Via Ferratas in the Central Brenta Dolomites, Italy

by Jim Kelly

It was during a discussion with Welsh veteran climber Colin Goodey that a 'new' idea was born. Colin had recently put together a PowerPoint presentation entitled, 'Walking in the Clouds' which documented his years of doing via ferratas. He suggested that my wife Julia and I visit the Brenta Dolomites in Trentino Region, Northern Italy, and try our hands at some of the amazing via ferratas and, in particular, "Via delle Bocchette".

The idea was to drive from our home in North Wales to the beautiful Italian ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio (1597m), park the car, walk up to Rifugio Tuckett (2272m) and spend the next two or three nights at height staying in CAI huts along the way, thus taking advantage of the Austrian Alpine Club's reciprocal rights discounts. But, after sitting at the steering wheel for over a thousand miles and two days, our 'perfect plan' was turned on its head by the weather! We left the sun behind in Wales only to be greeted by mist, rain, and total obscurity of anything above 1900m!

The Brenta Dolomites and the Alimonta Hut
Photos Jim Kelly

Of course, we had been told and had read about the legendary thunder storms in this region. Tales of metal wires and iron ladders 'buzzing' with the positively charged particles, whilst teetering on a 30cm ledge with 300m of nothing below your feet! Even the guide book states, "Being attached to a metal cable in a high, exposed mountain situation is not where you want to be!" Despite these wise warnings, one can, with a bit of common sense, an understanding of the Dolomite weather trends and sensible route choice, devise an enjoyable day on via ferratas without the fear of being BBQ'd! So, during the first few days, we managed to tick off Sentiero Sosat, Via delle Boccette Centrali, Sentiero Alfredo Benini and Sentiero Bozzetto. Our learning curve, fitness and confidence were growing by the day. We also had the advantage of using Salewa's latest via ferrata KISA (Kinetic Impact Shock Absorber) sets with retractable pulleys on each lanyard. These were superb and performed exceptionally well. The price tag of around £120 each is well worth spending if you are considering either starting out or upgrading your existing set. Whatever you do, do not build your own cowstails from Perlon line and attach your own karabiners!! The forces on the body even during a short slip or fall are enough to do serious harm to your back and, in the event of a long fall, can lead to death! There is plenty written about this subject on-ine so, if you are not sure, do your homework on the topic.

A frivolous diversion in the city of Verona preceded our ambition to tackle the big one that everyone was talking about, Sentiero Boccette Alte. At 2999m it is the highest route in the area and a serious Alpine-style traverse of some of the most amazing rock architecture you are ever likely to see in the natural world. The guide quotes, "No escape options and should only be attempted in stable weather conditions." We decided we would awaken around 6am the next day and make a decision.

Jim on Sentiero Sosat

Incredibly, the next morning greeted us with blue skies and sun illuminating the opposite side of the valley. We knew we only had until 8.30am at the very latest in order to avoid the road closure each day up to our parking spot at Rifugio Vallesinella. A tourist shuttle bus means the road gets 'closed' between 08.30hrs and 18.30hrs each day. We also knew we were still only at 1513m even at Vallesinella! The early morning sun was baking hot, making the two hour walk up to Rifugio Tuckett hard going. Even at Tuckett we still had miles to go and 100s of metres to ascend. We opted to complete the route north to south (the guide describes South to North!). Combining with the route’s formidable reputation, it's very easy to become 'irritable' when, at the back of your mind, you know speed is of the essence. We cramponed up to ascend the short glacier 'Vedretta di Tuckett', thus making life a little easier on the firm snowfield. At the col we encountered several other parties who were combining Benini with Alte, reaffirming any decisions or doubts earlier in the day.

Alte now ascends steeply up cables, ladders and broken ground, always well waymarked, to a flatter more comfortable walking section. More unprotected but easy scrambling leads towards Cima Brenta and what is known as the Foresti Section. Cables and short ladders lead one on to a very steep, snow-filled gully. Although the cables here are good the rock is a touch suspect with the possibility of rock fall. The snow gully has a 'loose' cable across it making it feel more intimidating than it really is and the drop is enormous! However, late in the season there are no real issues here. More very exposed but cabled ledges transport you towards a much wider, open area (Boccetta della Vallazza) and the chance to stop and decide where to go next.

At this point, the sunshine had been replaced with thick mist and occasional drizzle; around 3pm the weather was turning for the worse and we were still at 2999m, the highest point on the via ferrata. What came next was the loudest bang I had heard since November 5th! A quick change from fleeces into GoreTex prompted us to 'get a move on!' At this point on the route one has the option of either continuing along the remainder of Alte, or taking the shorter Sentiero Oliva Detassis, the hardest of the Brenta ferratas. Detassis consists of approximately 600m of ladders, most of which are vertical , long and exposed . However, it does get you down quickly and deposits you at the top of the glacial bowl of Vedretta dei Brentei, not far from the Alimonta Hut.

Despite the worsening mist and lowlight conditions the thunder kept away. Indeed, the most difficult moment was at the end of the snow field where waymarking to Brentei and Alimonta ceases to exist. In fog this is a nightmare. Fortunately, Julia spotted a red mark way over on the left which led us to a more defined path and down towards the Brentei Hut at 2182m. It was now past 6.30pm and we made the decision to 'yard it' all the way down the valley in order to return to our car at Vallesinella. We slouched into the bar in time for last orders just after 8.30pm. A twelve hour day that saw us complete not just one, but the two most difficult via ferratas in the area and a fantastic way to end our visit to this truly incredible region.

On reflection, the whole experience of returning to 'the Alps' (after an absence of almost 30 years when rock climbing held more attractions) has rekindled my desire to branch out more and, for once, understand that climbing isn't just about how many clips there are or how many routes have been subjected to the highlighter pen in the pub afterwards. It's about gaining understanding, respect for what nature throws at you, meeting new, like-minded people, making judgements, having fun and, above all else, sharing priceless moments with loved ones in environments that are simply stunning beyond description. Life just doesn’t get any better than this!

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