Ferrata Sas Rigais - ascent east descent south

Description

Departure is from the Col Raiser cable car (car park 2.50Eur in 2012)€11 one way. On arrival follow path no. 4 slightly downhill towards Rifugio Firenze. From there take path no. 13 towards Sass Rigais. Follow the signs for the ferrata until you reach Pian Cautier where there is a crossroads: you can decide to go left and climb up the SOUTH ferrata (path 29) or go right and climb up the EAST ferrata. We opted for this choice. The trail begins to climb until it reaches Val dla Salieres, where it climbs further and further up a long path that finally turns left and where, near the first unequipped rocks, we put on our harnesses. After the first few metres on small rocks, we continue for another 10-15 mins before reaching the start of the ferrata, which consists mainly of a metal cable and a few pegs to get over the more vertical sections. You reach a split to be climbed using either the rock (more technical) or the cable as handholds. Continue on a climbing section until reaching the last equipped section that leads to the narrow summit.(3025m) The descent is on the south ferrata, which starts after a narrow overhanging ledge and alternates between equipped sections and a path. The difficulty is never excessive, but it is a long downhill ferrata, with cable that is not always well tensioned and, in a couple of sections, the last section is not secured, in the sense that the last bolt.... It is not embedded in the rock. In a short section an attachment is broken, so the rope ends and resumes a little further on. After the first long section equipped, there is a long path over rocks. However, the ferrata is not yet finished: there are still some metal cables and a couple of wooden bridges a little further down. The path then continues back to Pian Cautier from where you can choose whether to return to Col Raiser and take the cable car again, or to go to the Firenze refuge and descend via the path. We returned to the Firenze and took path no. 1, which winds its way comfortably through the woods as far as the Baita Sangon hut. Past the Baita the path becomes more of a road until it becomes an asphalted road that leads to the start of the Col Raiser cable car. Following the route we took, the ascent via ferrata is short but steep and is preceded by a long section on a steep path. The descent via ferrata is very long and on unstable ground, although the difficulty is never excessive.