Characteristics

New and probably the highest placed ferrata in Europe in a glacier environment is marked as very difficult. It runs along the eastern edge of the rocky moraine ridge, which separates the Laveciau glacier from the Gran Paradiso glacier and is very well secured and its difficulty is  only A / B. Only about 3m long key point in the middle of the ferrata is unsecured and it is necessary to overcome about 1m overhang D, but is very airy and usually covered with snow under which is hidden steel wire and so it is necessary to use crampons and ice axes.

Climbing time is approximately 8 hours from the cottage over the ferrata and the top (which is located 100m NW towards Madonna !!) and back to the cottage.

This ferrata is a long alpine route that reaches more than 4000 m and therefore it cannot be combined with other ferrata in a short time. If you want to stay nearby, there are several ferratas in this area: Ferrata Casimiro (https://ferrate365.it/vie-ferrate/ferrata-casimiro/), Ferrata Marguerettaz (https://ferrate365.it/vie- ferrate / ferrata-marguerettaz /), Ferrata in Mont Chetif (https://ferrate365.it/vie-ferrate/ferrata-bicentenario-mont-chetif/) and many more.

Arrival

The starting point is Breuil just above the village of Pont in Valsavarenche in the province of Aosta. Here you will find a comfortable and large parking area

Approach

* From the parking to the cottage:

On the ascent to Gran Paradiso, the first stop is the Vittorio Emanuele II (http://www.rifugiovittorioemanuele.com/). From the car park (approx. 1960 m) continue along the obvious road until you cross the bridge over the creek, where you have to consider whether to continue on a wide road or if you follow a steep path to the left, exposed sections. You will save about half an hour. Both roads return from the forest. Follow the restored mule road and get to the plateau where the cottage rises with the characteristic shape of the hangar (2732 m - ca 2h 30'from the parking lot). On this way to the top it is definitely advisable to interrupt the long route and spend the night in the cottage.

* From cottage to peak:

From the cottage, follow the footsteps of the normal road to Gran Paradiso, which begins behind the cottage. In about 20 minutes you can walk through a glacier stream that flows down the Gran Paradiso glacier. Follow a sharp moraine until you encounter a rock wall that initially raises, but then notice on the right side the passage that allows you to go up the rocky cliff and continue along the cairn path. You will then get to the multilingual via ferrata sign.

Exit

At the end of the ferrata continue along the glacier until you reach the famous "schiena d'asino" to the area where all three ascent routes connects. Ferrata and roads from the Sanctuary of Chabod and Vittorio Emanuele II.

After reaching the glacier summit, which you will have to circumvent in a semicircle from the right, you will reach the last crack that will be overcome by a ladder and then soon reach the top of the ridge. Here we climb very exposed rocks, then a narrow cornice exposed on the Tribolazione glacier in a passage that is not technically difficult but extremely adrenaline, and soon we reach Madonna

To descend from the top of Gran Paradiso we can go the same way (ferata is bi-directional) but it is much better to use the normal path in the right intersecting glacier with cracks. Alternatively, a simpler path on the left, heading almost directly to the cottage.

From the glacier we head back down the road to the Vittorio Emanuele II hut and then to the valley.

14 climbed

4.5

- wants to climb

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Surroundings