Ferrata del Camino / Ghiacciaio

Overview

The objective of this route is the Rifugio Vittorio Veneto, situated at the foot of the Sasso Nero in the Aurina Valley, and it involves using one of two via ferratas: the Ferrata del Camino, currently closed, or the Ferrata del Ghiacciaio. This is a demanding undertaking, both for its length and the severe alpine environment, requiring excellent physical condition and a careful assessment of weather and terrain conditions.

Approach

The route begins at the Rifugio Stallila, at 1472 meters near San Giovanni in Val Aurina, in the province of Bolzano. From the Val Pusteria, turn off at Brunico toward San Giovanni; after passing the village, follow the sign to the left for Stallila, driving a series of switchbacks to the parking area.

From here, take a gravel road heading north at a moderate grade. After reaching a building, you can continue on the gravel road or veer left onto a steeper trail that leads first to the Schollberg Alm (1740 m) and then to the Daimer Alm (1862 m), reachable in about an hour from the start and open as a summer refreshment stop. From the Daimer Alm, the landscape changes dramatically: you leave the forest and enter an open, rocky environment, heading straight toward the imposing mass of the Sasso Nero.

You then tackle a long series of switchbacks among rocks and dwarf pines, ignoring the fork to the right for the Sasso della Croce. Continuing toward the now clearly visible bulk of the Sasso Nero, you enter the glacial basin, passing the junction on the left for the Stabeler trail (markers 24A) and staying on trail 23. This climbs north over moraine terrain, also ignoring a later marked fork for the normal route to the Grosse Tor. Ascending the valley, you finally reach a crucial junction, reached about three hours from the start. Here, the path to the right is marked for the Ferrata del Camino and the one to the left for the Ferrata del Ghiacciaio, both leading to the Rifugio Vittorio Veneto.

It is essential to note that, as of 2019, the Ferrata del Camino is closed and impassable due to a landslide that irreparably damaged a ladder; the chimney is subject to continuous rockfall. Therefore, it is mandatory to take the Ferrata del Ghiacciaio. The Rotbachkees glacier, in strong retreat, has some crevasses that require caution. For updated conditions, it is recommended to contact the Rifugio Vittorio Veneto directly.

Via Ferrata

Ferrata del Camino (CLOSED - Use only if reopened and safe) Following the signs to the right at the junction and a mark on the rock, you climb toward the steep wall along abundant white-red trail markers to the start. You tackle a first short ladder to the left, followed by a section to the right and a second short ladder that introduces the characteristic passage: ascending a long equipped dihedral with two consecutive long ladders, for a total elevation gain of about eighty meters. The first ladder is vertical, the second bends to the right. Due to rockfall, the original route on side-by-side ladders has been replaced by a higher traverse. After this, you encounter two short leaning ladders that lead to a vertical wall section to climb. Reaching a panoramic ledge, you follow a long traverse to the left that marks the end of the fixed equipment, about thirty minutes after the start. You then continue climbing a scree slope following the white-red markers toward the refuge, eventually crossing the track of the Ferrata del Ghiacciaio. The Rifugio Vittorio Veneto, recently renovated with a futuristic design, is reached about an hour from the start of the ferrata (four hours total from the start).

Ferrata del Ghiacciaio (Currently passable route) From the junction, take the track to the left, skirting a glacial lake. You climb toward the glacier (or what remains of it) following faint tracks in its center. It is crucial to locate the position of the refuge to the northeast, an operation that can be difficult in fog or low clouds. Reaching the first steel cables, the short equipped sections begin, reachable in about thirty minutes from the junction (four hours and thirty minutes total).

The equipment initially helps you climb diagonally to the left on a slab inclined and polished by ice, following white-red dots. After a few meters, the cable bends to the right onto a smooth ramp, where some stirrups aid progress; in this section, the cable can be very loose. You execute a traverse to reach an inclined ledge to travel without equipment. You then overcome a short ladder, a vertical step, and another inclined ramp. In the final section, you bend to the right tackling a ledge with the help of three metal stirrups, which mark the end of the via ferrata, reached in about twenty minutes from the start (about five hours total).

You then follow tracks and white-red markers over a long scree slope, which leads first to the junction with the Ferrata del Camino and finally to the Rifugio Vittorio Veneto at 2922 meters, reachable in about five hours and thirty minutes total from the start. This description does not cover the possible ascent of the Sasso Nero, which requires mountaineering experience for the ridge and glacial section (about two hours from the refuge one way).

Descent

The return is via the same route of ascent, descending along the approach trail into the Aurina Valley. The choice of descent route must take into account the exposure of the Ferrata del Camino (if eventually reopened) and the current conditions of the Ferrata del Ghiacciaio. Descent times from the refuge are about three hours and thirty minutes, for a total of about eight hours of hiking.

Useful Notes

This is a high mountain excursion that requires excellent physical fitness due to the length and elevation gain. You must be equipped with crampons and glacier gear to safely cross the Rotbachkees glacier. The two via ferratas themselves are short and do not present significant technical difficulties. However, the Ferrata del Camino, preferable if open, is exposed and subject to falling debris. The Ferrata del Ghiacciaio is shorter, but in some sections the equipment may not be optimal, and the rock, polished by glacial erosion, requires particular attention.

The new Rifugio Vittorio Veneto al Sasso Nero, inaugurated in 2019, replaced the historic stone structure opened over 120 years earlier; a metal plaque commemorates its original location.