The Ferrata dei Picasass is a recent and well-equipped street on the excellent Baveno granite, above Lake Maggiore. It is exposed uphill, with a challenging key passage — a overhanging horizontal traverse that bypasses a spy plane — and in the final offers a long and exciting bridge of the monkeys.

Departure from Baveno (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola): follow the campsite La Tranquilla, behind which you will find via alle Cave, where you can search for parking (also in via Sesena). Starting point on Google Maps. From Via alle Cave you take a road uphill (white-red signs and a sign for the ferrata), first asphalt then dirt road; you cross the highway and, at a crossroad, you hold the right following the sign for the Picasass until the attack (45' from the parking lot).

It attaches a beautiful vertical wall, where brackets and excellent rock allow to proceed also in adherence; it bends left in an easy traverse and goes up a wall full of hooks, then another traverse to the left and a new vertical wall with abundant brackets. After a right nod and another wall you arrive at the key passage: a transverse overhanging exposure that bypasses a edge — not very difficult but with good demand of arms and clear exposure, short (three mosquitoes) and adrenaline; a low support helps not to pull too much on the cable. There is a boulder and a vertical wall with a short overhanging, then a long aerial wall but not difficult on brackets; a traverse on the right leads to another wall and therefore to more lean rock, climbed into adherence to the suspended bridge. The long bridge of the three-string monkeys is very exciting (adjustable on the path for those who prefer); beyond the bridge an easy wall leads to the summit cross, where the ferrata ends with beautiful view on Lake Maggiore (1h 30' from the attack, 2h 15' total).

Pleasant, vertical and exposed but never too difficult, on excellent rock. The overhanging cross is the highlight; the bridge, long and adrenaline, is in a stable complex.

From the end follow the well marked path M3 to the junction of the approach and, backwards, to the car (45' from the end, 3h total).

For those looking for extreme difficulties, the Ferrata Miccia starts a few meters beyond the Picasass, on the same wall but much harder. In the day you can reach the ferrates of Varallo, the Falconera e il Partusac; in high Piedmont Macugnaga Guides.