Passo Gardena - Rifugio Pisciadu (Via Ferrata Brigata Tridentina)

Access to the starting point:
a) From Kranjska Gora via the Koren saddle to Austria, where at the first major junction continue left towards Podkloštro / Arnoldstein and Trbiz / Tarvisio. At the end of Podklošter, the signs for Šmohor / Hermagor direct you to the right on the regional road, which takes you past this town to the end of the Ziljska valley, or more precisely to Kötschach-Mauthen, where you turn right towards Oberdrauburg. The road continues over the Gailbergsattel Alpine pass (982 m), after which you descend into the above-mentioned town. After crossing a bridge over the River Drava, turn left towards Lienz. At the main roundabout in Lienz, turn left towards Sillian and Itali. Next we cross the national border between Austria and Itali, and we follow the main road past Dobbiaco / Toblach, Villabassa / Niederdorf, Monguelfo - Tesido / Welsberg - Taisten, Brunico / Bruneck. Just after the last mentioned town, which is passed by a bypass road, we turn left into the Alta Badia valley. Continue along the valley and turn right at La Villa towards Passo Gardena. Continue along the ascending road until you reach a large parking lot a few bends before the Passo Gardena Pass. There is also a large sign at the parking lot which reads "Via Ferrata - Klettersteig".
b) From Nova Gorica, drive into Itali and continue on the motorway to Portogruaro, where at the motorway fork you turn off in the direction of Belluno. Follow the motorway to its end (do not turn towards Belluno) and then continue driving towards Cortina d'Ampezzo. When you arrive in Cortina d'Ampezzo, follow the signs for the Passo Falzarego Alpine Pass. At the Passo Falzarego (2105 m), turn right towards Alta Badia and ascend the neighbouring Passo Valparola (2192 m) before descending into the valley. At La Villa, turn left towards Passo Gardena. Follow the ascending road to a large parking lot a few bends before the Passo Gardena pass. There is also a large sign at the parking lot which reads "Via Ferrata - Klettersteig".

Path description:
From the parking area, turn left after the signs "Via Ferrata Tridentina". The path initially crosses the hillside to the east and runs mainly along dwarf pines and sparse larch trees. The path, which also descends gently, soon leads to the start of the protected path.
The sheltered path climbs steeply at the start with the aid of steel cables, and then climbs for some time along the steel cable up the normally wet terrain. There is a short climb up the steel cables, before reaching the flatter slopes. The path then leads past large boulders and leads to a crossroads.
At the crossroads, continue slightly left, following the signs for 'Pisciadu Via Ferrata'. The path then crosses the slopes to the south and you will soon see a waterfall ahead. Soon you will come to a crossroads again and continue to the right towards the waterfall, following the signs "Pisciadu Via Ferrata".
To the right of the waterfall, re-enter the cliff and start climbing steeply up the protected Via Ferrata Brigata Tridentina. The trail is very well protected and climbs all the way up to the right of a wide ravine with a stream and numerous waterfalls. From the trail, you can enjoy magnificent views of the precipitous cliffs of the surrounding peaks and down towards Colfosco and Alta Badia.
Later, the sheltered path turns slightly to the left and leads to a crossroads. You can leave the protected path on the left and follow the easier terrain up towards the Pisciadu hut. To the right, continue on the protected path, which climbs up the walls of the Torre Exner tower. The trail becomes a little more difficult at this point and you need to have some strength in your arms to climb. The path climbs vertically a few times and is aided by crampons and a short ladder. Higher up, the path crosses the wall to the left and leads to a suspension bridge. From the bridge, there is only a short climb along a steel cable before the protected route ends.
The scenic route then turns slightly to the left and there is an easy climb up to the Rifugio Pisciadu hut.
Descend to the right along route 666 back towards the starting point. The descending path is also protected by a steel cable in the upper part.
This trail is one of the most popular protected trails in the Dolomites. To avoid crowds on the trail, it is advisable to set off very early.

We can extend the trip to the following destinations: Rifugio Boe, Cima Pisciadu, Piz Boe

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