Ferrata Che Guevara

Overview

The Ferrata Che Guevara is a challenging loop route starting from Pietramurata in Trentino that climbs to the summit of Monte Casale. This is a very long via ferrata, characterized by considerable elevation gain and nearly continuous exposure. While the individual technical passages don't reach extreme levels, the main challenge lies in the total duration of roughly seven to eight hours, the absence of escape routes, and prolonged sun exposure-factors that demand excellent physical fitness. During the hot months, managing hydration becomes a critical part of the planning.

Approach

Access to the route is from Pietramurata, near Sarche. Coming from Riva del Garda toward Sarche, drive through the town and, at the exit sign, turn left onto via Collungo. From Sarche, instead, turn right just after the entrance sign. Follow a road serving industrial activities to a large parking area.

It is advisable to put on your harness and helmet already at the car, as the first equipped sections are encountered shortly. From the parking lot, walk alongside the industrial plant to the end of the asphalt, where a steep, stepped trail begins, marked by red blazes and equipped with a handrail cable. After a few minutes, skirting a rock face, you make a traverse to the right that leads into the first challenging passage, reached in about twenty minutes from the start.

The initial environment is dominated by the typical morphology of the foothill slopes, with a trail that winds between boulders and sparse vegetation, already offering a taste of the exposure that will characterize the climb.

Via Ferrata

The initial dihedral is the most significant technical obstacle of the entire ascent, presenting a smooth central section that requires pulling hard on the cable. Once past this passage, the route develops across a long, sloping slab before veering onto a ledge to the left, gaining height rapidly above the quarries below and bringing the imposing silhouette of Monte Casale into view. The route alternates at a variable rhythm between easy rock climbing sections, sometimes aided by stirrups, and trail sections, ignoring a junction to the left marked by a fixed rope.

After overcoming several rock steps and a rock marked "elevation 550 m," you proceed on well-structured rock, tackling vertical passages and short free-climbing sections guided by red marks. Finally, with a slight descent, you reach the official start of the Ferrata Che Guevara, marked by the inscription "Elevation 675 m" (about 1 hour and 20 minutes from the parking lot).

From this point, despite the imposing bastion rising above you, the major technical difficulties are now behind you. The climb zigzags up solid dolomitic rock, offering excellent holds, through a succession of vertical sections, short traverses, and ledges, with exposure that increases progressively and steadily. After a comfortable horizontal traverse offering an impressive view of the elevation gained, you reach the inscription "735 m."

The pace becomes more physical and continuous. You climb a vertical and exposed section, well-equipped with stirrups-perhaps the most demanding on the route due to the scarcity of comfortable resting points-up to elevation 860 (about 45 minutes from the official start). The subsequent long slab, though abundantly equipped with stirrups, requires particular attention due to the more polished rock, the exposure, and the fatigue that begins to set in. After about an hour and a half from the official start, you arrive at a sloping terrace, a prelude to the final segment that, through a stepped wall and a ledge, leads to the summit register (about 3 hours total from the parking lot).

The actual via ferrata ends here, but the equipped route continues: it is therefore advisable to keep your safety gear on. Follow the red-marked trail, overcoming easy protected rock steps, a sloping slab, and a few gullies with unstable terrain, until you reach the summit cross of Monte Casale at 1632 meters (about 4 hours and 30 minutes from the parking lot).

The final part of the route develops along more airy ridges and ledges, with a distinctly panoramic character that rewards the effort sustained, though it still requires concentration due to exposed and not always protected sections.

Descent

From the summit, there are two options. The easier option descends north toward the Rifugio Pisoni (check its opening hours in advance) to join the CAI 427 trail, which, crossing pastures and a beech forest, leads toward Godesi. From there, following the CAI 427B, you reach Sarche, then climb back to Pietramurata via a mule track (about 3 hours from the summit, for a total of 7 hours and 30 minutes).

The more challenging alternative involves descending left on the CAI 411 and, after about twenty minutes, taking the CAI 408 to the left until the sign for the Sentiero Attrezzato del Rampin (reached in 40 minutes from the summit). This descent route, while not presenting high technical difficulties, is treacherous and potentially slippery on rock steps and sloping ramps in the woods. It is recommended to use the via ferrata set and, on unprotected sections, trekking poles. After about 45 minutes of progression on equipped sections, a sign indicates the branch for the return toward the Che Guevara, from which a long forest trail leads back to the approach route and the parking lot (about 2 hours and 30 minutes from the summit, for a total of 7 hours).

The descent, especially the more direct one, demands a change of pace: after the intense verticality of the climb, you face long strides across grassy slopes or unstable terrain in the woods, testing your remaining endurance and concentration.

Useful Notes

Although often classified as moderate due to the abundant equipment, the Ferrata Che Guevara is an undertaking not to be underestimated because of its extraordinary length and total elevation gain of about 1400 meters. The exposure is generally high, and the south-southeast face is hit by direct sunlight for most of the day, making it essential to carry large supplies of water. The route is ideal in the shoulder seasons; during the summer and on weekends, it can see considerable crowding. An honest assessment of your physical preparation and specific training is essential before attempting it.

The character of the route is that of a long alpine traverse on rock, where technical commitment blends with a test of physical and mental endurance, in an open and majestic environment that offers no respite.