Ferrata Ventricini

Overview

The Ventricini Fixed-Rope Trail, recently restored with new fixed cables and ladders, offers a gentle introduction to the world of via ferrata-never extreme. Ideal for beginners, it skirts the west face of Corno Piccolo in the Gran Sasso, providing an excellent first taste of Abruzzo's Dolomite-like terrain. The route runs mostly along ledges and gullies, feeling more like a challenging hike than a climb, while still delivering the characteristic exposure of the massif.

Approach

The starting point is Prati di Tivo (Teramo). From the A24 motorway, take the San Gabriele-Colledara exit, then follow the SS del Gran Sasso toward L'Aquila until the turnoff for the resort. Note: in summer 2021, the Prati di Tivo cable car was closed. If that's the case, drive about 4 km further to the Rifugio Cima Alta, park, and walk about 100 meters uphill to the Madonnina. Under normal conditions, take the gondola to the top station at the Madonnina-check the operating hours first. From the station, follow trail 103 toward Rifugio Franchetti. After about ten minutes, you'll reach a fork: turn right (the left branch continues to the refuge). The route, well-marked in white and red, climbs the north flank of Corno Piccolo at mid-slope, crosses a debris-filled basin, and arrives at the start plaque of the via ferrata. The approach from the gondola takes about 45 minutes on easy trail.

Via Ferrata

The itinerary begins with a short descent of just a few meters, followed by a vertical ascent aided by cable and ladders-never technically demanding. This brings you onto the west face of Corno Piccolo, a series of ups and downs that wind along panoramic ledges and easy passages, some of which are unroped. The progression is steady and continuous, with moderate exposure that lets you gradually acclimate to the environment. A distinctive feature is a narrow squeeze between two boulders, where you'll need to take off your backpack; a quickdraw or a sling can be handy to clip it to your harness. Right after this point, the Ventricini Fixed-Rope Trail ends. The via ferrata itself takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes from the start, for a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes from the gondola.

Descent

From the end of the via ferrata, several options open up. The first is to climb a short way to the left via the normal route to Corno Piccolo, with Class I scrambling (about 1 hour for the ascent alone, 1 hour 45 minutes for ascent and descent). From here, you can retrace the Ventricini Ferrata back to the gondola, for a total itinerary of about 5 hours and 30 minutes. Continuing on the main trail and ignoring this detour, you'll encounter trail markers that lead left to the start of the Danesi Ferrata (1 hour of climbing). You can then descend via the normal route and return along the Ventricini, for a total of about 5 hours and 45 minutes. A third possibility is to hike up the trail to the Sella dei Due Corni (reachable in about 1 hour 30 minutes from the end of the via ferrata). From the saddle, you can climb the normal routes to Corno Orientale or Corno Occidentale, descend to Rifugio Franchetti to tackle the Ricci Ferrata on Corno Orientale, or simply return to the gondola, completing a loop of about 4 hours and 45 minutes total.

Useful Notes

The Ventricini Trail is essentially a high-difficulty fixed-rope trail with no significant technical passages. It lends itself well to being combined into loop itineraries in the Gran Sasso massif, serving as an approach for the Danesi Ferrata, the normal routes on Corno Piccolo and Corno Orientale, or the Ricci Ferrata on Corno Grande. On the southern side of the massif, other options include the Brizio Ferrata, the Bafile Bivouac with its own via ferrata, the Sentiero del Centenario, and the Famigliari Ferrata. In the northern part of the group, the Bertona Ferrata is also worth mentioning.