4. Ferrata Campanile Colesei (2,599 m)

Arrival and starting journey

By car: For private cars there is a car park on the left side of the road (north) directly at the passo Monte Croce itself. The parking spot is due to payment in the main season. (4 Euro per day – according to 2020)

By public transport
There are good train connections to San Candido. From there, in high season, buses leave every half hour to Sesto and then to passo Monte Croce.

Character and general information

The via ferrata is easily accessible from two different starting points. Depending on whether you come from South Tyrol or Belluno, both Passo Monte Croce and Rifugio Lunelli are good starting points.

Route Info

We leave from the Berghotel and drive to the Monte Croce Pass, where our tour starts on trail 124. We follow this path until we reach the Forcella Plan della Biscia (1,942 m) next to the Cima Colesei. Now we follow the wide path until we reach a stone man where we turn left. This path is not yet well walked on, but it is marked with red dots. (Wear a helmet in advance - increased risk of falling rocks). The entrance is in a small rubble chute where there is a wire rope. The via ferrata starts just as demanding (D). After this more demanding start we follow a path in easy terrain that leads us to the crest of the Colesei bell tower. From here we reach the actual summit of the Colesei bell tower through a small saddle (one-way regulation). From the saddle we descend along the steel rope to a fork. If you want, you can climb to the top of the Campanile Colesei (C/D). From the fork you follow the path down to a saddle (C) from where you reach the plateau of Cima Colesei on the opposite side through the steel rope (C).

From the exit we follow the red dots to the west and after a short stretch we reach a sign where we follow the path to the Arzalpenscharte. From here we descend northwards on a partially secured path. At the end we meet path no. 15, through which we return to the Monte Croce pass.

Equipment

Complete Via Ferrata set and shoes with anti-slip sole (maybe also climbing shoes). For weaker eventually also a rope.

Tips and special information

You can visit the gallery of a fortification. (Extends the tour by about 40 minutes).