Overview
The Ferrata Mendola al Roen is an accessible and pleasant route, suitable for climbing during most of the season. This introductory-level path presents no major technical difficulties, making it ideal for a first taste of via ferrata or as training for more challenging routes. The hike is laid out as a loop, allowing you to incorporate the scenic equipped trail called the Via dei Camosci, which runs along the slopes of Monte Testa Nera, into the descent.
Approach
The recommended starting point is the top station of the chairlift between Passo Mendola and the Rifugio Mezzavia. To reach the pass, take the Brenner motorway to Bolzano Sud, then the expressway toward Merano, exit at Appiano, and follow signs for the pass. Once at Passo Mendola, turn left toward the yellow signs to reach the chairlift parking lot. Alternative starting points are possible from Tramin or along the forest road from Cavareno to Malga Roen, but this description covers the classic route from the chairlift.
From the top station, you quickly reach the Rifugio Mezzavia (1585 m). Continue straight on the forest road, following trail CAI 500, which remains easy-going until Malga Romeno (1773 m), reachable in about 45 minutes from the start. Ignore the secondary junctions for Monte Lira, Crosara, Caldaro, and fine Selva di Ambei. At the malga, you encounter an important intersection: leave the CAI 537 on your left and ignore the CAI 500 that continues straight for the normal route up Monte Roen. Instead, take trail CAI 560, which follows a comfortable false flat and leads in 15 minutes to the Rifugio Oltradige (1773 m), for a total walking time of about one hour. It is from this rifugio that the actual Ferrata Mendola begins.
Via Ferrata
From the Rifugio Oltradige, you immediately face a fork. Continuing straight takes you onto the CAI 560 for the Via dei Camosci, an equipped trail running along the mountainside that offers a fine option for the return. Turning left, instead, takes you onto trail CAI 523, the official start of the Ferrata Mendola al Roen.
The route begins with a steep climb, soon followed by the first steel cable. The trail initially develops along an ascending ledge trending right, characterized by sandy, slightly unstable ground. This first section, though easy, requires attention due to the terrain type. After this, you tackle a series of rocky steps that are well-stepped and equipped with excellent handholds, allowing you to climb without necessarily pulling on the cable. Following this easy sequence, you bend left onto a second ledge with gravelly ground, which leads to a short vertical pitch. This passage is easily overcome thanks to a stirrup and good footholds, bringing you to a gully descending from the mountain.
Turning right, you ascend the gully through a series of pleasant, always cable-protected passages that allow you to gain height quickly and without difficulty. You then reach a more exposed and narrow rock face, surmountable with the help of a stirrup, arriving at a new series of excellently equipped rocky steps. After climbing most of the gully structure, the equipment veers right onto an easy but still equipped trail. You follow this easy ledge, turn left, and soon reach the end of the via ferrata at 2050 meters. The climbing time for the ferrata is about 45 minutes from the Rifugio Oltradige.
Once the equipped section is complete, continue on the grassy shoulder among pines and mountain pines heading south, until you intercept the normal route (CAI 500). Following it, you first climb to the summit cross and then reach the top of Monte Roen (2116 m), with a total time from the start of about 2 hours. The summit offers a wide panorama over the Adige Valley and, in the distance, the Dolomites.
Descent
From the summit of Monte Roen, the most direct route for the return is to descend north along trail CAI 500, which leads back to Malga Romeno in about 45 minutes. From there, retrace the approach trail back to the starting point, for a total of about 1 hour and 30 minutes from the summit (3 hours and 30 minutes total).
For a longer and more interesting route, it is recommended to continue from Monte Roen southward, still on the CAI 500, traversing the broad ridge to Monte Testa Nera (2030 m). Descend slightly east to a well-marked junction, where you keep left to take the CAI 560, the panoramic Via dei Camosci. This equipped trail runs along the mountainside on a gentle descent and leads back to the Rifugio Oltradige in about 2 hours from the summit of Roen (4 hours total). The most characteristic section is a very airy and exposed equipped ledge beneath Monte Testa Nera, particularly striking and well worth traversing. From the Rifugio Oltradige, finally retrace the approach trail, for a total hike of about 5 hours.
Useful Notes
The Ferrata Mendola is undeniably suitable for beginners, presenting moderate difficulty and never excessive exposure. It is an ideal route for learning basic techniques in a pleasant and safe setting. The passages are generally well-stepped, and where the rock becomes steeper, support is provided by well-placed stirrups.
For maps, detailed charts of the Val di Non or the Strada del Vino e Monte Corno area are recommended. Given the accessible nature and moderate duration of the Ferrata Mendola, it is possible to combine it on the same day with other equipped routes in the vicinity, such as the Ferrata Rio Secco at Mezzocorona or, continuing toward Merano, the Ferrata Heini Holzer, the easy Ferrata Knott, or the more challenging Ferrata Hoachwool at Naturno.
