INFORMATIONS FOR VIE FERRATE IN ITALY

In the area around the Garda Lake you can find about ten "vie ferrate" which are accessible within a few minutes by car from the center. The lenght vary from 200 up to 1200m. While some are for beginners and children others are very difficult. One thing all of them have in common: the possible access throughout the whole year and the wonderful panorama.

Via ferrata "Rio Sallagoni" Castel Drena
A very special via ferrata of its own kind: situated in a canyon which used to be a secret escape path from the above located Drena Castle. The holes of the old wooden buildings are still visible. The via ferrata itself is not very long but on a short passage some arm strength is requested. The course of the via ferrata is only slightly above the bottom of the canyon. After ca. 50 m there is an emergency exit. Otherwise you just follow the iron rope and the iron steps. At the end of the route there is a swinging iron bridge on which you may exercise your balance. A final steep path is leading to Drena Castle.

Via ferrata "Fausto Susatti" to Cima Capi
Alpinistic and very panoramic via ferrata with view over the entire Lake Garda, Monte Baldo mountain chain, Sarca Valley and the Brenta Dolomites. Fairly easy via ferrata with short rock climbing passages and exposed paths crossing vertical walls. Throughout the entire route you may admire the remainders of military war construction owing to which the via ferrata has been presumably built. The iron ropes have been partially renewed and are in a good condition. For the descent we follow the same direction to Sentiero M. Foletti, then follow the way signs.

Ferrata "Via dell'Amicizia" to S.A.T. Peak
You can enjoy the unique view over Lake Garda on the long and exposed iron ladders. The "Friendship Route" with the two famous and never-ending ladders is technically not very difficult but you must absolutely not suffer from vertigo. It offers unforgettable and breathtaking views into the depth of Lake Garda and its valleys. The path leads you over partially equipped rock terrain, always steep but never difficult up to the first ladder which has more the 100 rungs. On a small platform in the middle you can take a rest and then follow vertically up. Further up over unsteady terrain and some iron steps we reach the second ladder which is vertical and about 70 m high. We reach SAT Peak after we have crossed some well equipped rocks and several short ladders and iron steps, we reach Cima SAT Peak on the top of which there is an iron flag and a breathtaking view over the entire Lake Garda.

Via ferrata "G.Sega" Avio
Via ferrata on the walls of the Adige Valley following antique smuggler' s trails. Considering the enormous length of the route, a very good physical condition is a prerequisite. In the beginning there is a short ladder, then crossing some rocks up to a very exposed ledge with many a hundred of meters below you. Following the ledge around the left ridge, we are crossing the huge and impressing cave on a sometimes rather narrow path which is getting wider towards the final part. On the path crossing the cave there is no iron cable for belay. Further upwards crossing forest, partially equipped rocks and open terrain we finally reach the top.

Via ferrata "Che Guevara" to Mount Casale
A never-ending long via ferrata on an immense and historical wall. Technically average difficulty. Due to the length of the via ferrata, a very good physical condition is a prerequisite. The trail is evading the steep passages and takes advantage of the weaker parts of the wall until you finally reach the impressing horizontal ledge which forms the upper limit of the light-grey limestone slab. Then to the left over some iron steps almost vertically onto the exposed main section of the via ferrata. The following passage is less steep, some without signs to the green "Cengia del Maurizio" (1200 m.) where you find the summit' s booklet. The first part up to Doss dei Pini has been renewed in 2005 and has thus become slighly more difficult. The panorama and view of Monte Casale Peak Casale (1600 m), in the North the Brenta Dolomites, in the West the Adamello Glacier and in the East the triangular peak of Marmolada, makes up for the fatigue.

