Ferrata Caspai

Overview

The Caspai Via Ferrata runs along the southern flank of Corno di Caspai, above Lodrino in the province of Brescia, and is a demanding, high-commitment route. The climb is defined by pronounced exposure and a significant number of traverses, requiring solid technique and not to be underestimated. The terrain is dominated by compact slabs and discontinuous ledges, with the final section offering a difficult variant featuring overhanging sections, chimneys, and particularly strenuous traverses that push the difficulty of that specific stretch to Extremely Difficult. The starting point is the locality of Pineta, above the town of Lodrino.

Approach

Once you reach Lodrino, look for the brown sign on the right for Pineta. The steep road leads to the Ristorante Genzianella. There are two parking options: right near the restaurant, or continue about a hundred meters, keeping right at the next fork until you reach a left-hand hairpin turn with a picnic area, where there is a suitable parking space. From here, the white-and-green signs point the way to the Caspai Via Ferrata. Follow the asphalt briefly until you spot a track on the right that climbs into the woods. Take it, ascending steeply as you traverse the slope. The forest trail leads in a few minutes to a junction (about 15 minutes from the parking). Taking the left-hand trail, you reach the start of the via ferrata in about 30 minutes total.

Via Ferrata

The route begins immediately with a diagonal traverse that levels out horizontally, introducing the technical style of the climb right from the start. This first move along an exposed ledge demands balance and control. After this friction move, a short vertical section precedes another demanding diagonal and then horizontal traverse. This first sector is quite physical, engaging the arms and core to maintain position. After a couple of meters of vertical climbing, you tackle another horizontal traverse, aided by metal rungs. Once this exposed section is finished, you arrive at a grassy ledge that runs left for a few minutes, offering a moment of relative rest, until a more delicate passage that requires rounding an exposed corner. Next comes a descending traverse, passing under a rock roof that must be negotiated quickly and nimbly to avoid overly tiring the arms. Beyond the roof, the cable rises vertically, leading to an unmarked chimney equipped with a few rungs. Caution here: the cable, switching from the left side to the right side of the chimney, may hinder leg movement. The upper part of the chimney offers better holds and emerges onto a new exposed traverse to the left, requiring a few steps down and a friction move around the wall, until you find yourself under another roof, with your feet on a sloping slab. The rhythm becomes broken, alternating short climbs with technical traverses. Continue left, ascending a small spur, then descend onto a steeper ramp. After rounding a corner, the cable heads decisively upward, aided by rungs. After a few meters, it bends left for another exposed, slightly descending traverse that skirts a rocky section. Resuming the vertical climb, you enter a sector with scarce holds, both natural and artificial, where you'll need to pull on the cable to make progress. The rock, solid but polished, offers few holds. Midway up the wall, a small earthy terrace allows a break. Resume climbing vertically, then tackle a new traverse to the left, rounding a bulge. At this point, you encounter the first escape route of the climb. The route continues with a short chimney, then bends left into a challenging ascending traverse. You reach a pulpit from which you downclimb; after a short trail, take another leftward traverse to a crucial fork. To the left, the easy route continues toward Corno di Caspai, characterized by equipped ledges, ramps, and short, non-difficult vertical sections, which then become a trail. To the right begins the difficult route, composed of 4 consecutive sections, rated Extremely Difficult and lacking any escape routes. The first of the four pitches starts with a short vertical wall, followed by a diagonal section to the right that leads under an overhanging wall equipped with rungs. This passage, typical of overhangs, requires agility, quick carabiner changes, and arm strength. The first few meters bend left with the help of foot rungs, then you head straight up the overhanging wall, before bending left again, in heavy exposure, and finishing on mixed rock-and-grass terrain. You emerge onto a ledge where you can rest before the second section. The character of the route now becomes decidedly athletic and continuous. You start with a sloping traverse to the left, of medium difficulty, although accumulated fatigue begins to tell on the arms. You reach a point where the cable, from the left, bends sharply to the right, first diagonally and then vertically. This is a very exposed section, but the rock is more jagged and offers better holds. After climbing a short vertical section to the right, a short trail leads to the third sector. The third section begins with an exposed and difficult traverse to the left, after which you round a corner. Beyond this, the cable climbs vertically for a few meters, then heads right toward an exposed chimney with good natural and artificial holds. Once the chimney is finished, climb a fairly slabby wall and, via a grassy trail, reach the final section, ignoring a possible escape route. The final section starts with a traverse to the right, then climbs diagonally toward a narrow chimney, staying on its left side all the way to the top. You're now in the home stretch: a slabby wall with the cable zigzagging upward until you reach the prominent summit cross of Corno Caspai. Indicative times are about 3 hours and 15 minutes from the start, for a total of 3 hours and 45 minutes.

Descent

From the large summit cross of Corno Caspai, you have two options for returning to the parking. The first option descends eastward, following signs for the Passo della Cavada, reachable in about 15 minutes from the summit. From the pass, take the mule track on the right that descends to the junction encountered on the approach to the via ferrata. From there, retrace the approach trail (about 1 hour from the summit, for a total of 4 hours and 45 minutes). The second option descends westward toward Passo Cisa, along a more airy ridge route. Traverse at mid-height on the north side to the pass (about 20 minutes from the summit). This section of trail is slightly exposed and on potentially slippery grassy terrain; trekking poles can be useful. From the pass, take the trail that descends left toward Pineta, with few markings along the way. Once you reach the locality of Pineta on a paved road, continue to a junction, go up to the left, then keep right until you reach the hairpin turn with the parking (about 40 minutes from the pass, 1 hour from the summit, for a total of 4 hours and 45 minutes).

Useful Notes

The Caspai Via Ferrata is an athletic route, though not in the "French" sense of some via ferratas in the Western Alps. It doesn't make heavy use of stirrups but distributes them strategically in sections with few holds. The climb is tiring due to the combination of constant ups and downs, the length of the route, and the high number of traverses that tax the arms. The limestone rock is generally solid and compact, although in some spots it is polished and lacking in natural holds. The difficult variant, located in the second half of the route, is to be considered extremely difficult, athletic, and exposed. It is tackled after about 2 hours of climbing, when energy levels begin to wane. It is essential to note that once you begin the first section of this variant, you are committed to continuing to the last, where an escape route is found; retreat would be very complex. In this sector, using a quickdraw can be very handy for resting if you become fatigued. The via ferrata was inaugurated in June 2011 and is located in an area rich in other equipped routes.