A prime location in the Sciliar-Catinaccio natural park

Hiking around the Rosengarten mountains along the Santner pass via ferrata is the best way to enjoy the beauty and breath-taking views of the Dolomites.
The easy trail follows the natural rock formations and allows you to enter the unforgettable Laurin's Kingdom. It opens the door to the Gartl basin, with his jewel known as Vajolet towers. The proposed “hiking ring” below is one of the absolute must-dos in the Dolomites!

Itinerary From the Re Alberto 1° refuge with path 542, among the boulders smoothed by countless passages, you descend the wide gorge that leads to the famous Vajolet and Preuss refuges (2243m).
Continue descending a couple of hairpin bends as far as the signpost 541 which goes up to the right and leads across under the east face of the Rosengarten south face up to the detour (path 550), which climbs steeply over the Coronelle pass (2630m).
Descend in about twenty minutes to the Fronza refuge. The via ferrata begins on the left side of the Fronza alle Coronelle refuge and then climbs through well-marked gullies and ledges with modest exposure - but to do be extremely cautious because they are not protected by fixed ropes.
After a while, the wire ropes begin. They are checked and cared for every year by the local mountain guides.
Arriving at the Schrofenegger needles (2650m), descend twenty metres to reach the deep canyon, which is always covered in snow at the beginning of the season and is the key passage of the entire route. It is always protected by fixed ropes positioned higher up to help you come over it safely, but being an exposed point, we recommend caution and to have crampons with you.
The canyon ends down in a sheer drop over a hundred metres deep. A steep wall takes you out of it, reaching the Santner Pass (2741m - 2.15 hours).
We are on the upper edge of the wonderful Gartl basin, with the King Laurin’s crag to the left, the Rosengarten peak to the right and with a backdrop of the strikingly slender shape of the Vajolet towers: Delago, Stabeler and Winkler.
The panoramic view towards the green meadows of South Tyrol is wonderful!

From Santner Pass, following path 542 which overlooks the Gartl basin that takes just 15 minutes, you’ll reach the small lake and the Re Alberto 1° refuge (2621m) at the foot of the famous towers.

Known difficulties: Moderately difficult equipped via ferrata requires the mandatory ferrata set equipment (helmet, a purpose-made lanyards, climbing harness, carabiners with a braking device and ferrata gloves) and to be tackled in good weather conditions, avoiding the afternoon and evening hours.
Inquire in advance about the updated snow conditions in the terminal canyon by contacting the Re Alberto1° refuge (+39 334 7246698).
This tour requires good physical training. We recommend scheduling the tour over two days, staying overnight at the Re Alberto 1° refuge, which is located halfway, to fully enjoy the “enrosadira” sunset show over the towers and rest for the next day!

Route: medium-difficult
Difference in altitude: about 890m
Journey time: 6 hours

Itinerary From the Re Alberto 1° refuge, descend the canal on path 542 to the Vajolet refuge - about 40 minutes.
From here, take the easy path 584 to the Passo Principe refuge in about 45 minutes. Daniele and Valentina will cheer you up during the first coffee break, so you’re ready to wear the mandatory equipment and tackle the via ferrata!
We then head to the large rocky face of the Catinaccio d'Antermoia to meet the first fixed ropes of the western ferrata which, between moderately exposed ledges and debris, leads us to the summit ridge. The last top ridge is the most difficult stretch, with a well-marked but unprotected exposed passage for about 20m. This requires you to be sure footed and leads to the summit cross (3002m - 2 hours from the Passo Principe refuge).
Descend the North-East side following the fixed ropes, ending on the path that leads to Lake Antermoia (1 hour from the summit).
Particular attention should be paid when descending on the North-East side with snow! It could be risky if you are not equipped with crampons.

