Brenta Dolomites Bocchette Trail Via Ferrata

Itinerary

*Your trip is 7 days in total – the first and last days are travel days and the 5 numbered days are guided via ferrata days*

Arrival/ Travel Day 
Arrive in Madonna di Campiglio for lodging in our preferred hotel. We recommend arriving in the afternoon to allow yourself some time to explore the town, buy snacks at the supermarket, finish any last-minute packing for the hut trip and, and have a leisurely dinner before an early start tomorrow.

Please pack a lunch for day 1!

Day 1
Meet our guide after breakfast at the hotel at 8AM. Trip briefing and distribution of rental gear. A short drive and a gondola ride to the Groste Pass. Via Ferrata Benini – Cima Falkner – Tuckett Hut for lodging. 850 m up, 900m down. 7 hrs. It’s a good day to warm up with lots of larger ledges to wander along, but also some longer ladders to descend.

Day 2
Hike a steep trail into the Tuckett Saddle (sometimes the use of crampons is necessary). Via Ferrata Bochette Alta to the Alimonta Hut for lodging (Showers available). 850 m up, 600 m down, 7 hrs. great day – maybe the best of the trip with lots of exposure, ladders and narrow ledges. In adverse weather or with weaker participants we have the option to reach the Alimonta Hut via the easier and lower-level SOSAT trail.

Day 3
Steep climb into the Bochetta delle Armi (small glacier, sometimes crampons necessary. Giro del Brenta – Via Ferrata Bochette Centrale to the Tosa Hut for lodging. 250m up, 370 down, 5-6 hrs. Lots of hand-railing along narrow and exposed ledges and amazing views, including the narrow pinnacle of the Campanile Basso. This is also a good spot to interrupt the trip, should you prefer a shorter trip duration. It is at the Tosa Hut that is possible for us to rent rock climbing gear for single-pitch crag climbing. It is not possible to rent rock climbing shoes!

*The Tosa Hut is closed for renovations summer 2024. For this season we will lodge at the nearby Brentei Hut, rock climbing rentals are also available here. It is not possible to rent climbing shoes.

Day 4
Via Ferrata Brentari to the Agostini Hut for lodging (Showers available, our favorite of the Brenta Huts). 360m up, 440 m down, 4-5 hrs. This day includes some glacier travel on the Ambiez Glacier, which usually requires the use of crampons. Rock climbing from the Tosa Hut is also possible in the morning depending on the group, weather, and conditions.

Day 5
Two options: For an easier day: “Via Ferrata Castiglioni to the 12 Apostles Hut for Lunch. Descent to Madonna di Campiglio in the afternoon for lodging and dinner in our hotel or “Sentiero dell’ Ideale” into the Bocca del Ambiez and down the Sentiero Martinazzi with an awesome view of the gigantic rock wall of the Crozzon for lunch at the Brentei Hut. we then descend back to Valesinella and on to Madonna di Campiglio for lodging in our hotel. Arrival time in Madonna is usually around 3PM and departures directly to your next destination can be organized on a custom basis, should you prefer to not spend another night in our hotel in Madonna di Campiglio.

Departure/Travel Day
Final breakfast before hotel checkout. Thank you for joining us on a via ferrata adventure in the Brentas. If you had a great time and are ready for another exciting trip, check out our Haute Route Glacier Trek or Dolomites High Peaks Via Ferrata.

Brenta Dolomites Via Ferrata Gear List.PDF

Please download a PDF copy to use as a checklist when preparing for your trip.

Considerations

Packing for a mountain trip is a balancing act. You want your pack to be as light as possible so you can truly enjoy the trek. But you also need to have enough gear to be warm (or cool), comfortable, and well-fed and watered. When buying, renting, or borrowing gear for the trip, please keep weight, performance, and function in mind.

*Optional
**Optional but recommended

Technical Equipment

Bring or Rent the Following:

• Sturdy, waterproof, leather trekking or light mountaineering boots, ideally with high ankle support
• Daypack (35-45 litres) with rain cover specific to the pack
• Good quality, thin, well-fitting leather gloves for via ferrata sections
• ‘Shorty’ summer gaiters (for early and late season trips)
• Lightweight, collapsible ski poles*
• Rock climbing shoes** (if you wish to partake in rock climbing at the Tosa Hut)

Provided by OnTop Mountaineering, Upon Request:

Should you require the use of this gear, please inform your Trip Coordinator. This rental is included as part of your trip package.

