Via Ferrata Rocca di Badolo

Introduction:

The Rocca Badolo Ferrata in the province of Bologna is a ferrata that goes up the Badger's Pliocene Contrafforte. The characteristic rock of this Apennine area will be immediately evident to those approaching the via ferrata. The sandstone is covered by a thin layer of sand which, together with the particularly smooth rock, increases the degree of difficulty of the via ferrata if faced without the aid of the cable.

Starting location:

The Rocca Badolo Ferrata is easily accessible from the Sasso Marconi exit (A1). After the junction turn left along the SS 325 and then right towards Badolo. Go up the provincial road for 9 bends after which you can park on the roadside. An illustrative table can be seen at the ninth hairpin. The wall on which the ferrata will take place is clearly visible.

Directions for Google Maps available here.

Approach:

Leaving the car along the road, skirt a cultivated field uphill until you reach a wood. Go straight up towards the rock wall. Reaching the wall, keep to the left and in a few meters you can see the start of the via ferrata (10 'from the parking lot).

Via Ferrata:

The ferrata consists of 3 parts:

1. go up a first inclined wall up to a dihedral where a ladder is positioned. At the end of the staircase we face a wall that, slightly overhanging, requires attention (10 'from the start - 20' from the parking lot).
2. A smooth wall rises up vertically where slits have been carved to facilitate progression. At the end of this section, continue vertically with the aid of some brackets and the now customary artificial holes in the rock. You will soon reach an overhanging staircase which tends to throw out but which, given its brevity, does not present particular difficulties from an athletic point of view. In this way we reach a large terrace where on the right we notice the stops of the climbing routes and on the left the third part continues.
3. The last part initially climbs to a 6-meter wall (possibility to go around it on the left). This wall tends to throw out slightly so if you decide to climb without the use of the rope you need absolute attention since in case of fall the risk is to slam on the underlying part. At this point you have to go up a short stretch of steep path to the last wall. This dihedral is certainly the most technically demanding stretch. The position of the cable and the grips requires you to continue climbing as otherwise it would tend to be pushed out. The dihedral is narrow in some points and requires a steady step and a minimum of climbing technique. However, this stretch is short (8 meters) and physical effort is contained. At the end of this stretch, you reach a ladder and from here to the top of the summit slabau (30 'from the start - 40' from the parking lot).

Descent:

From the summit slabau you descend from the opposite side following the tracks that descend steeply along the wood until you reach a path on the hillside, reached where you take it to the right. In a few minutes you reach a church and go down a mule track in 10 minutes to the provincial road. Continue downhill for a couple of hairpin bends reaching the car (20 'from the end of the Ferrata Rocca Badolo - 1h from the start of the itinerary).

Notes:

Although it is not a complex itinerary, some passages of the route are not to be underestimated given the peculiarity of the rock (sandstone).

Opportunities:

This short ferrata can be practically covered all year round and is a great workout to improve your climbing skills.

For those coming from the north and north-west along the A1 it might be interesting to combine it with the Via Ferrata della Pietra Nera in the province of Parma, reachable in 40 minutes from the Salsomaggiore Terme - Fidenza junction. Staying in the Emilia region, you can reach the Ferrata degli Alpini and the recent West Ferrata, both at the Pietra di Bismantova. Continuing in Tuscany they meet towards Pisa the Via Ferrata Sant'Antone and towards Arezzo la Via Ferrata Romana Nesi.