The end of the via ferrata on path 584 allows us to choose between various alternatives to return to Re Alberto 1° refuge: - the quickest is to head up the Antermoia pass on the right and return to the Passo Principe refuge (30 minutes). Then back first to the Vajolet refuge (30 minutes) and then ascent the canal on path 542 up to us (50 minutes).
Route: medium-easy
Difference in altitude: about 1200 metres
Journey time: 6 hours

- Continue along path 584 to the Antermoia refuge (40 minutes) and take path 583 next to it, heading to the Lausa pass (2700 m) which leads to the Scalette pass (2348m - 2 hours). From here, a undertake a steep descent on the equipped path of the Scalette Pass, where short stretches of rocks with fixed ropes must be taken with care. You’ll reach the Gardeccia refuge in about 1.5 hours and from here up along path 584 and 542 to reach the Re Alberto 1° refuge in about 2 hours.
Route: medium-demanding
Difference in altitude: about 1650 meters
Journey time: 8 hours

- Pian Pecei chairlift in Pera di Fassa (paths 542, 546 and 540) 1.50 hours
- Catinaccio cable car to Vigo di Fassa (paths 542, 546 and 540) 1.50 hours
- Vajolet and Preuss refuges (sent. 542) 50 minutes
- Santner Pass refuge (path 542) 20 minutes
- Passo Principe refuge (paths 542 and 584) 1.20 hours
- Bergamo refuge (sent. 542, 584, 554 and 3a) 2 hours
- Alpe di Tires refuge (paths 542, 584, 554 - Molignon pass) 4 hours
- Alpe di Tires refuge (paths 542, 584, 554, 3-3a - Buca dell'Orso) 4.30 hours
- Bolzano refuge (paths 542, 584, 554 - Molignon pass and 3-4) 6 hours
- Antermoia refuge (sent. 542 and 584) 3.30 hours
- Val di Dona refuge (paths 542, 584, 580 and 577) 5 hours
- Micheluzzi refuge (sent. 542, 584, 580 and 578) 5.30 hours
- Roda de Vael refuge (paths 542, 546 and 541 - Cigolade pass) 4 hours
- Gardeccia and Stella Alpina Spiz Piaz refuges (paths 542 and 546) 1.30 hours
- Fronza alle Coronelle refuge and Laurin cable car (paths 542, 541 and 550 - Coronelle Pass) 2.30 hours
- Rifugio Sasso Piatto/Plattkofelhuette (sent. 542,584, 554-3a, 594-4, 4, 7) at 8 hours

1. Piz Piaz – South/East corner Difficulty: IV+
Height difference: 55 m
Climbing route: 55 m
Rope lengths: 2
Hours: 10 minutes from the hut to the starting point - 1 hour to the summit
Rock: very good
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: a tiny but dangerous tower, recently suffered the collapse of the North side. It a good training spot for those staying at the Re Alberto 1° refuge.

2. Delago tower, “Delagokante” Difficulty: IV, one passage IV+
Height difference: 130 m
Climbing route: 156 m
Rope lengths: 6
Hours: 10 minutes from the hut to the starting point – 2.30 hours to summit
Rock: excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment and the use of magnesium is recommended, as it's air climbing on polished rock where some features are required
Note: the “Delagokante” is one of the most celebrated of all alpine climbs! Really pleasant ascent, too bad it ends too soon! Good rock holds but rather smooth by the passage. Crowded on weekends.

3. Delago Tower, Preuss crack Difficulty: IV+, V-
Height difference: 120 m
Climbing route: 140 m
Rope lengths: 6
Hours: 10 minutes from the hut to the starting point - 2 hours to the summit
Rock: good
Gear: normal climbing equipment + nuts and cams
Note: very interesting climbing signed by a great man of mountaineering. A little overlooked in favour of the more famous neighbouring routes!

4. Stabeler Tower, Fehrmann route (South face) Difficulty: III, IV, one IV+ passage
Height difference: 145 m
Climbing route: 155 m + 10 m to the summit
Rope lengths: 6 + 10 m to the summit
Hours: 10 minutes from the hut to the starting point - 2.30 hours to the summit
Rock: excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: very well-known route on good rock, often sheltered from cold drafts.

