Via ferrata Piccolo Cir

The cable follows the ledge of the peak, so the climbing runs along the edge rather than up a face, with the drop open beside you most of the way. It is not long, and it is not strenuous — the moves stay interesting without asking for strength or endurance, which is what makes it work as a first via ferrata. The ground it crosses does as much as the climbing: edelweiss on the meadows, marmots on the scree, alpine pasture below and Dolomite summits in every direction from the top.

Cloud is the catch. It builds here often, and when it does the view goes altogether.

• Go early: a crowd starts forming on the ferrata around 10:00, and by 11:00 people are waiting on the mountain — that was in early September.
• The top is small: one climber found room for roughly four people to sit up there, so anyone lingering holds up the queue behind.
• Carry water: there is no water source within 800 m of the route.
• Cloud closes it down: it clouds over often, and the view from the ledge can vanish completely.
• Toilets sit about 50 m from the route.

The car parks and the Passo Gardena bus stop all sit about 690 m from the route, so the last stretch is walked. That walk up is the harder half of the day — one climber found it took more endurance than the ferrata itself. Guideposts stand along the way, the first of them roughly 390 m short of the start.

Better: early, on the cable before the cable cars start running or soon after.

Avoid: late morning — one climber watched a crowd build on the ferrata from about 10:00, with people waiting on the mountain by 11:00 in early September.

The summit holds about four people sitting down, so a slow party up there backs up everyone below. An early start also buys the best chance of a view: cloud gathers here often and takes the panorama with it.