, the Guardia di Finanza and firefighters carried out checks in the hours after the collapse and found no missing hikers, Veneto Today and Nordest24 reported. Val Travenanzes, the valley directly below the collapsed face, is crossed by hiking trails and is popular with walkers.
Trail closures ordered as monitoring continues
The mayor of Cortina d'Ampezzo issued an ordinance closing trail 401 along the Val Travenanzes valley floor, Veneto Today and Nordest24 reported, and also closed the Cengia Paolina, an exposed high-altitude route across Tofana di Mezzo and Tofana di Dentro, according to tg24.Sky.it and Sbircia la Notizia. Both closures followed reconnaissance showing the wall was still actively discharging rock and debris.
- Trail 401 in Val Travenanzes: closed until further notice
- Cengia Paolina route across Tofana di Mezzo/Tofana di Dentro: closed
- No reopening date has been announced by the municipality
Nordest24 reported that fire command officials in Belluno confirmed people were ruled out as being involved, but stressed that the closure and the casualty assessment were treated as separate safety questions, since the rock face remained unstable.
What is still unknown
None of the local reports reviewed gave a precise estimate of the total volume or width of rock involved, or a cause for the detachment. No outlet reported structural damage to buildings or roads in Cortina itself, and none described injuries or deaths caused directly by the landslide. Authorities had not announced, as of the evening of October 4, when the closed trails might reopen.
Questions
- Was anyone hurt in the Cortina d'Ampezzo landslide?
- No. Aerial reconnaissance by rescue helicopters, including an evening flight by the Venice unit's helicopter Drago, ruled out anyone being caught in the collapse, according to tg24.Sky.it and Sbircia la Notizia.
- Where exactly did the landslide happen?
- The rock detached from the north face of Tofana di Dentro, one of the Tofane peaks in the Dolomites west of Cortina d'Ampezzo, and the debris affected the Val Travenanzes valley below, per ilDolomiti and Corriere delle Alpi.
- What trails are closed after the landslide?
- Cortina's mayor ordered the closure of trail 401 in Val Travenanzes and the Cengia Paolina route across Tofana di Mezzo and Tofana di Dentro, with no reopening date set, according to tg24.Sky.it, Veneto Today and Sbircia la Notizia.
- Why couldn't rescue helicopters reach the site immediately?
- A dense, lingering cloud of dust thrown up by the collapse initially blocked helicopters from approaching closely enough for a visual assessment, as reported by tg24.Sky.it and ilDolomiti.
- Is the mountain wall still unstable?
- Yes. Reconnaissance flights found the wall was still discharging rock and debris hours after the initial collapse, which is why authorities kept the area closed, according to Sbircia la Notizia and Nordest24.
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