Via ferrata Monte Albano
Very close to Mori village. This ferrata is an ideal exercise for difficult vie ferrate. There are very exposed crossings and difficult vertical climbing passages. Over vertical and overhanging parts and several crossings up to the easier middle section. The end of the via ferrata is reached after a very steep 60 m climb. The Via Attrezzata Monte Albano "Ottorino Marangoni" is one of the first sports vie ferrate in the Alps and is being considered a very demanding route in the Alps. It has lost none of its popularity which is obvious when you see the polished rock on the entire route. This via ferrata is not recommended with rainy weather and wet rock.

Via ferrata "Rino Pisetta" to Mount Piccolo Dain
Via ferrata only for experts; one of the most difficult vie ferrate in Europe; the first 60 m and the central slabs are very demanding. It offers a unique panorama over the entire valley and its various lakes, from Lake Toblino to Lake Garda. It is the most sportive and the most demanding via ferrata in the Lake Garda region. You must cross a 30 m wall with almost no footholds, equipped only with iron ropes. Who has problems managing the initial part, should take the emergency exit which is leading to the right and is equipped with iron ropes. Only at the end the wall is sloping and the major difficulties are over. Then you proceed to the exit at 950 m and you have reached the top of Piccolo Dain Peak.

Equipment
The entire climbing material as helmet harness and via ferrata-set will be provided by our mountain guides, this service is already included in the total price.

Insurance
All of our collaborators of alpine climbing school Arco are government licensed Mountain Guides with an international diploma and are officially registered with the regional and international Mountain Guide's Association. With no exception, all of them have a third party indemnity insurance towards their clients.

Via ferrata base course at lake Garda Dolomites Italy

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What is via ferrata

A via ferrata (Italian for "iron road". Plural vie ferrate. In German, Klettersteig) is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities. Walkers and climbers can follow via ferratas without needing to use their own ropes and belays, and without the risks associated with unprotected scrambling and climbing. They are found in a number of European countries, and a few places in the United States, Canada and Malaysia. The first via ferratas were built in the Dolomites mountain region of Italy during the First World War, to aid the movement of mountain infantry. The world's highest via ferrata, at 3.800 metres, is located at Mount Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, Malaysia

Via ferrata in the Dolomites

Via ferrata are graded according to their difficulty. Grade one usually involves nothing more than an assisted walk. Grade five demands serious climbing skills. Volume I of "Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites" by J Smith and G Fletcher covers the North, Central and Eastern regions and lists the following number of routes in each grade:
- Grade 1 - 29 routes
- Grade 2 - 25 routes
- Grade 3 - 14 routes
- Grade 4 - 7 routes
- Grade 5 - 5 routes
For any route, other than the easiest, climbers are advised to wear special via ferrata self-belay kit which is designed to cope with the particular requirements of the iron ways.
The Dolomites are divided into two main regions. To the west are the smaller Brenta Dolomites. This has many excellent via ferrata, particularly around the town of Madonna di Campiglio. The famous Sentiero Bocchette Alte and the Via delle Bocchette Centrali can both be reached by lifts from Madonna di Campiglio. The greater part of the Dolomites, and most of the via ferrata, lie to the east, between the A22/E45 and A23/E55 roads. The dominant geographical feature of this area is the Sella Massif and the main town is Cortina D'Ampezzo.
Probably the most unusual via ferrata in the eastern part of the Dolomites is VF Lagazuoi Tunnels. Fighting for control of Mount Lagazuoi in WW I, Austrian and Italian troops built a series of tunnels through the mountains. The aim of each side was to tunnel close to the enemy and detonate explosives to destroy their fortifications. Some of the tunnels have been restored, with a via ferrata following the route of one of these. It is now possible to descend into the mountain by following the VF Lagazuoi Tunnels route.
The most popular via ferrata in the Dolomites is believed to be VF Ivano Dibona, involving a traverse of the main Monte Cristallo ridge. The complete route takes about eight hours. The day starts at the base of the Rio Gere lift system with a ride on two lifts to reach the Lorenzi Refugio at 2950 metres. The traverse starts at this point, trends mostly downhill, and passes several WW I fortifications.
The VF Bolver-Lugli (constructed in 1970 by mountain guides from San Martino di Castrozza) takes climbers of the Cimon della Pala as far as a bivouac at 3,005 metres. Once there, only the "Variation for the Summit" remains, to attain the summit itself at a height of 3,184 metres.

