800m.
* rather long route (+800m vertical in VF, almost +2000m total)
* but no sections very strenuous.
* lots of impressive "alpine" rock situations.
* lots of transitions, no long boring sections.
* committing: No "escape" until high on the route, and even then you're on difficult terrain. Make sure your climbing speed in the first VF sections fits with your available window of stable weather (including time for difficult descent), otherwise turn back down.
* some opportunities for "free" climbing moves with hands and feet directly on the rock - (but the route is so long that I found myself grabbing the cable for Aid just to save time).
* descending the Normal route was not much fun -- way too much on scree of inconvenient size. Also losing the route, and steep down-scrambles.
. See another English-language report
. https://alavigne.net/Outdoors/FeatureReports/ViaFerrata/?p=vfalleghesi
. with lots of photos, and a different hiking approach to the hut
GPS latitude longitude approximate ...
* parking at Palafavera (N46.4019 E12.1011)
* hut Rifugio Coldai (N46.3993 E12.0690)
* via ferrata bottom start (N46.3839 E12.0616)
* via ferrata top finish at summit cross (N46.3801 E12.0533)
* hut Rifugio Torrani (N46.3786 E12.0567)
approach:
From Palafavera parking lot, walk about 80m south on the main road. Turn R (W) onto a well-maintained gravel/dirt road and walk up that about 6km. Turn L (S or SW) onto trail up to Rifugio Coldai hut - many switchbacks. This hut could also be reached with aid of mechanical lifts from Alleghe on the west side of the ridge. Many people sleep at the hut for an early start, but I found the hike up was undemanding, so for me it worked better to just allow extra time, and make a pre-dawn drive to the parking.
Trail south from hut has some ups and downs, some scrambling, at least one cable section. Junction (N46.3861 E12.0634) for access to via ferrata is well-marked with red paint. Bear Right off the main trail and follow the access trail, SW about 200m then SSE 150m, then look carefully for the cable which is bottom start of VF Alleghesi.
climbing:
Follow the cable, with some gaps for horizontal traverses. Many false summits.
Difficulty on Eastern Alps VF scale: C
But weather or snow or ice could make it much more difficult. Many of the upper sections of the route face N or NE.
Seemed like many opportunities for climbing "free" with hands + feet directly on the rock. But since I had a forecast of late afternoon showers, and I hadn't done it before, I grabbed the cable lots for Aid -- just to get through the route faster, and to save some endurance in my leg muscles.
(Next time hope to start earlier with better weather forecast, try more of my climbing "free")
High on the route I saw painted instructions for an escape toward the south to the Rifugio Torrani hut. Which gives you a place to spend the night. But it's still a long + difficult descent from there.
descent ...
Normal route goes starts down roughly by the summit cross, at first a little SE, then overall E. Sustained steep, lots of slippery scree, scrambling sections, some cable sections. Some traverses not easy to find - red paint marks might be faint. Allow plenty of time and energy for the descent. It's a long way down (1000 vertical meters) to the main trail. Then more ups + downs + scrambling on the main trail, NW then N back to the Rifugio Coldai hut.
statistics ...
* Palafavera hike to Rfg Coldai = up +625m vertical over 4.6km distance
* Rfg Coldai hike to bottom of VF = up +310m vertical over 3.0km distance
* VF Alleghesi to Civetta summit = up +850m vertical over 1.9km distance
* descend Normal route to trail = about 1000m downward over 3km distance
* bottom of Normal hike to Rfg C = up +180m vertical over 3.3km distance
* Total = up +1965m vertical over 15.8km distance
* but no sections very strenuous.
* lots of impressive "alpine" rock situations.
* lots of transitions, no long boring sections.
* committing: No "escape" until high on the route, and even then you're on difficult terrain. Make sure your climbing speed in the first VF sections fits with your available window of stable weather (including time for difficult descent), otherwise turn back down.
* some opportunities for "free" climbing moves with hands and feet directly on the rock - (but the route is so long that I found myself grabbing the cable for Aid just to save time).
* descending the Normal route was not much fun -- way too much on scree of inconvenient size. Also losing the route, and steep down-scrambles.
. See another English-language report
. https://alavigne.net/Outdoors/FeatureReports/ViaFerrata/?p=vfalleghesi
. with lots of photos, and a different hiking approach to the hut
GPS latitude longitude approximate ...
* parking at Palafavera (N46.4019 E12.1011)
* hut Rifugio Coldai (N46.3993 E12.0690)
* via ferrata bottom start (N46.3839 E12.0616)
* via ferrata top finish at summit cross (N46.3801 E12.0533)
* hut Rifugio Torrani (N46.3786 E12.0567)
approach:
From Palafavera parking lot, walk about 80m south on the main road. Turn R (W) onto a well-maintained gravel/dirt road and walk up that about 6km. Turn L (S or SW) onto trail up to Rifugio Coldai hut - many switchbacks. This hut could also be reached with aid of mechanical lifts from Alleghe on the west side of the ridge. Many people sleep at the hut for an early start, but I found the hike up was undemanding, so for me it worked better to just allow extra time, and make a pre-dawn drive to the parking.
Trail south from hut has some ups and downs, some scrambling, at least one cable section. Junction (N46.3861 E12.0634) for access to via ferrata is well-marked with red paint. Bear Right off the main trail and follow the access trail, SW about 200m then SSE 150m, then look carefully for the cable which is bottom start of VF Alleghesi.
climbing:
Follow the cable, with some gaps for horizontal traverses. Many false summits.
Difficulty on Eastern Alps VF scale: C
But weather or snow or ice could make it much more difficult. Many of the upper sections of the route face N or NE.
Seemed like many opportunities for climbing "free" with hands + feet directly on the rock. But since I had a forecast of late afternoon showers, and I hadn't done it before, I grabbed the cable lots for Aid -- just to get through the route faster, and to save some endurance in my leg muscles.
(Next time hope to start earlier with better weather forecast, try more of my climbing "free")
High on the route I saw painted instructions for an escape toward the south to the Rifugio Torrani hut. Which gives you a place to spend the night. But it's still a long + difficult descent from there.
descent ...
Normal route goes starts down roughly by the summit cross, at first a little SE, then overall E. Sustained steep, lots of slippery scree, scrambling sections, some cable sections. Some traverses not easy to find - red paint marks might be faint. Allow plenty of time and energy for the descent. It's a long way down (1000 vertical meters) to the main trail. Then more ups + downs + scrambling on the main trail, NW then N back to the Rifugio Coldai hut.
statistics ...
* Palafavera hike to Rfg Coldai = up +625m vertical over 4.6km distance
* Rfg Coldai hike to bottom of VF = up +310m vertical over 3.0km distance
* VF Alleghesi to Civetta summit = up +850m vertical over 1.9km distance
* descend Normal route to trail = about 1000m downward over 3km distance
* bottom of Normal hike to Rfg C = up +180m vertical over 3.3km distance
* Total = up +1965m vertical over 15.8km distance
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Route of Interest
Bolver-Lugli
Grade: VF4C ***
(Cima di Vezzana)