Discover the Via Ferratas in the Italian Dolomites with Cicerone

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Further Reading

Many via ferratas were originally built to aid the movements of alpine military units during the First World War, and now they represent one of the major attractions in the Dolomites. They are a range of protected routes, with fixed cables, ladders and even gorge-spanning bridges, which aid ascent to places normally reserved for expert rock climbers.

In recent years, old wartime routes have been restored and many new routes added to give a network of routes around the whole Dolomite region. Some of the new ferratas are ‘sport routes’, often technically quite hard, as you will see from our assessment of the grades.

Routes are regularly checked, maintained and waymarked by the Italian Alpine Club, CAI (Club Alpino Italiano).

This is the first in a series of two guidebooks to Via Ferrata routes in the Italian Dolomites. (Volume One covers the eastern, northern and central areas of the Dolomites, while Volume Two completes the picture, focusing on the southern, Brenta and Lake Garda areas.)

• 82 via ferrata routes grouped by 10 valley bases, with guidance on choosing the best base for attacking each of the routes
• all graded according to the authors’ own simple system
• ranges include Catinaccio, Marmolada, Sella, Puez Odle, Fanes, Tofane, Cristallo, Sesto, Sorapiss and Marmarole.