An incredible World War I Alpine shelter nestled in the steep rockface of a mountain in Italy’s Dolomites

The refuge is located on a ridge in the Monte Cristallo massif, which is part of the Ampezzo Dolomites Natural Park.

It’s thought that Italian troops built the shelter while fighting the Austro-Hungarians during WWI. Hikers and climbers on the Via Ferrata Ivano Dibano will come across the shelter along the way. To go to this incredible location, you’ll need a dash of bravery in your blood. Amazing photos depict an abandoned Italian WWI refuge embedded in a vertical rockface in the Monte Cristallo massif of the Ampezzo Dolomites Natural Park.

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Pictured is an abandoned refuge from World War I embedded in the Monte Cristallo massif in Italy’s Dolomites

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The spectacular shelter sits over 2,700m (8,858ft) above sea level and can only be accessed by hikers and climbers

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The incredible refuge has been built inside one of the peaks of the massif. Picture courtesy of Creative Commons

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It’s believed the refuge was constructed by Italian soldiers during World War I, in what was known as ‘The White War’

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It’s unclear how the refuge was built, but the troops were known to use rope ladders and cableways to scale the rock faces.

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Pictured are hikers climbing Monte Cristallo, which features on the Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona

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Climbers on the Via Ferrata Ivano Dibona traverse a suspension bridge. In the background, the Guido Lorenzi mountain cabin may be seen. The bridge leads to the photogenic Guido Lorenzi mountain hut, which is perched atop a mountain pass.

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Pictured is another shelter built into a mountain in the Dolomites, which were declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2009