Gruppo: Gruppo Sella

La Ferrata Tridentina at Pisciadù is one of the most popular equipped routes in the Dolomites: climbs the north side of the Sella Group, in the province of Bolzano, and leads to Cima Pisciadù with limited technical difficulties but a difference in altitude anything but trivial. The very short approach, the famous bridge suspended on the Exner Tower and the final at the Cavazza Refuge make it a classic itinerary, accessible by those who already have a minimal experience of ferrate and is in good physical form.

The starting point is located along the road that from Passo Gardena descends towards Colfosco, on the slope of Val Badia: in correspondence of the sixth bend, on the right, a large parking lot at a quarry marks the beginning of the itinerary (open the starting point on Google Maps). From the parking lot look to the south the walls of the Sella Group; they ignore the signs 650 that connect the Passo Gardena with Colfosco and follow the indications that, to the left towards the east, carry on a path in falsepiano until the first metal equipment, reached in about 15 minutes.

The first equipped section opens with a well-dressed traverse to the left, followed by a series of brackets that make earn a lean wall. Continue to the left along an exposed but solid traverse, then face a few meters of vertical wall and a wet died equipped up with metal brackets. At the exit you cross the path that descends halfway from Passo Gardena, useful as a way of escape in case of bad weather. From here a path towards the east, with ups and downs and a characteristic passage in a slit, leads to the equipment placed just above the plate that marks the real attack of Tridentina (2070 m, about 40 minutes from the parking lot).

Now rise diagonally under a’ impressive wall, always well-dressed and never too exposed. After the first metal fixtures the progression becomes più vertical on well-qualified rock, with brackets and fixtures where the wall è più Smooth. A succession of beautiful vertical walls progressively leads to the passages that approach the Rio Pisciadù waterfall; bypasses an edge with an air passage, then you run più rocks; comfortable and a traverse on pioli, exposed but well equipped, up to a escape route. Those who continue to face the più tract; challenging, what goes up the Torre Exner: a small vertical wall, a series of brackets and a dihedron leaned with the right cable and the left brackets (arrampable looking for the claws, little obvious, on the right side). It goes right with an easy traverse, climbs a metal staircase and, after wandering a rocky cord, you reach l’ iconic ponte suspended between the Exner Tower and l’ last stretch: stable but suspended on a a abyss of a few hundred meters. Passed the catwalk, un’ last vertical wall enters the path that leads to the Cavazza Refuge to the Pisciadù (2587 m), where the ferrata ends after about 3 hours in total.

Classified Editly Difficult (MD), the Tridentine owes its populartà precisely to the difficultà medium-low techniques combined with a short approach. On the overall level of the complex; they weigh mainly l’ physical commitment and l’ exposure (both 3/5), while the technical component remains più contained (2/5). L’ hardware equipment è mandatory: harness, homologated hardware kit and helmet.

The route is summery and must be faced with stable weather, starting in the early hours of the morning to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms and crowding. Always check the bulletin and the conditions of the path, in particular in the downhill stretches that may be affected by landslides or snow residues at the beginning of the season. A small hint of history: Ferrata Tridentina was born on July 10, 1960 on the intuition of the mountain guide Germano Kostner who, with the help of the Alpini della Tridentina (to which it is dedicated), equipped the Exner Tower to give direct access to the Pisciadù Refuge; the second section, with the daring suspended bridge, was added seven years later. Every 31 July, the Alpine Guides of Val Badia illuminate in the evening the route, visible from the centre of Corvara.

After a stop at Lake Pisciadù, the return follows l’ High Via 2 along the path CAI 66 in Val de Setus. The descent è steep and takes place in a detritic valley with some equipped sections, where you need attention. You go down to a crossroads (left you would go up to Passo Gardena) and continue downwards following the path to the starting parking, in about 1 hour and 15 minutes from the end of the ferrata (4 hours and 30 minutes overall).

The Sella Group offers many other equipped routes around. Going down towards Val Badia you can walk Ferrata del Vallon e la Ferrata Piz from Lech; towards Val di Fassa, at Passo Sella, la Ferrata delle Mesules and, at the Pordoi Pass, the Ferrata Piazzetta. Staying at Passo Gardena are the two Ferrates of the Cir Group, the Ferrata at Piccolo Cir e la Ferrata Gran Cir, both medium-easy.