Getting there
Ascent
Wit the hiking bus or by car in 15 min. to the malga Frommer and with the cable car to the Rifugio Coronelle. From the scree terrace follow the ferrate across ladders, pegs and cables up north through gullys and across minor saddles. The path twists and turns in search of the easiest line through this rock maze to reach the highest col at 2680m. Cross this and descend carefully into a gully which often remains covered in snow. Climb up the opposite flank on the gully’s left-hand side to reach Passo Santner, 2760m, just a few minutes walk away from Rifugio Santner and the Via Normale climbing routes to the Catinaccio peaks. The panorama westwards onto the green Alto Adige deep below is stupendous.
Descent
From Passo Santner follow path no. 542 down into the Gartl and the monumental Tre Torri del Vajolet. Reach Rifugio Re Alberto (2700m) and the lake at the foot of these famous towers, to continue through the large basin on path no. 542 through this massif, polished by the thousands of footsteps to the famous refuges Vajolet and Preuss (2243m). Proceed towards the Gardeccia basin to then follow signs right (no. 541). This path traverses beneath the Catinaccio’s east face to the fork and path no. 550, which leads steeply up to and over Passo delle Coronelle (2630m) to then return to Rif. Coronelle.
The Ferrata del Santner, situated on Catinaccio’s impressive west face, seems to have been made specifically to extenuate the beauty and very particular nature of the entire Dolomites massif. It follows a natural line diagonally leftwards and, leading relatively easily into the heart of King Laurin’s kingdom, is quite simply unforgettable. One of the most famous rock formations in the Dolomites meets the eye at the gateway to the Gartl valley: the mythical Torri del Vaiolet. The Ferrata Passo Santner is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and famous round-trips in the Dolomites
