Roda di Vael / Rotwand by the N ridge

Overview

Roda di Vaèl is with its 800 m high west wall one of the greatest mountains in the Catinaccio / Rosengarten group. Two normal ascents are reaching its summit. They can be nicely combined into a round tour, if we add also the additional 2 hours of the famous Via Ferrata Masaré, we get one of the greatest tours in the group. Here, I'm describing only the ascent by the N ridge, from the Vaiolon Pass, 2560 m.

General Information

On the summit

Difficulty (gradings are on the Swiss Hiking Scale): In the upper part, it's a via ferrata, well protected, but exposed (T4). The ravine, leading up on the Vaiolon Pass is not difficult, but has in it some objective danger (rockfall) and also a few passages require a safe step (T3). The access to the ravine is a usual, easy hike up (T2). Don't get intimidated by the below picture - the N ridge is actually much broader.

Orientation: The route is well marked. Some attention is needed not to miss where to deter from the slopes crossing to the ravine entry.

Exposition: Some places on the ridge are exposed and so not appropriate for people suffering from vertigo.

Objective dangers: In the ravine towards the Vaiolon Pass be careful of rock fall. On the summit ridge be careful of lightning and storm.

Best season: Summer and autumn months, normally from July till October (or first snow).

Gear: Good shoes and poles are sufficient, a helmet useful too.

Tour start: Passo di Costalunga (Carezza) / Karerpass, 1752 m. But you don't need to walk up to the Paolina hut from there. You can take a chair lift from below the pass (western side). The parking lot there is on some 1620 m. If so, the real hike starts by the Paolina hut, 2125 m.

Highest point: 2806 m.

Altitude to overcome: cca 700 m.

Time for ascent: 2 h 30 min. If you start on the saddle, add the additional 375 m of altitude, which mean additional good 1 hour.

Route sections:

> Rif Paolina, 2125 m - (No. 552) - paths branching below the ravine, 2200 m. 30 min, T2.
> Paths branching below the ravine, 2200 m - (No. 9) - Passo Vaiolon, 2560 m. 60 min, T3.
> Passo Vaiolon, 2560 m - Roda di Vaèl / Rotwand, 2806 m. 60 min, T4

Route Description

Karfilat - The N ridge

From the Paolina hut you continue northwards by a good, marked path, crossing the grassy western slopes of the Catinaccio / Rosengarten mountains. Only at first you gain some altitude, later the path goes almost horizontally, crossing a few ravines, not necessarilly filled with water. Some 200 m above us another path goes (No. 549), but it's not worth gaining it until we really need to deter up to attack the ravine. It's easy to know when - when we pass the mighty vertical W wall of our mountain. The ravine is cut into the ridge just left of it.

When we deter right, we soon get on the higher path and then continue up towards the ravine. In the lower part the route negotiates short rock sections, which are protected by steel cables. A safe step is needed, but passages are not difficult. In the ravine, the ascent becomes a bit tedious and unpleasant. Gravel is quite soft, but with some skills we quickly gain the altitude. Be careful of rockfall if people are hiking above you or beneath you! In 1 h we gain the Vailon Pass and another crossroads.

On the Vaiolon Pass we turn sharply right. Now the Rotwand Klettersteig / Via Ferrata Roda di Vael is in front of us. It is not difficult and all the time well secured, the pegs and cables are in good condition. At first we are moving up by a broad northern slope, rather than by a ridge. But higher the ferrata overcomes a few steeper rocky steps and the ridge becomes more narrow and exposed. All the time we can enjoy great scenery around and also broader and broader views. With a normal tempo we reach the summit in less than 1 hour.

Descent. We can return by the same route, but it's much more beautiful to do a round tour. So we descend towards the S and later SE, cross a gorge by an exposed, almost vertical wall, pass the picturesque Torre Finestra (Window Tower) and reach the Roda di Vaèl / Rotwand mountain hut, 2283 m. Then south around the main ridge back to the Paolina hut. This route is even a bit more difficult than the N route, so the tour can be also done in the opposite direction.