reverse canyoneering | rio sallagoni via ferrata

3 mi . 800 ft gain . 1260 ft high

After a very exhilarating morning of exposed via ferrata, a chill one sounded splendid. At the top of the Monte Albano via ferrata, a group caught up with us and we chatted for a while. They were Czech and on a work trip! We had planned a different via ferrata but their suggestion sounded far better. A short, relatively easy via ferrata is a good way to end the day (and the trip). Primarily, the Rio Sallagoni via ferrata is far less exposed — you could even walk up the wet canyon if you’d prefer.

The details

This via ferrata takes you through olive groves and up a canyon with 2 optional exits to the Castel Drena. There’s a couple parking options next to Tamburello playground. Signs are rather obvious to get to the start of the via ferrata, which is the base of the canyon that leads up to the town of Drena. I like to think of it as a reverse canyoneering route since you go up instead of down. It’s by far less exposed than the Monte Albano route.

According to Ferrata365, the Rio Sallagoni route is rated 2/5 for both technical and environmental difficulty like Monte Albano, but with a physical commitment of 1/5 and an exposure rating of 2/5 (vs 5/5 for Monte Albano). It however felt surprisingly easier overall without your heart racing. It’s also a shorter distance, so it isn’t as strenuous.

This route is only a 10 minute drive from Arco, so easy to get to!

The photo dairy

This one is rather straight forward with a few stretches of climbing up ladder rungs then some low exposure traverses. I love that it also has 2 rather optional but highly recommended tight rope walks. Take care how you should clip on since different tight ropes work differently. There’s just a couple short sections that would be considered a bit more strenuous but there’s plenty of rests.

At the end, you get to experience the Castel Drena and walk through olive groves. It’s super cute!

Optional exit after this bridge

Notes

• I like using Ferrate365 for details on via ferratas. It’s got plenty of helpful information about where to park and other details.
• Parking: By Tamburello there’s 2 different parking lots available
• There’s few places to rent gear, so consider buying your own via ferrata set if you are planning to do multiple days. Otherwise, MMove in Arco has gear rentals for 16€ including helmet, harness, and via ferrata lanyard. Sometimes it is helpful to search “noleggio” the Italian word for rental
• Looking for more Dolomite activities? Check out my blog on Tre Cime and my Ultimate Guide to Cortina!

Photos shot on Canon 5D EOS R5