5. Stabeler Tower, Normal route (East-South/East face) Difficulty: IV-
Height difference: 145 m, in addition to a short stretch of easy platform
Climbing route: 187 m
Rope lengths: 7
Hours: 10-15 minutes from the hut to the starting point – 1.45 hours to the summit
Rock: excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: it's the highest point of the three towers (2805m). Good rock, a little polished by the passage. A route recommended even to beginner climbers.

6. Winkler Tower, “Steger” (South face) Difficulty: VI
Height difference: 140 m
Climbing route: 170 m + 7 m transition
Rope lengths: 6
Hours: 10-15 minutes from the hut to the starting point – 2.30 hours to the summit
Rock: excellent, good first rope length
Gear: normal climbing equipment, a complete stopper series and cams no. 2,5 - 3
Note: beautiful and challenging route with two austere shots. The climbing is restless and puts a strain on the muscles of even the most seasoned climbers!

7. Winkler Tower, Normal route (South/East face) Difficulty: IV+
Height difference: 140 m
Climbing route: 215 m
Rope lengths: 7
Hours: 10-15 minutes from the hut to the starting point – 2.30-3 hours to the summit
Rock: excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: the least popular of the towers, but no less beautiful than the others. The climbing involves passing the crack "Winklerriss". In 1887, when it was first surpassed, the upper limit of the climbing difficulty reached the Alps. Do not underestimate the polished rock.

Crossing the three towers For many years climbing all three towers in one day has been considered a very prestigious feat. This can be accomplished from West to East or East to West and allows you to visit them all, offering a day of rock climbing in a place full of charm!

Abseil the towers All the towers are equipped with abseil rings cemented in. If you own two 60m ropes, you can abseil in only two descents.

Difficulty: II - III, the first pitch III+
Height difference: 180 m to the ledge, 190m along the summit ridge
Climbing route: 344 m
Rope lengths: 5 + 55 m with “short rope”
Hours: 30 minutes from the hut to the starting point - 2 hours to the summit
Rock: excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: the climbing offers an exceptional view from the summit! It's a lot of fun for beginners, as long as they have basic climbing knowledge.

Abseil from Rosengarten peak From the summit, walk down the North ridge with short rope to the "normal route". At the fork, to the left, follow an exposed ledge (15m) that leads to the first cemented ring. The first abseil descends along the channel of ascent. This is followed by two 20 metre abseils using cemented rings. Head down to Santner pass refuge. From here, the path leads to the Re Alberto 1° refuge. Abseil time 2 hours.

1. “Solleder” route Difficulty: V+
Height difference: 300 m
Climbing route: 337 m + 100 m initial ramp
Rope lengths: 11 + 100 m initial ramp
Hours: 5 minutes from the hut to the starting point; 3,00-4,00 hours to the summit
Rock: very good, something to clean
Gear: normal climbing equipment + big sizes nuts and cams
Note: historical route, nice and logical. It runs on slabs and chimneys and alternates exposed passages (IV) to other more easy. The rock is always dry.

2. “Gardenesi” route Difficulty: VI and VI+ with a short A1 passage or VIII+
Height difference: 260 m
Climbing route: 280 m + 100 m initial ramp
Rope lengths: 10 + 100 mt initial ramp
Hours: 5 minutes from the hut to the starting point; 4,00-4,30 hours to the summit
Rock: very good, carved with little holes of various size
Gear: normal climbing equipment + some pitons, nuts, cams and 10 quickdraws. Bring some kevlar threads to use where the piton rings are too small.
Note: nice and logical route. It runs on slabs and chimneys and alternates exposed passages (4° pitch) to other more easy. The rock is always dry.

Abseil from Rosengarten peak From the summit, walk down the North ridge with "short rope" to the "normal route". At the fork, to the left, follow an exposed ledge (15 m) that leads to the first cemented ring. The first abseil descends along the channel of ascent. This is followed by two 20 meters abseils using cemented rings. Head down to Santner pass refuge. From here, the path leads to the Re Alberto 1° refuge. Abseil time 2 hours.