Equipment for via ferrata

While via ferrata is similar to rock climbing the major difference is that the fall factor, which in climbing can never by definition exceed 2, can in via ferrata be much higher. These high factors are possible because the length of rope between harness and carabiner is short and fixed, while the distance the climber can fall depends on the gaps between anchor points for the safety cable. The human body, as well as most items of climbing equipment, cannot withstand the forces associated with some of these higher fall factors and so a number of devices have been developed to act as shock absorbers or progressive brakes. Their function is to dissipate the energy of the fall while at the same time keeping the climber and equipment intact.
However, in spite of the perception of via ferrata as being more secure and safe than rock climbing, people are more likely to injure themselves if they do fall, partly because of these elevated fall factors and partly because there are often rungs, steps, pigtails, etc on which to land.
Those who embark on a via ferrata are advised to use normal climbing equipment (climbing harness, helmet, appropriate shoes etc), in addition to the necessary via ferrata kit which consists of two short lengths of rope or webbing linked in Y formation to the harness by means of a braking device, with a carabiner at the end of each line. This arrangement allows the user to always have one of their safety lines attached to the safety cable. It should be noted that commercially available braking devices are normally intended for adults, and that if children are taken on a via ferrata, they must have braking devices appropriate to their weight in addition to full body harnesses.
There are two types of brake: the first uses a metal plate or moulding through which a rope is passed providing a high degree of resistance; the second employs stitching which progressively tears in case of a fall, providing a gradual slow down. Each of these has their own advantages. A metal plate brake allows the climber to re-thread the rope in case of a fall allowing them to have some degree of protection while completing the climb. With a stitch brake, on the other hand, the system may be so lengthened after a fall as to be unusable, but it is easy to verify that the device has been deployed. This is important because all these devices are certified for only one fall, after which they must be replaced. Organisations lending or hiring such devices must therefore be able to guarantee that they are not re-used after such an incident.
Another advantage of the stitch brake is that the braking system cannot easily be disabled by an inexperienced climber, as can inadvertently occur with friction plate systems. In the latter, a length of the rope which passes through the plate hangs loosely from the plate while in use, so as to be available to be drawn through the plate if high fall forces occur. This "tail" serves no other purpose and tends to get in the climbers way; commercially-made lanyards employ various methods to attach the tail to the harness and/or hold it in a compact bundle, which can easily be pulled apart during deployment. If, however, the climber ties a knot in the tail, wraps it tightly around the torso and clips it in place with a carabiner, or makes any other adjustment which will impede its ability to pull through the plate under load, excessive forces will not be dissipated and an unsafe situation is created.
Carabiners are also made specially for via ferrata, their design typically allowing a larger-than-normal opening and having a spring locking mechanism that can be opened with one hand. They are also strong enough to withstand high fall factors. Such carabiners are marked with a K in a circle, the K standing for Klettersteige, the German term for via ferrata. These are the only types of carabiner that should be used on the end of the safety lines. Certain limitations of via ferrata carabiners should be kept in mind. Many such carabiners are not true "locking carabiners", as employed in roped climbing and caving systems, and should not be used as such. A typical design uses a spring-loaded sleeve on the carabiner gate. While the gate is closed, the sleeve is held in place over the gate opening by its spring; to unlock and open the gate, the sleeve slides directly down the gate shaft away from the opening. The ease of opening these devices makes them suitable for via climbing, with its constant clipping and unclipping, but not for applications where more secure locking mechanisms (automatic or manual) are called for. In addition, locking sleeves on via ferrata carabiners have been known to hang up in the gate opening and prevent the gate from closing properly. Care must be taken to maintain (clean and lubricate) and/or replace via carabiners as needed to avoid this potentially unsafe situation.