Via Ferrata Nord Croda Rossa di Sesto
Base Town: Dobbiaco in Val Pusteria, South Tyrol; Base Hut: Rotwandweisen Hut during our Unusual 5 Night Trek in Tre Cime Nature Park
We sat at a table on the veranda of Rotwandweisen Hut on day 2 of our unusual 5 night trek in Tre Cime Nature Park, sipping aperol spritz refreshments and peering through binoculars at the north face of Croda Rossa di Sesto. We had just finished via ferrata Strada degli Alpini. Tomorrow, we would be atop the summit of Croda Rossa di Sesto, which looked like a king’s royal crown at this distance.
After a hearty breakfast, we set out across the meadow, ascending steadily past colorful wildflowers and into the trees. Rotwandweisen Hut sits at about 4,500 feet above sea level, so we had over 5,500 feet to climb on our way to Croda Rossa’s summit at 2,965 meters (a little over 10,000 feet). We emerged from the trees at an inviting viewpoint with a pretty picket fence. Across Fischalina Valley, we could see Locatelli Hut and the three famous brothers, Tre Cime. The path continued further above the tree line; after a short rock scramble, we were standing atop a high promontory overlooking Rotwandweisen, down into the valley, and all the way to Sesto!
Click any photo for a larger slideshow…
From this point, the trail wound through a series of rocky grey crags carpeted in lush wild grasses, low bushes, and wildflowers. Very pretty section! Rounding a narrow, sharp bend, we encountered our first via ferrata ladder, which climbed vertically up a cliff face and into a scree flow. No more trees - we were officially in the Alpine zone.
We crossed several patches of lingering snow and ice as we ascended through the scree slope. Then it was a long scramble up - up - up a cliff face. There were a few assisted areas, but nothing too tricky; just a lot of hand-and-feet scrambling. We still had a lot of energy, so this section was a fun, fast, and rewarding climb to greater heights.
At the top of the ridge were the remnants of a World War I encampment. A narrow path wound up and through the silent ruins; a wormhole into the Past, traversing bunkers, trenches, and rusty barbed wire from a bygone era. As we rested on a decaying log, we imagined thousands of men, horses, and artillery perched on this narrow ridge above a nearly vertical pitch. Was that the wind whistling through weathered rock, or the wail of tormented ghosts?
Leaving behind the WWI encampment, we continued along the via ferrata trail, stopping at a watchman’s cave near Sentinel Pass to survey the landscape. Directly across the valley was Tre Cime and Locatelli Hut, in full view from this vantage point. What an ideal position to survey action on the high plateau! Up and over a nearby ladder and then around the bend — we could finally see the summit waaaayyy in the high distance. Wow, still a long way to go. From here, the slope was a little more gradual as we climbed into a broad cirque below the highest peaks
After the cirque, it was a lot of vertical climbing and scrambling on rocky terrain and scree fields to get to the summit. There was a final ladder section near the top that freaked me out a little bit. Maybe I was tired and delirious; maybe I needed a rest? Halfway up the ladder, I suddenly noticed the dizzying height we had climbed; the hawks soaring on wind currents below me; the thinner air; the valley far below. A panic washed over me and I thought, “What the hell am I doing up here? I can climb up, but what if I can’t get down?" An unreasonable fear immobilized me. I clung to the metal rungs of the ladder, unable to continue climbing. Caffrey had already scrambled onward; I was alone with my panic (thank goodness). I took a few deep breaths to calm myself; I forced myself to process the beauty of the landscape and the privilege I had in that moment to see the world from this height. Breathe in… breathe out…. there is nothing to fear. As the panic subsided, I went down the ladder to prove to myself that I could go up and come back down. It was absurdly easy and left me embarrassed at my moment of weakness. Weird how the mountain gets to you sometimes. By then, C had returned, wondering where I was. I climbed up the ladder and together we scrambled up the remaining few crags to the summit cross.
Click any photo for a larger slideshow…
At the summit, there were again traces of World War I gunnery positions, observation posts, and tunnels behind rusty iron doors. The view from Croda Rossa summit is supreme! We could see all the way down and across Val Fischalina to Sesto, including Tre Cime and the Rotwandweisen plateau; along the opposite side were a string of high peaks separating South Tyrol from Veneto. We could appreciate the ferocious back-and-forth fight for this high ground during War World I. After a snack, we began the return journey, slip-sliding down scree and loose rock, trekking poles in full brake mode. We descended the top ladder without incident or panic and continued down into the cirque, back around the checkpoint at Sentinel Pass, past the WWI encampment and down the steep, rocky scramble slope. As we picked our way through the melting snow in the final scree field, looking for the last ladder descent on the left, another couple came up behind us, slipped between two huge spires on the right, and disappeared. ?? Where did they go ?? We had to check it out. We ducked into the slit and encountered the couple putting on their via ferrata gear. They explained that this was an alternative route back to Rotwandweisen, descending on the eastern side; it was steeper, but offered via ferrata assistance. We followed them down the alternative path, though they soon left us in the dust.
It was very steep and I was very tired, so the going was pretty slow. It was a fun and scenic path down, though… just long….
We arrived back at Rotwandweisen Hut around 4:00 in the afternoon: 6.5 hours, 7+ miles total, 5000+ feet of vertical ascent hiking, scrambling, and climbing (then back down). The clouds were rolling in and we could hear the distant rumble of thunder. Ilke, the family owner of the hut, called a taxi and arranged a rendezvous for us at the base of the chairlift near Moos. We were headed to Veneto province, on the opposite (south-eastern) side of Croda Rossa di Sesto, which Ilke had told us was “real Italy”.
Our unusual 5 Night Trek in Tre Cime Nature Park continues in Veneto. For the next two days, we would explore the Popera Group, staying at Berti Hut, and then a couple of days in the small cross-country ski resort town of Padola. In our opinion, Veneto is an often overlooked, underrated area of the Dolomites. It was absolutely gorgeous, historically and culturally unique, and noticeably less “privileged” than Trentino-South Tyrol. For more details about our time in Veneto Province, continue here…