• Via Ferrata Clip In Set
• Climbing harness
• Climbing helmet
• Two conventional locking carabiners
• Lightweight crampons

Clothing

We recommend the ‘layering system’: Bring light, technical clothing that doesn’t take much space in your backpack and dries quickly when sweaty or wet. Layers must be put on and taken off quickly as weather conditions change during the day. There may be days when you can wear cotton, but your main clothing choices should be synthetic or wool. Merino wool is a nice material for base layers and t-shirts because it is comfortable, warm, and it does not retain odours, even after many days of use.

• Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or similar)
• Lightweight wind and water-resistant over pants (Gore-Tex or similar)
• Lightweight synthetic trekking pants or zip-offs
• Medium weight Primaloft jacket with hood
• Medium weight fleece sweater
• Synthetic or wool base layers – top and bottom
• Synthetic shorts and t-shirt
• 2-3 pairs good quality trekking socks
• Warm hat that covers your ears
• Lightweight synthetic or wool gloves
• Sun hat, preferably with a wide rim
• Quick-drying sports bra*
• Bandana or neck gaiter (eg. Buff)*

Lodging

• Sleeping bag liner (silk is lightest) MANDATORY
• Toiletries and small towel
• Spare underwear and socks
• Ear plugs**
• Down vest or light insulated jacket*
• Light hut shoes or crocs*
• Alpine Club Card*

Other items

• • Sunglasses with high UV protection
  • Sunscreen and lip protection with high SPF
  • Small container bug spray or cream
  • One or two, one-liter water bottles
  • Headlamp with new battery
  • Your favourite hiking snacks – candy bars, dried fruit, nuts, etc. Lunches and snacks can be purchased at the huts or in the villages

• Personal first aid kit and other needs (eg. blister kit, prescription medicine, anti-inflammatory, contact lenses, prescription glasses, etc.)
• Passport, health and travel insurance documents
• Hand sanitizer or sanitary hand wipes
• Toilet paper – small amount for daytime emergencies
• Light stuff sacs or Ziploc bags to keep your backpack organized and important items dry**
• Cellphone with charging cable**
• Solar-powered portable battery pack**
• Adaptor for European charging system*
• Water purification tablets or small personal water filtration system*
• Camera, spare batteries*
• Compass, maps, GPS, altimeter watch*
• Feminine hygiene supplies*
• Pocket knife*

Detail and Logistics

Meeting Point

Meet your guide on the first via ferrata day at 8AM after breakfast at our preferred Hotel in Madonna di Campiglio.

Climate, Weather, Temperatures

The Dolomites, being on the “sunny side of the Alps” are usually blessed with lasting high-pressure systems in September. However, there is also a chance to see some snow, if a storm hits. Hence, day time temperatures can range from -5C (23F) to 25C (77F).

Brenta Via Ferrata Custom Trips / Private Group Pricing

Why not find some friends and put together your own group?

For private groups, we can offer the following premiums or discounts on our advertised prices

2 participants: 60% premium in addition to our advertised per person price
3 participants: 40% premium in addition to our advertised per person price
4 participants: 8% premium in addition to our advertised per person price
5 participants: Our advertised per person price
6 participants 8% discount from our advertised per person price
7 participants 12% discount from our advertised per person price
8 participants 15% discount from our advertised per person price

For groups larger than 8, please reach out to us for a custom quote.

Brenta Private Group / Custom trips Itinerary Options

Additional days

A great way to connect the Brenta Via Ferrata Hut Trek with mountaineering in glaciated terrain is to add a few days in either the Ortler or Adamello range both of which are located within a one hour drive.

Shorter trip duration

The itinerary can also be fit into 4 days with 3 hut nights or  the center part of the Bocchette trail can be done as a 3 day trip with 2 hut nights.

Can I Do It?

This is a very challenging trip. We will mainly travel on via ferrata trails for up to 9 hrs on some days. Most via ferratas are rated at the expert level featuring long ladders and / or sections that require a good bit of upper body strength, stamina and head strength. We only recommend this trip for fit hikers who have previous via ferrata and / or rock climbing experience.

The trip does NOT require technical climbing and most everyone participating is an ambitious hiker who enjoys exposure, often with previous experience on via ferrata or rock climbing. The trip often involves travelling along pretty narrow ledges with cables to clip into and hand-rail. Those ledges are connected by steeper via ferrata sections and long, steep ladders. Generally all much easier than rock climbing and at any given point, you can clip into the cables / ladder rungs to rest in your harness. The first day is pretty easy to warm up to the via ferrata travel.

On two of the days we tend to get to the hut early and in the afternoon the guide offers some single pitch climbing or a peak scramble as an option.

