Ferrata della Ruceia

Overview

The Ruceia Via Ferrata is a protected route that offers an ideal first taste of the via ferrata experience. It is divided into separate sections, all of which lack any significant technical difficulty, making it a short, pleasant, and safe outing in any season. Located in Condove in the Susa Valley, the route is dedicated to the memory of the Valsusinian mountaineers GianCarlo Grassi and Diego Cordola.

Approach

The starting point is the town of Condove, in the province of Turin. After crossing the bridge over the Gravio stream, park your car just past the equipped area and the adventure park along the riverbank. From here, a dirt trail skirts the park and enters the woods, reaching the start of the route in about a ten-minute walk.

Via Ferrata

The route unfolds across several climbing sections, connected by short stretches of trail through the woods. The first section ascends a vertical wall on compact rock, starting out straight before veering slightly to the left. Progression is made easy by the presence of numerous footholds (staffe), while the smooth, vertical rock would otherwise require smearing technique. This is a continuous, well-protected stretch that engages the hiker on a uniform wall, immediately offering a good sense of exposure in complete safety. You overcome a short, slightly overhanging section of about three meters, then finish the sector on a slab that is first sloping and then vertical.

After a connecting section on foot, you tackle a second sector: a four-meter vertical step, equipped with footholds, that leads to a small ledge. From here, a traverse to the left leads to a diagonal stretch, again supported by footholds. This segment, developed along a natural ledge, has a broken, less continuous rhythm, alternating short steps with horizontal sections. The upper part of this section becomes easier, presenting a low-angle dihedral to climb before another trail connection.

The third section consists of a boulder to climb vertically, though it can be easily bypassed on the right side. Another short trail through the woods then leads to the fourth and final sector, near the Roccabruna climbing crag. You ascend the left side, tackling a well-equipped vertical dihedral, followed by a traverse to the left. This final sector has a more distinctly alpine character, developing on an articulated rock structure. After reaching a second dihedral similar to the first, you climb it, bending left again before a final vertical slab that leads to the summit. The rhythm here is sustained and linear, with consecutive moves that quickly bring you to the end. The climbing time for the via ferrata is about one hour from the start, for a total of one hour and fifteen minutes from the beginning of the hike.

Descent

From the top of the Ruceia Via Ferrata, the descent can be made either on the left side or the right. The right-hand variant is recommended as it is less rough. In either case, completing a loop, you return to the parking area in about thirty minutes, for a total hike time of one hour and forty-five minutes.

Useful Notes

This is a perfect via ferrata for beginners, abundantly equipped and free of complex technical passages. Only the first section is slightly more challenging than the others, but it remains within everyone's reach, suitable even for young people. Its brevity and low physical demands make it easy to combine with other via ferratas in the Susa Valley, such as the Guido Rossa Via Ferrata in Caprie or the Carlo Giorda Via Ferrata, reachable in just a few minutes by car. The route was inaugurated in 2016 and is a tribute to two important figures in local mountaineering.