Ferrata dei Bambini

Overview

The Ferrata dei Bambini is a didactic route designed for families and beginners. The itinerary unfolds mainly along a diagonal ledge, offering a protected environment and straightforward progression. A single corner section features wider spacing between holds, but the passage is short and requires no particular technique. It represents an ideal and reassuring introduction to climbing on fixed routes.

Approach

Access starts from Grassoney-Saint-Jean. Once in the village, look left for a small bridge over the Lys stream. Cross it and follow about 200 meters of dirt road to a clearing used as parking. This spot is shared with the nearby Ferrata Josè Angster, which also shares the approach trail and much of the return route.

From the parking, turn right toward Lago di Gover. Pass a wooden cabin, then follow the western shore of the lake, hugging the mountainside. Take trail 4A, marked by red cairns on the boulders, which heads decisively into the woods. At a junction, leave trail 4A by veering right onto trail 15, heading north. After about a hundred meters, you emerge onto a scree field where a sign points to the via ferrata. Here, leave trail 15 (which continues flat) and ascend the gully following yellow markers.

Reach the rock walls and a distinctive wooden shelter, then turn right for another hundred meters to the start of the Ferrata Josè Angster. For our objective, instead continue right along the edge of the cliff, where the cables of the Ferrata dei Bambini begin. The start is marked as F2, and the cable is protected by a green rubber sheath, unlike F1 (Josè Angster) which has a yellow sheath. The approach from the parking takes about 30 minutes.

Via Ferrata

The route runs along a diagonal ledge that, starting from the right, climbs diagonally left toward the rocky spur separating this route from the more challenging Josè Angster. The ledge is wide and well-defined, offering a low-exposure environment and smooth progression. The rock is solid, with steps and stirrups worked into it to ease the climb. You then encounter a short, more exposed section featuring three steps that require extra attention. Once past them, you cross the yellow cable of the other via ferrata.

Proceed along a horizontal stretch, overcome a small overhang, and round a corner to reach a moderately inclined slab. Here the cable turns yellow. Climb this slab and tackle a final, slightly overhanging traverse, beyond which the short via ferrata ends. The route is predominantly horizontal and diagonal, with few vertical sections, maintaining a scenic and low-strain character. The time on the fixed route is about 20 minutes from the start, for a total of 50 minutes from the parking.

Descent

From the end of the cables, continue left, following a faint trail that descends on a false flat until it intersects the descending trail 4A. Descend, crossing trail 15 again, which leads back to the scree field with the wooden sign encountered on the way up. From here, retrace the approach route back to the parking. The descent, always on a well-marked trail, takes about 25 minutes from the end of the via ferrata, for a total time of about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Useful Notes

This is an easy via ferrata, classifiable as a equipped trail, ideal for children and beginners. Technical difficulties are minimal, allowing you to focus on managing the harness and clipping in a safe context.

The Ferrata dei Bambini runs below the more challenging Ferrata Josè Angster. With due consideration for the greater difficulty of the latter, the two routes can easily be combined into a half-day itinerary. For those wanting to extend the activity, nearby options include the easy Ferrata Harry Potter or the Ferrata di Covarey.