Ferrata Viali al Gramolon

Overview

The Ferrata Viali is a medium-difficulty equipped route that winds through the northern gully of Monte Gramolon in the Piccole Dolomiti range near Vicenza. The itinerary offers a great variety of terrain: vertical sections, exposed traverses, and an impressive final ladder. Both the approach and return are short, but the relatively modest elevation makes it inadvisable during the hottest hours of summer. Recently re-equipped, the route provides a complete and dynamic technical experience.

Approach

The starting point is the Rifugio Bepi Bertagnoli (1225 m), reachable from the Campodalbero valley in the province of Vicenza. From the south, head toward Arzignano and Chiampo; past the locality of Valletta, turn right for Campodalbero following signs for the rifugio. The road, narrow in some sections, climbs beyond the village to the parking area near the rifugio.

From the parking lot, pass the rifugio and head toward a small church. A CAI signpost indicates to keep right to take trail 221. The path enters the woods with a moderate gradient, then descends into a small valley through a few short equipped sections and unstable ground. This brings you to the base of a prominent gully, where a sign marks the start of the Ferrata Viali. A few meters further, looking to the right, you'll spot the start of the route, reachable in about 20 minutes from the parking lot.

Via Ferrata

The start, marked by a small marble plaque, is on the left side of the gully. You climb diagonally up a right-hand arête, immediately facing a vertical sequence on stepped rock. The pace is demanding from the start: after the first few meters, you traverse to the right with medium-difficulty moves on ground often covered in small stones. The morphology of the gully, prone to frequent rockfall, demands maximum attention and the mandatory use of a helmet. A traverse of about twenty meters, without particular technical difficulty but exposed, leads to the right side of the gorge.

A short diagonal climb and crossing a ledge bring you below the crux of the route: an overhanging wall equipped with a long row of metal staples. The staples are wide, providing comfortable footholds and the possibility of resting via quickdraws. The wall, about fifteen meters high, develops in three sections: a first very overhanging part, a central vertical section, and a final overhanging part, though less steep than the first. After overcoming this athletic section, you move left with the help of a peg and a staple, then tackle a short traverse-first horizontal, then diagonal-very exposed, which leads below a second equipped wall.

This second wall, though challenging, is less severe than the previous one: less overhanging and shorter, ending with some diagonal staples that deposit you on a ledge to the left. After the two most technical sections, the route continues with a vertical ladder of about twenty rungs. Exiting the ladder to the right, you traverse left and climb diagonally using natural holds and some pegs, up to a wall where the cable resumes vertically.

Originally, there was a second ladder here on the left side; with the recent restoration, the route has been moved to the right, where you climb a vertical section equipped with a series of staples. The numerous artificial holds make the passage smooth. Exiting the wall, a short traverse to the left goes around an arête and enters the narrowest and shadiest part of the gully, where the environment becomes more enclosed and vertical.

The cable resumes vertically with handles and staples; after another traverse to the left, you reach a wall with some staples. Climbing vertically, you move into the gully to the left, following an exposed traverse on pegs. The pace becomes more discontinuous, alternating short vertical climbs with horizontal sections, then tackling a long climb up an arête, slightly overhanging at the base and more stepped higher up. After overcoming it, you move to the left side of the gully, taking extreme care not to dislodge rocks, which would fall along the route just climbed.

On the opposite side of the gully, you begin to climb vertically on a wall that quickly becomes exposed, stepped, and integrated with handles on the more demanding passages. Climbing diagonally to the left, you reach a small balcony offering a view from above of the gully. A horizontal traverse to the right and overcoming some small rock steps finally lead to a more comfortable equipped trail, which brings you to a bench in a connecting section toward the final part.

After a rest, continue on the trail to a rocky wall where a long metal ladder of about 25 meters is positioned. In the final part, the ladder becomes less steep, depositing you on an equipped trail section that ends on trail 202, where the Ferrata Viali finishes. The climbing time from the start is about 2 hours.

Descent

Once the ferrata is finished, you find yourself on trail 202, which traverses the Gramolon at mid-slope. Several options are possible.

For a direct return to the Rifugio Bertagnoli, follow trail 202 to the left, cross a military tunnel (no torch needed) and, before the Passo di Scagina, take a steep trail to the left that descends through the woods. This passes by a small monument in memory of Bepi Bertagnoli and leads to the start of the Ferrata Viali in about 40 minutes. From here, return via the approach trail to the parking lot (about 1 hour from the end of the ferrata, for a total of about 3 hours and 30 minutes).

A more rewarding alternative is to continue toward Monte Gramolon. Immediately after the ferrata, take trail 211 to the right for the summit. Along the way, a marked deviation to the left allows you to tackle the short but challenging Ferrata Ezio Ferrari. Then continue on a steep trail to the summit cross of Gramolon (1814 m, 45 minutes from the end of the ferrata). For the return, descend the same trail (avoiding the Ferrata Ferrari on the descent) and then follow the route back to the Bertagnoli as above, for a total of about 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Useful Notes

The Ferrata Viali is a pleasant and varied itinerary, of medium difficulty with individual challenging passages but never prohibitive. The two overhanging sections are athletic but short; for those who are unsure, it's advisable to bring a quickdraw or a sling for possible rests. The rest of the route alternates vertical climbs, traverses, ledges, and small rock steps, culminating in the long and adrenaline-filled metal ladder. If combined with the nearby Ferrata Ferrari, it becomes a very interesting and complete itinerary.

The ferrata has been completely re-equipped recently and all equipment is in excellent condition. Beware of fog, which tends to rise in the afternoon in this area of the Piccole Dolomiti. After rain, the rock can be damp, significantly increasing the difficulty. As already emphasized, it is essential to pay attention to the loose ground and be very careful not to dislodge stones along the route, especially in the gully.