FAQ

Do I need to sign a Release of Liability & Assumption of Risk Agreement (a.ka. liability waiver)?

Yes, you do. Mountaineering, skiing, climbing, hiking, via ferrata and all other wilderness and adventure travel activities are inherently risky with potential for injuries or even death.
It is very important to us that you are aware of those risks before you start the booking process, which includes filling out a booking form and paying a deposit.
With signing the liability waiver, you confirm that you understand the potential risks and hazards, and are willing to accept the risks, which includes giving up legal rights you may have.
This would also be the time to ask questions or address concerns before you book.
For your reference here is a link to our Liability Waiver. Our booking terms & cancellation policy with more details can be found here

Trip-related Questions:

What are the Huts like? Double Rooms? Showers? Food Choices?

Most of the huts that we are using for this trek are rather like mountain lodges. Sleeping is mainly in 6 bed rooms with shared bathrooms with shared showers.

The food is always delicious and plentiful with choices during the 4 course dinners. Vegetarian preferences can be accommodated and best if you can tolerate eggs. Gluten-free diets can be a bit more tricky and may come with additional cost, we recommend to bring some gluten free bread and snack items to be on the safe side.

Is there a requirement for crampons on this route?

we have crampons available which our guide will hand out at the meeting point for those departures (usually early and late season) that the guide believes we will need them.

Feedback

References of prior guests

We will gladly put potential clients in touch with previous participants of each trip in order for interested guests to get personalized references and their questions answered from a more objective point of view than what our office could provide.

Guest Feedback

“Martino was a very good guide, he was always very concerned about the safety of the group, he decided to do ferrata Sosat instead of Bocchette Alta, his reasons were far enough for me, our group was quite heterogeneous ( wide range of age, previous experience on ferratas, selfconfidence, etc).  Trip organization/communication:  Was very good from the very beginning starting with Jorg advises, Heather tips and Cathy schedules.  The itinerary was ok for me, in spite of the change of Bocchette alta for Sosat, but some short days where we arrived to the Hut at lunch time I would have preferred to take a bit longer doing the trekking to be able to enjoy the landscape and have time to take good photos, in some moments I felt doing it in a rush ,the weather was fine, and not many people were doing the trails , so we could take longer on that. All the Huts were comfortable and the food very good in Q&Q also reasonable prices of the no included items. 10/10, I will recommend On Top anyway, Thank you for a great experience!!! ” Carla S., Chile

“The trip was great. Martino was excellent and we were lucky to have such an experienced guide. It was fantastic that we climbed Cime Tosa and did some rock climbing one afternoon as well as the VF hikes. The food was better than I expected (after being in Slovenian and Swiss huts in recent months!). Yes I would recommend OnTop to friends if they are looking for guided rather than independent trips. Thanks for an excellent trip. ” Elanie P., Australia

“Guide (Martino) performance: OUTSTANDING. PATIENT, LOW-KEY, COMPETENT, GENTLE HUMOR. ON TWO OCCASIONS HE SET UP TOP-ROPES AND LED CLIMBS WHEN WE ARRIVED AT TWO HUTS. OUR SON AND DAUGHTER IN LAW REALLY ENJOYED THAT UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY! WE COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER GUIDE. SO THANKFUL FOR HIS EXPERTISE.
General trip organization / communication from our side: ALL FINE – NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. BTW – WE NEVER GOT ASKED FOR ANY IDENTIFICATION AT ANY OF THE HUTS, BUT WE HAD WITH US AS SUGGESTED.
Itinerary: THE 5-DAY VIA FERRATA WAS PERFECT FOR OUR GROUP OF 6. WE GOT A GREAT SAMPLING OF THE VARIOUS HUTS, THE DOLOMITES, THE MOUNTAIN CULTURE. ON THE 2ND DAY, I OPTED FOR THE “EASY ROUTE” AROUND TO THE 2ND HUT AS MY FEET HURT SO BADLY. THE TRIFECTA OF PACK WEIGHT, UNFORGIVING ROCK SURFACES AND DESCENDING JUST IS TOO MUCH FOR MY ANYMORE. AFTER THAT ONE DAY, WE WERE ALL TOGETHER FOR THE REMAINING TRIP. (too many years (40+) of chasing tennis balls on hard courts, running races on asphalt and backpack trips has caught up with my feet)
Lodging/Food quantity and quality: EXCELLENT ON ALL FRONTS. WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE HOTEL ARISTON, ANDRE AND THE FAMILY-RUN ATMOSPHERE. IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO START AND END THE TRIP. WISH WE HAD STAYED IN MADONNA ANOTHER DAY EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER.
“Based on your experiences on this trip, and on a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend OnTop to your friends?”
10 – REALLY. WE WOULD HAPPILY RECOMMEND ONTOP TO ANY AND ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN TRIPS YOU OFFER. THAT SAID, THE ‘OLD GREY MARE’ TYPING THIS IS STEPPING BACK THESE MORE EXTREME ADVENTURES – although Martino told us he did the via ferrata with his Dad when there were no clip in set. I believe he was still in diapers too! – I’M GOING FOR THE TRIPS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE VEGETATION IN THE EQUATION! LIKE MEADOWS, FLOWERS AND TREES.” Trish & Tennis O., UT, USA

