Ferrata Berti allo Schiara

Overview

The Ferrata Berti is the logical and demanding high-altitude continuation of the Zacchi or Sperti routes for summiting Monte Schiara from the western side. The full itinerary is a loop, ending with the descent along the Ferrata Piero Rossi to the Rifugio VII Alpini. This is a route of great length and elevation gain, for which splitting it over two days is strongly recommended. It is intended for experienced hikers in excellent physical condition with solid alpine skills.

Approach

The starting point is the locality of Case Bortot (695 m), in the province of Belluno. From Belluno, follow the regional road of Col di Lana; after a roundabout, turn right toward Bolzano Bellunese, heading for the Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi. Continue past Bolzano Bellunese and Gioz, following signs for the Rifugio Case Bortot until the end of the drivable road, where a large clearing serves as a parking area.

From the parking lot, take trail 501, an easy and well-marked path that enters the woods, offering on the right a majestic view of Monte Schiara and the Gusela del Vescovà. The environment is classic Dolomites, with steep, forested slopes that soon give way to vertical walls. After about 30 minutes, you descend to the Ponte del Mariano; crossing the bridge, at a signed junction, keep to trail 501 (ignoring the 507 deviation for the Pelf) and begin a determined, strenuous climb through the woods, ascending the left orographic side of the Ardo stream. The trail, often exposed to the sun, unfolds with a long series of switchbacks until it emerges into the clearing of the Rifugio VII Alpini (1502 m), reached in about 2 hours and 45 minutes from the parking lot.

To access the start of the Ferrata Berti from the hut, you must first climb one of two routes leading to the Bivacco Dalla Bernardina: the more direct, exposed, and challenging Ferrata Zacchi (about 2h 45min from the hut) or the Ferrata Sperti (about 3h 45min). This description covers the Zacchi route. Following the signs behind the hut heading north, you reach the start of the Zacchi. At the subsequent junction with the Piero Rossi, it is essential to keep left to continue on the Zacchi, which ends at the Bivacco Ugo dalla Bernardina (2320 m), reached in about 2 hours from the start (for a total of about 5 hours and 30 minutes from the car). The approach is therefore a sustained itinerary, requiring constant upward progress, preparing you physically and mentally for the technical difficulty ahead.

Via Ferrata

Just before the bivouac, a faint track to the right over scree leads to the start of the Ferrata Berti. It begins immediately with a metal ladder, followed by a ledge section that introduces a stepped gully. This is ascended initially on the right side, then you move to the left. A key passage is represented by a slightly overhanging ladder; after climbing it, you fully ascend the gully to access a nice narrow chimney to the left, very climbable with solid rock.

Exiting the chimney, a short connecting path between rocky pinnacles leads, to the left, below a slabby wall about twenty meters high, to be climbed using good holds. You then reach an airy ridge section, with decidedly thrilling and challenging passages, characterized by continuous exposure and dynamic progression. After climbing another ladder and overcoming a series of stirrups to bypass a highly exposed corner, you traverse the final section of the equipped ridge to the end of the protections. Following the cairns, you finally gain the summit of Monte Schiara (2565 m), where the summit cross stands, unfortunately damaged in the past. The via ferrata section takes about 1 hour from the start, for a total of about 6 hours and 30 minutes from the departure. The route unfolds on compact rock, alternating short but intense vertical sections with exposed ridge traverses, offering a technical and panoramic character of great satisfaction.

Descent

From the summit cross, descend along the eastern ridge, an exposed, thrilling, and only partially equipped section. Maximum attention is required, especially in fog, to find the correct track toward Forcella Marmol. Descending, you will notice the Bivacco Bocco Zago near the notch. Reaching a junction marked by a signpost, keep right, continuing south toward the bivouac itself. From here, descend to the Rifugio VII Alpini via the Ferrata Piero Rossi, which shares an initial section with the Zacchi until a junction. The descent from the summit to the hut takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes. From the Rifugio VII Alpini, return to Case Bortot along the approach trail in about 2 hours, for a total of approximately 12 hours. The descent demands a change of pace, requiring concentration on the unprotected sections of the ridge and constant terrain assessment, before settling into the more regular progression of the Ferrata Piero Rossi.

Useful Notes

The Ferrata Berti features two or three passages of high difficulty, interspersed with less demanding sections. However, its placement within a very long itinerary, which necessarily includes at least one other via ferrata, makes it globally difficult due to exposure, physical commitment, and environmental isolation. It is essential to plan the outing with stable weather conditions. Particular caution is needed with fog, which is frequent in the area, and on the unprotected sections both on the ascent along the ridge and on the descent along the east ridge. The itinerary requires a steady pace and careful energy management, given the length and the alternation of technical phases and simple hiking. An alternative for the return involves reaching Forcella Marmol and ascending to the Pelf via the Sentiero Attrezzato Guardiano, then descending to Case Bortot in a long loop.