Ferrata del Caminetto

Overview

The Sentiero Attrezzato del Caminetto, popularly known as the Buco della Carlotta, connects Passo Fò-dominated by the walls of Resegone-to the broad plateau of Pian Serrada in the province of Lecco. The route runs entirely within a steep gully, characterized by compact and fractured limestone, where key sections are secured with steel cables and chains. This itinerary, of moderate technical commitment, is often incorporated into larger circuits with the other via ferratas of the massif, offering loops of great hiking value. The path stays mostly in a confined environment, crossing ledges and squeezing through narrows, with a progression that alternates short vertical steps with more horizontal stretches over scree.

Approach

The logical starting point is the large parking lot for the Piani d'Erna cable car, located in Barzio (LC). From Lecco, take the expressway toward Valtellina; after a tunnel, follow signs for "Piani d'Erna," driving a winding mountain road to its end. The approach to the equipped trail coincides with that of the Ferrata del Centenario. From the parking lot, reach Passo Fò in about an hour and a half by following Trail 1 and then Trail 6, a forested route with steady ascent. Those opting for the cable car to Piani d'Erna drastically reduce the elevation gain, taking about an hour of walking to reach the pass. At Passo Fò, clear signage indicates the two options: to the left, the Ferrata del Centenario; to the right, the entrance to the Sentiero Attrezzato del Caminetto.

Via Ferrata

From the sign at Passo Fò, take the right-hand trail, which climbs decisively up a steep, rocky slope to the start of the first protections. The route proper begins with a chain that aids the ascent of an initial slab, then veers left to tackle a succession of short uphill sections and a brief downhill passage. Continue ascending a scree-filled gully, a prelude to the most distinctive feature of the entire route: you find yourself beneath a huge wedged boulder, which you bypass on the right to squeeze into the famous Buco della Carlotta, a narrow fissure that leads out of the first gully onto a panoramic ledge.

Past this initial sector, you enter a second gully, wider and more enclosed. Here, some passages become more athletic and demanding, with climbing on polished rock where holds must be sought carefully. The environment is typical of an erosional groove, with vertical walls hemming in the route. Once through this section, the difficulty eases, and the path-always equipped with protections where needed-gradually leads out of the Caminetto. Immediately after, a sign on the left points the way to the Ferrata del Centenario. From here, the route opens out onto meadows and rocky outcrops, eventually reaching the vast Pian Serrada. The via ferrata itself takes about 45 minutes from the start, for a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes from the upper cable car station, or 2 hours and 15 minutes from the parking lot below. The pace is uneven, with sequences of short technical maneuvers alternating with walking on scree, in a sheltered and intimate atmosphere.

Descent

Once at Pian Serrada, to return you must briefly ascend to intercept Trail 1, which you follow downhill to a junction with Trail 5. To get back to the Piani d'Erna cable car station, take Trail 5 to the right; this option takes about an hour from the end of the equipped trail, for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes from the start. To descend directly to the starting parking lot below, ignore the junction with Trail 5 and continue along Trail 1 toward Rifugio Stoppani, with an additional hour and three-quarters of walking (total about 3 hours and 30 minutes). The descent follows a well-marked trail, with steady elevation loss and open views over Val d'Erna.

Useful Notes

Though classified as an easy equipped trail, the Buco della Carlotta route features some quite vertical passages that require a basic comfort level with moving on rock. Exposure is generally limited due to the protected development within the gully, though a few points offer airy views. It is essential to pay maximum attention to loose scree, to avoid dislodging stones that could fall on any hikers below-a real risk in this type of channeled environment. The Buco passage is very narrow and may cause difficulty with bulky backpacks; in this case, a sling to clip the pack to your harness during the ascent can be useful. This itinerary lends itself perfectly to being combined, on the descent, with the nearby Ferrata del Centenario, or as a return route after climbing Resegone via Ferrata Gamma 2 or Silvano de Franco. On the ascent, it can serve as a logical continuation of the Sentiero Attrezzato della Cresta della Giumenta. The overall experience is technical and exploratory in character, with a strong element of variety and a morphologically interesting environment.