Ferrata Piero Rossi

Overview

The Ferrata Piero Rossi is a medium-difficulty equipped route that culminates at Forcella Marmol, in the Schiara Group within the Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi. The route unfolds in a severe and highly scenic alpine environment, demanding good fitness and a certain level of experience. Also known as the Ferrata Marmol, this route is often integrated into multi-day traverses and loops involving other challenging itineraries in the group, offering a logical descent route or a piece of a larger journey.

Approach

The starting point is the locality of Case Bortot (695 m), in the province of Belluno. From the city, follow the regional road of Col di Lana; after a roundabout, turn right towards Bolzano Bellunese and the Parco delle Dolomiti Bellunesi. Continue past the hamlets of Bolzano Bellunese and Gioz, following signs for the Rifugio Case Bortot. Past the refuge, the road ends in a large open area that can be used for parking.

From here begins the approach to the Rifugio VII Alpini. Take trail 501, initially wide and pleasant through the woods, with the majestic silhouette of the Schiara and the Gusela del Vescovà clearly visible. After about thirty minutes, descend to the Ponte del Mariano; once across, you'll encounter a marked junction: continue left, staying on trail 501, which begins to climb steeply and laboriously along the Ardo stream, gaining elevation with a series of switchbacks. You finally reach the Rifugio VII Alpini (1502 m) after approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes from Case Bortot.

To reach the start of the Ferrata Piero Rossi, follow the signs behind the refuge for trail CAI 503, the same one that leads to the Ferrata Zacchi. Climb decisively towards the imposing south walls of the Schiara, passing near the rock formation of the Porton, until you reach the common start of the two ferratas. This additional approach section takes about 45 minutes from the refuge, for a total of roughly 3 hours and 30 minutes from the start.

Via Ferrata

The first part of the route is shared with the Ferrata Zacchi. The start is immediately challenging: after a couple of vertical meters, you begin a traverse to the right on stepped rock. The cable then leads into a narrow gorge, where you overcome a few ladders. Exiting the gorge, you follow a ledge to the left and a very exposed horizontal traverse, which leads to the base of a series of exposed ladders. Continue by ascending a gully, alternating between natural climbing and using stirrups, with the panorama becoming ever more grand between the walls of the Schiara. Once the equipment of this common section ends, a short connecting trail leads to the junction that separates the Ferrata Zacchi (to the left) from the Piero Rossi (to the right).

Turning right, the actual Ferrata Piero Rossi to Forcella Marmol begins. Initially, you follow an unprotected ledge section, which then becomes equipped and leads to a short descent of about 8 meters. Past this, a ledge skirts a gorge (often snowy early in the season) to exit on the opposite side, where the first enjoyable climbing steps begin. The route now develops beneath the dizzying walls of the Schiara, alternating between ledges, sections on rock slabs, and trail. You enter and exit another rocky recess, overcome a couple of ladders, and continue the ascent towards the forcella.

You then tackle a rather vertical section of ferrata, followed by a break on an unequipped connecting trail. This is the prelude to the most demanding section. You climb up slabs and small rock faces, where a chimney to be ascended in a straddle position stands out for its difficulty, with the steel cable zigzagging on both sides. Continuing, following the white-red trail markers, you tackle horizontal and then diagonal ascending sections, up to a final vertical stretch on good rock. The equipment ends again near a trail that, shortly, leads to the Bivacco Bocco Zago (2266 m), reached after about 2 hours and 30 minutes from the start.

From the bivouac, continue by overcoming a vertical wall and a subsequent trail section to the left. A new short equipped ascending section opens the view to the northern side and, in good weather, to the distant Dolomite groups of Cadore. Shortly after, you encounter a junction (to the left, the east ridge climbs to the summit of the Schiara). Continuing straight, you descend the final equipped section until you reach Forcella Marmol (2262 m), the endpoint of the ferrata after about 3 hours from the start.

Descent

From Forcella Marmol, several options are possible for returning to Case Bortot. This description is based on the quickest one, which involves returning via the ascent route. Descending back along the Ferrata Piero Rossi and the approach trail takes about 4 hours and 30 minutes from the forcella to return to the parking lot, for a total of about 11 hours from the start of the hike.

Other possibilities, much more demanding and to be considered only with excellent physical and weather conditions, include: climbing to the Pelf via the exposed Sentiero Attrezzato Guardiano and descending via its normal route; or climbing to the summit of the Schiara via the east ridge, descending to the Gusela del Vescovà via the difficult Ferrata Berti, and finally returning to the Rifugio VII Alpini via the Ferrata Sperti, in a grand multi-day loop.

Useful Notes

The Ferrata Piero Rossi is often included in multi-stage itineraries that combine three or more ferratas in the Schiara Group, forming logical loops. In particular, it can serve as the descent route (the easiest in this context) from a loop that includes the ascent of the Schiara. Given the long travel times, it is highly recommended to plan the ascent as part of a two-day or longer outing, staying overnight at the Rifugio VII Alpini or in one of the high-altitude bivouacs. The route is of medium difficulty, but requires particular attention in case of residual snow or ice in the gorges, which can make some passages more complex and treacherous.