Via Ferrata Marino Bianchi

The Grava Staunies cirque does most of the day's work before a single cable is clipped. It is steep, and one climber who came up from the Son Forca hut called that ascent masochistic, then described what follows as the complete opposite — a pure delight. That is a fair summary of the Marino Bianchi: a punishing approach, then cable-protected climbing on the Cristallo massif that sits squarely mid-range, not too easy and not too difficult. The summit view is what the route is climbed for, and one climber called it superb.

• Nothing at the start. No toilets, no drinking water and no information point anywhere near the route — carry what you need for the day.
• Parking is 2.9 km off. The nearest car parks are about 2.9 km from the route; the closer one is free but signed for customers.
• Kit is not optional. Fixed cables mean a via ferrata set — harness, lanyard, helmet — and a head for exposure.
• Weather decides the day. The peak can be clouded in; check the forecast before you commit to the cables.
• Not a route for children.

Almost everyone drives. The nearest car parks sit about 2.9 km from the route, and the bus stop at Passo Tre Croci is roughly 2.8 km away, so the last stretch is walked whichever way you arrive: the approach climbs through the steep Grava Staunies cirque to where the cables begin. One climber treated the whole thing as a half-day round trip from the Son Forca hut.

Better: a day with a settled forecast. The summit view is what the climb is for, and cloud takes it away.

Avoid: starting up with the peak already covered. The one warning a climber left about this route was about the weather and nothing else — the peak clouds in, and on cabled terrain that turns a good day into a careful retreat.