Via Ferrata Ferrari at Ra Bujela

Introduction:

The Ferrata Ra Bujela climbs the homonymous keep that extends between the Duca d'Aosta and Pomedes Huts between the Tofane and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The ferrata is short, of medium difficulty but intense and varied. It can be easily combined with many itineraries that start from this corner of the Dolomites.

Starting location:

There are two starting points for the itinerary:

1. It is possible to start from the road that leads to the Dibona Hut above Cortina. Going up from Cortina towards Passo Falzarego we follow the road that leads to the right to Rifugio Dibona. We continue uphill on the paved road to a junction where on the right we climb to the Rifugio Duce d'Aosta. This road is bumpy and it is advisable to park in the open space near the junction. This option is preferable if you want to combine the Ferrata Ra Bujela with Aided path Astaldi and get off at the car with a ring route. Directions for Google Maps available here.
2. Alternatively you can park in the large car park at the Baita Pie Tofana (1675 m) where the chairlift goes up to the Duca d'Aosta Hut. This option is preferable if you want to skip the approach and return to the chairlift, minimizing outward and return times, or if you want to combine this via ferrata with a longer loop route that includes the Aided path Olivieri. Directions for Google Maps available here.

Approach:

To climb the Ferrata Ra Bujela you must reach the Rifugio Duca d'Aosta (2098 m). Depending on the starting point shown above, there are more approach options.

1. For itinerary 1 we follow the road that from the junction turns off to the right with signpost 405 that in about 2 Km (30 'from the parking lot) reaches the hut,
2. get on the chairlift to the hut or go along the Sentiero dei Camosci (trail sign 405) which goes up from the hut to the hut (1h 30 'from the parking lot).

Once at the Duca d'Aosta Hut, the road is already visible on our left indistinct shape of Ra Bujela. Straight with respect to the shelter the ski slope rises, on the right rises a cart track that connects uphill to Rifugio Pomedes. We take it and after a few minutes we meet a sign which on the left shows us the trail to reach thestart of the Ferrata to the Ra Bujela named after Maria and Andrea Ferrari (45 'for itinerary 1 - 1h 45' for itinerary 2 - 15 'from Rifugio Duca d'Aosta).

Via Ferrata:

Next to the slab part the wire rope that climbs in a left direction going up a rocky leap that presents a passage in which the rock throws but a bracket helps us to pass this passage easily. Above us we see the first gangway of the route. Just above the cable ends in a ledge to the right that leads us back to the wire rope. We climb diagonally on rocks two meters before the cable bends sharply to the right diagonally going up in a traverse. The traverse is initially horizontal then rises with more accentuated verticality and is exposed but the brackets present they almost eliminated the difficulties. We reach a small balcony where the rope bends to the left on well-set rock and we reach a wider open space where we can watch the panorama before climbing.

Let's start by horizontally going around an edge before going through one ledge to the right. We climb diagonally before facing an exposed but not difficult vertical wall. We are under the first suspension bridge and we begin to climb diagonally a traverse and then a vertical leap with thehelp of some brackets. We are now in an exposed stretch but not difficult where with some passages on rocks initially to the right then to the left we reach the first suspension bridge. The bridge is very stable with large wooden sleepers.

Leaving the bridge we cover a short horizontal section of ledge followed by a diagonal line to the right and two leaps and a pass on rocks before coming to the second suspension bridge with characteristics identical to the previous one. After crossing the bridge we begin to take one long and narrow ledge to the right. We pay attention to a couple of exposed passages on unstable ground before reaching the end of the ledge near an edge. The sharply exposed edge is vertical and challenging part to then gradually become less steep and with more handholds available. Having climbed this section, the route takes on the characteristics of a ridge path - rather large - not aided in the less exposed sections. We reach a saddle from which we begin the last section of the ferrata.

We continue along the ridge generally standing a few meters below the wire on the left side. We alternate sections of simple path to some rocky leaps until reaching the summit (2257 m) after the last vertical jump cable bifurcation.

We do not remove the harness and start the descent aided. From the top we return back a few steps until we find the metal cable going down to the west (left). We cover a ledge towards the right and goes down a short aided wall. We travel one downhill ramp until it reaches a saddle. We climb the opposite side where we walk the last one aided stretch of the route (1h from the start - 1h 10 'from the Rifugio Duca d'Aosta).

Descent:

We now begin the section of the return path. We go down steeply towards a junction where it is possible to left uphill reach the Pomedes hut (2303 m - 10 'from the end of the road) or return to the Rifugio Duca d'Aosta both along the path that goes around the Ra Bujela on the right and along the steep ski slopes (20 'from the end of the route).

Reached the Duca d'Aosta Hut we can return back to the car park in both cases.

Notes:

The Ra Bujela Ferrata is recent (2015) and the equipment is in excellent condition. It enjoys the reputation of being a simple via ferrata and in some respects it is. However, the first section of the route (before the suspension bridge) has a couple of more challenging passages which, when added to the exposure, make it moderately difficult. In general it is a varied via ferrata in a moderate difficulty level. We face traverses, ledges, short walls, rocky springs, ridges and suspended bridges. These characteristics combined with the short approach and return make it excellent as an intermediate passage between aided paths and more demanding routes, such as the nearby via ferratas to the Tofane.

Opportunities:

As mentioned in the report the Ferrata Ra Bujela extends in the vicinity of two interesting aided paths: theAstaldi and theOlivieri at Punta Anna. Next to the Ferrata Ra Bujela, on the opposite side of the ski slope on which the chairlift ascends, the easiest one rises Via Ferrata Ra Pegna. This recent ferrata climbs the nearby tower which can therefore be easily combined in the same itinerary.

Wanting to cover longer routes you can climb the various routes ascending to the Tofane: the Ferrata Olivieri in Punta Anna, the Via Ferrata Aglio at Tofana di Mezzo and the Ferrata Formenton alla Tofana de Inze. Continuing in the direction of Tofana di Rozes you can go up the Ferrella Lipella or the Scala del Meneghel. These are longer and more demanding itineraries that must be carefully planned for timing and weather.

In the direction of Passo Falzarego, we can instead take the Ferrata Tomaselli, the recent one Via Ferrata Fusetti at Sass de Stria, the Ferrata to the Col dei Bos and the Ferrata to the Averau.