Aided path de le Stel

Introduction:

Review of the Aided Path de le Stel in the Adige Valley. Pretty easy trail with some aided passages and a climbing section. It extends at low altitude and is recommended in winter or early season.

Starting location:

The starting point of the itinerary is the village of Aldeno in the Adige Valley, south of Trento. Once in the village, you must reach La Busa along the Via al Bondone. We will notice a small road that steeply rises towards the west. We look for parking nearby and then climb the cemented road.

Directions for Google Maps available here.

Approach:

We climb on the little road among the vineyards following the CAI 631 that goes up the cart track. We proceed uphill ignoring some traces that come off to the right and left, keeping us on 631 until we reach a panoramic point with benches (40 'from the parking lot). We continue facing some harmless aided sections until we leave the 631 following the path to the waterfalls continuing to rejoin the 631 before leaving it definitively to take the path F01, or the Aided path de le Stel well marked by the red and white signs of the CAI (620 m - 1h from the parking lot).

Via Ferrata:

The path now winds along the hillside on good track. Let's meet some easy jumps with metal brackets which help to be overcome. Alternate stretches of easy path with some steep, yet easy, aided sections, up to reaching the Madonna characteristic of the path where there is a bench to stop and look below us the Val d'Adige with vineyards and orchards. We continue the path, now more narrow, until we reach one narrow rocky ledge rather exposed. This ledge it is properly aided. Finished the ledge the path begins to increase the slope on small leaps and some aided rocks. This part of the route is the most interesting and yes can climb the easy steps (never above grade II) by maintaining the equipment as self-insurance. We continue on the path gaining steeply altitude until we reach a pole then a sign which indicate the end of the Aided path of le Stel (ca 1h 30 'from the start of the aided path - 2h 30' total).

Descent:

From the end of the path we go up for a short distance in the wood before embarking on the descent alternating sections on forest in and out of the wood. We continue without difficulty in parallel to the Sentiero de le Stel until we rejoin the 631 and continue the descent (2h from the end of the Aided path de le Stel - 4h 30 'total).

Notes:

The path is not difficult even if a section of the road goes up vertical between easy climbing steps. The most challenging part of the route is probably finding the way in the first half. The path is not in fact marked impeccably and sometimes you have to use flair to understand its continuation in the woods among the undergrowth. Attention to a point where the old track rises to the left (cord in not very good condition). The new and the old path come together later.

Opportunities:

From Aldeno you can quickly reach along the Adige Valley the village of Mori where you can go up the exposed Ferrata Marangoni. Not far from Mori we find another rather easy and very scenic route: the Via Ferrata of Somator. In Val d'Adige it is also possible to walk along the Via Ferrata Rio Secco near Cadino.

Going up instead towards north towards Trento they meet the Aided path Bertotti and the difficult Ferrata Segata at Bondone.