Ferrata delle Guide di Gressoney

Overview

The Ferrata delle Guide di Gressoney stands as one of the most athletic and demanding routes in the entire Italian Alps. Its line is defined by a relentless succession of vertical and overhanging sections that demand considerable muscular effort and physical endurance. The technical difficulties don't reach extreme levels, thanks to abundant equipment of cables and stirrups, but this relative security should not lead anyone to underestimate the itinerary: numerous passages remain tricky and require constant concentration. The yellow and black variants, tackled in the final phase, contain the most challenging sections of the entire route, further elevating its athletic character.

Approach

The starting point is the hamlet of Tache, in the municipality of Gressoney-La-Trinité in the Aosta Valley. Once in La-Trinité, leave the main road that continues to the right beyond the Lys stream, and follow the signs for "Loc Tache." Go straight for about two hundred meters, skirting the church, until you reach a large open area used as a parking lot.

From here, with the imposing wall of the ferrata in front of you, take the access trail to the left, passing by public restrooms. The track climbs decisively, passes an abandoned quarry, and soon allows you to spot the metal structures of the route. In just ten minutes from the parking lot, you reach the official start of the Ferrata delle Guide di Gressoney-a quick approach that immediately introduces you to the severe environment of the wall.

Via Ferrata

The itinerary is structured into three main segments: the Red Route (difficult) from Gressoney-La-Trinité to the repeaters; the Yellow Route (very difficult), which after the Tibetan bridge develops to the right toward the Bodma huts; and the Black Route (extremely difficult), which branches off to the left after the same bridge, with a common finish at the Bodma huts.

RED ROUTE The route immediately reveals its character: pronounced verticality and heavy reliance on metal stirrups. Next to the information sign, you start by climbing a vertical wall, then traverse to the right, skirting a first rock roof. After moving to the right, you tackle a vertical dihedral followed by a new traverse. After an inclined ramp, you overcome a straightforward dihedral and arrive at a first overhanging passage, where searching for footholds to the left noticeably eases the effort. Past this obstacle, you find yourself beneath another roof, bypassed from the right to climb a dihedral that leads to a panoramic ledge-an ideal spot for a first rest and to take in the valley and the nearby Monte Rosa.

The route continues to the left on a stepped wall that evolves into a traverse, bringing you beneath a fine vertical chimney, pleasant to climb using opposition on the sides. After climbing the chimney, you bypass an imposing roof from the left. A subsequent leap leads beneath a sloping dihedral that quickly feeds onto a stable metal ladder of seven to eight meters. Beyond the ladder, you move left onto the edge of an arête.

You then find yourself at the base of a series of fairly easy vertical walls, requiring only a bit of initial agility to reach the first stirrups. The continuation is free of substantial difficulties, except for a small overhang in the upper part. Once the wall is finished, you arrive at a panoramic ledge that marks the end of the red route. To the right, the return trail begins, while ahead loom the walls of the two variants.

To continue, descend and cross a long suspension bridge about forty meters long, stable and equipped with wide foot bars. At the end of the bridge, you face a choice: attack vertically for the yellow route or descend slightly to the left to take the black route.

YELLOW ROUTE Immediately after the bridge, you tackle a difficult, vertical, and overhanging section. This wall is long and physically very demanding; it's advisable to proceed decisively to overcome the overhang, beyond which the wall becomes simply vertical and leads to a rest ledge. Before finishing, you face two more overhanging passages, decidedly strenuous. The ferrata ends at an elevation of about 2100 meters, near the Baite Bodma (Bodma huts).

BLACK ROUTE From the end of the first suspension bridge, instead of attacking the vertical wall, descend slightly to the left into a very exposed section that skirts an arête. Past this, you encounter a second suspension bridge with three cables, shorter than the previous one but much more swaying. Beyond the bridge, climb a few meters to a rest terrace before tackling the impressive final overhanging wall that leads to the Bodma huts.

The start is selective: you face the overhang diagonally to the right through a series of passages where the fatigue of clipping and unclipping carabiners quickly sets in. You reach a horizontal traverse that skirts an arête, then resume vertically with more overhanging sections. After a rest point, you face the final effort: a true boulder with 4 to 6 meters of clear overhang, featuring a couple of rather delicate carabiner changes. Past this step, you soon finish the black variant on the summit meadows and reach the Baite Bodma.

Descent

If you complete only the red route, from the final ledge take a faint trail that, after a slight climb, joins a descending trail that returns to Gressoney-La-Trinité in about thirty minutes (for a total of about 2 hours and 45 minutes).

If instead you complete the yellow or black variants, from the Baite Bodma follow trail number 11, which then receives the junction from the red route's descent trail, descending to the valley in about forty minutes (for a total of about 3 hours and 30 minutes).

Useful Notes

The black variant is considered by many to be the most athletically demanding ferrata section in Italy, and the yellow variant is no slouch. To best tackle this type of very athletic itinerary, it's advisable to bring a pair of quickdraws or slings with carabiners to create mobile anchors in the overhanging sections, thus avoiding excessive arm fatigue before the end of the route.

It is possible to do both variants in a single outing: once you reach the Bodma huts via one variant, descend along trail 11 until you find the junction of a trail that leads back to the end of the red route. Recross the first suspension bridge and tackle the other itinerary. This option adds about one hour to the excursion, for a total of 4 hours and 30 minutes of very demanding effort.

The Ferrata delle Guide di Gressoney is excellently equipped and generally climbable from early June to late October, weather and snow conditions permitting. Given its physical demands, it's difficult to combine with other ferratas on the same day, but nearby you'll find the Ferrata José Angster, the Ferrata di Covarey, or the Ferrata Nito Staich.