” We have had such a fantastic trip – so thank you firstly. Martino was a perfect guide. Very knowledgable and willing to go out of his way to help. For example he sorted out some rock climbing one afternoon when we arrived early which was a real highlight. He spoke good English and was fun to have around. Trip organisation was clear and communication was very prompt.
The lodging standard was far higher than we expected so perhaps it may be worth highlighting this on your marketing. We are five hungry guys and we were always full after big suppers. It was always great when the huts provided a towel. One point to mention was the short days were sometimes a little too short and anything extra to do in the afternoon would have been great. 10/10. We will certainly recommend (and have already done so) you guys.”
—James E., United Kingdom

” The brenta trip went really well and both Carter and I really liked Christjan. Great guide and nice guy. ”
—Trent and Carter M., Canada.

” Paul and Christjan were both very good. Both were professional, personable and nice to spend time with. I give them the highest marks. Lodging and food quality were excellent with exception of the Tuckett hut where the lodging was was not as good as the other three huts. Still, I enjoyed my stay at Tuckett and wouldn’t remove it for any reason.
With respect to everything else, I rate the trip a 10 out of ten and currently rates as the best trip I have ever done. I will recommend it to friends and plan to find another trip with your organization for next year. My thanks and very warm regards for everyone that helped to make this trip unbelievable. ”
—Charlie A., USA

Transport Options

Our Brenta Dolomites Via Ferrata Bocchette Trail begins from Madonna di Campiglio.

Airports

There is a choice between seven international airports in northern Italy, Austria and Germany that are suitable, listed below in sequence of proximity:
Bozen / Bolzano – 104 km / 1 hr 30 min but few international connections!
Verona – 173km / 2 hrs 5 min
Bergamo – 177 km and one hour shorter than Milano Malpensa but few international connections
Milano Malpensa – via country road: 260km / 3 hrs 45 min. Via highway A22 and Trento: 330km / 4hrs
Venice – 295km / 3 hrs 10 min
Innsbruck, Austria – 224km / 2 hrs 45 min
Munich, Germany – 421km / 4 hrs, 50 min

Driving to Madonna di Campiglio

Madonna di Campiglio can be reached using the Brenner Highway (A 22). Turn off at Trento (or exit Mezzolombardo if approaching from Austria) then it’s about 1 hr 20 min drive on slow local roads to Madonna di Campiglio for the 70km distance from Trento.

Getting to Madonna di Campiglio by Train / Bus

From Munich (via Innsbruck) you will need to catch a Train to any larger Italian city via German Rail.  Click here for the AutoBahn website and schedules.
From there, take a train with Trenitalia to Trento (depart twice hourly and fast train connections available).  There is no need to pre-purchase tickets to Trento due to the abundance of services and try to avoid train travel on Sundays if possible.
The public bus leaves Trento train station almost hourly between 6.40 and 18.40 (depending on the season) and takes about 2 hrs to Madonna di Campiglio via Tione and Pinzolo.
Please click here for the current bus schedule and bookings.

If you would like to avoid bus transfers,you can take a taxi from Trento to take you to the Hotel.  You can pre-book if needed: Taxi Bacca (Marco): info@taxibacca.it

If you arrive at Verona Catullo airport best take the Airport Bus T2 in about 15 minutes to the Verona Porta Nueva Train Station. From there it takes about 1 hour to the main station in Trento (click here for the Trenitalia, make sure you choose the “Trento” option when choosing from the 3 Trento stations).

Madonna di Campiglio Taxi Services

Please inquire with us for a quote for your group size and timing with our driver from Madonna di Campiglio.
Driving time from Trento is about 1 hr 20 min.  Or you can pre-book a taxi yourself:  Taxi Bacca (Marco): info@taxibacca.it

We can gladly help you organize your transport logistics to Madonna di Campiglio.