Elevation Gained: 340m
Time to Destination: 4 hours
When booking the trip, Martin somehow convinced me that we should do a guided climb one day. He promised it would be kid friendly and I stupidly figured that meant it wouldn’t be too dangerous or difficult. I failed to factor in that Europeans are typically a bit more trusting and fearless than Americans when it comes to these sorts of things. The only kid friendly part was the very beginning and the very end.
Our hired guide Robert met us at Locatelli at 8am and got us fitted out with helmets, harnesses, ropes and clips. I was expecting this so I wasn't too alarmed. The alarm came shortly after a few minutes of walking when Robert pointed out the peak we were going to climb (which was not the one I was expecting and significantly higher and steeper than anticipated). My concerns only grew when we reached the first section that required us to clip in. It was straight up the side of the mountain. No steps, no handrail, no foot holds. Just figure it out and go. It was around this time that I started questioning my life choices and realized I should have married a surfer… we could have been vacationing on a beautiful tropical beach with little physical or mental exertion required.
The climb took us straight up the mountain, then through old WWI tunnels, one that was pitch black and had 200 steps up, followed by more mountain cliffs, steep drop offs and over 340m of elevation gain in not enough distance. We finally reached Forcella del Camoscio where Robert said we could leave our larger bags since the final section was an up and back to the top. We not only left the bags, we also left me behind. The final section was an additional hour climb up and back and while I could have done it, I really didn’t want to. I stayed behind and enjoyed the views of the next valley, enjoyed the sun and enjoyed getting my stress and heart rate back down to a less elevated level.
In the meantime, Martin, Oskar and Alva were having the best time. They were having Type 1 fun (immediate, pure, and joyful). This was definitely a Type 2 type of fun for me (I didn't love it in the moment, but looking back, I am thankful and proud that I did it).
After finishing the peak, the group rejoined me and we made our way back down the other side of the mountain via Passportensteig. Which was again, a path cut out of the steep mountain cliffs, up and over a final pass and then back down to the main path.
While on the second half of the hike we barely passed anyone and it was heavenly. We had the whole mountain to ourselves and, with the silence and calm that comes with being all alone, was how I envisioned the hikes.
About 20 minutes from our final stop for the night, we could see the “highway” below us filled with all of the hikers and tourists out for just the day. We said goodbye to Robert and then found ourselves back among the people.
Our second hut was a little smaller than the first, but given the proximity to Auronzo including its parking lot and bus stop, the place was incredibly busy with day hikers enjoying the sunshine on the deck and surrounding area.
Once we checked in, we were able to access the private area and were pleasantly surprised: the rooms were semi-private (we had a five person room that we shared with only one other woman from Italy). The room was spacious and well lit, the bunk beds were made of sturdy wood and the bathrooms were clean with a hot shower.
Dinner that night was shared with two men from Germany and their adult sons. While they were there on a multi-day hiking trip, it didn’t stop them from enjoying a few beers that night and the following morning.
Fun Fact: I had to research most of these details after the trip since Martin wasn’t sure and there wasn’t a lot online. It was during this research that I finally learned that via ferrata means iron path in Italian. Apparently if I had done any planning in advance I would have learned that this meant I was in store for “a protected mountain climbing route that uses fixed steel cables, metal rungs, ladders, and bridges anchored into rock faces.”
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