The ancient doorway to "King Laurin's Garden” is a climbing route with II and III grade passages. Not very popular, but remarkable for various reasons: the bell to ring, unusual lava flows, a tunnel in the rock to go through and the majestic view of the North face of the towers that rise in even more slender spires.
Start from the Fronza Coronelle refuge. Turn left on a little marked path, just under the impressive wall of King Laurin's crag. The climbing starts where a royal crown is painted on the rock. There are about 7/8 pitches, and you’ll come out a few metres above the Re Alberto 1° refuge.
There are two ways back: down the Santner pass via ferrata, or by hiking the tour around the Rosengarten, descending to the Vajolet refuge and then by Coronelle pass. Climbing time 3-4 hours.

1. Placcomania route (“a devil as a friend”) Difficulty: VI-, one VI passage
Height difference: 350 m
Climbing route: 409 m
Rope lengths: 11
Hours: 4.15 – 5
Rock: very good, excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: beautiful rock climbing on good/excellent rock, several times on solid rock slabs.

2. Dimai route Difficulty: III-IV
Height difference: 350 m
Climbing route: 411 m
Rope lengths: 11
Hours: 3.30 – 4
Rock: good, the beginning must be cleaned a little
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: the most direct route, on good rock in the first pitches and excellent in the second half. In the upper area it offers a pleasant climbing along a chimney in a big wall.

3. Fantasia route Difficulty: V- 
Height difference: 420 m
Climbing route: 458 m
Rope lengths: 13
Hours: 4 – 4.30
Rock: good, excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment + cams no. 2/3

4. Steger route Difficulty: V+, one VI- passage
Height difference: 733 m + 70 m to the summit
Rope lengths: 20 + 70 m to the summit
Hours: 6 - 7 hours
Rock: good, excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment
Note: the route is a great direct line, but offers several variants

5. Leviti-Nemela route Difficulty: V+, VI, one VII passage
Height difference: 580 m 
Rope lengths: 11
Hours: 6.30 – 8
Rock: good, excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment + nuts and cams

Abseil from Rosengarten peak From the summit, walk down the North ridge with short rope to the "normal route". At the fork, to the left, follow an exposed ledge (15m) that leads to the first cemented ring. The first abseil descends along the channel of ascent. This is followed by two 20 meters abseils using cemented rings. Head down to Santner pass refuge. From here, take the path leads to the Re Alberto 1° refuge. Abseil time 2 hours.

“Fedele” route Difficulty: V-
Height difference: 400 m
Climbing route: 350 m + 80 m to the summit
Rope lengths: 11 + 80 m to the summit
Hours: 4
Rock: good
Gear: normal climbing equipment + medium size cams
Note: this itinerary is rich in variety, enjoyable and very popular. It's the most pleasant route among those of comparable difficulty.

“Steger” route Difficulty: V, one V+ passage
Height difference: 400 m
Climbing route: 410 m + 110 m to the summit
Rope lengths: 11 + 110m to the summit
Hours: 4
Rock: excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment + medium size nuts
Note: the most classical route of the Emma peak, with various climbing challenges.

“Piaz” crack Difficulty: V
Height difference: 350 m
Climbing route: 294 m + 110 m to the summit
Rope lengths: 9 + 110 m to the summit
Hours: 3–3.30
Rock: excellent
Gear: normal climbing equipment + few kevlar threads and nuts Note: Tita Piaz, the first climber of the Emma peak, was also the first to climb the striking corner line on its East face. A remarkably brave feat in the history of alpinism if you consider the fact that he did the route in the year 1900, solo! Do not underestimate the 4° pitch, which presents continuous climbing difficulties.

Abseil the Emma peak From the mountaintop follow the ridge towards the West side and, near to its end, descend in the northern direction (with the Vajolet towers in front) for about 30m (II grade). Then, turn left and descend for 15m along a hidden ramp (NW, II grade) following the direction of the Emma peak fork. A cemented ring on the left helps you to abseil for 25m. Reach quickly path 542. Abseil time 40 minutes.