Sass Rigais Via Ferrata Dolomites Guide

Sass Rigais Via Ferrata is a popular climb up the highest peak of the Geisler group in the Dolomites of Italy. This hike and climb is an extremely fun and rewarding day with insane views from the summit. There are two main routes for the via ferrata: the northeast side and southwest slopes. It’s common to link both sections together creating a lollipop loop. This hike is commonly started from the Col Raiser  cable car which starts out of Val Gardena. Sass Rigais has a summit of 3,025m (9,925ft) and the via ferrata is rated at medium difficulty. 

Sass Rigais Via Ferrata Quick Facts

Virtual Trail Guide: Sass Rigais Via Ferrata

Sass Rigais Via Ferrata Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5 Stars)

Distance: 7.2 miles / 11.5km RT – Assuming a start from Col Raiser

Elevation Start: 6,889ft / 2100m 

High Point: 9,925ft  / 3,025m

Total Elevation Gain: 3,329ft / 1014m

Estimated Time to Complete: 6-8 Hours RT

Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult What does this mean?

Via Ferrata Rating: Medium

Class: Class 4 – What does this mean?

Season: May – October – Expect snow outside of these months

Check the Weather Forecast

Directions to Sass Rigais Via Ferrata

Trailhead: Col Raiser Top Station

Getting Here: There are so many ways to start this hike and your starting point will depend on how you arrive. This hike guide assumes a start from the Col Raiser cable car station located in Val Gardena. Once you arrive to the top station, head right and follow signs for the Rifugio Firenze on trail #4. From here, take trail #13 right next to the fence and head towards Sass Rigais. Continue on following signs for Sass Rigas until you reached a signed trail junction, right takes you up trail 2B or the north Via Ferrata, left takes you up trail PU and the south via ferrata.  

Parking: You can park at the base of the Col Raiser station for a fee of something like 8 euro (credit cards only). The lot is pretty huge and we did not have any problem finding a spot. Be sure to get here early, not only to give yourself plenty of time to hike but also plenty of time to get back down before the cable car closes. For a full schedule, check out this page. 

Fee: UpHill 17 Euro, UpHill + Descent: 25 Euro + Additional Fee for parking

Summary

Dogs: This is not a dog friendly hike. 

Lodging: Your best bet for lodging in the area would be to stay at Almhotel Col Raiser or Rifugio Firenze.

Trail X Factors: North vs South Via Ferrata

When climbing Sass Rigais Via Ferrata, you have a choice to start on either the North or South VF first. They both present their challenges, but I would probably recommend a starting point of the South route vs first and then descending off the North side. We did the opposite on our trip and it was fine, the South side just has A LOT of loose scree/rock and a much longer descent and it can really test your legs if tired. If you start with this and end on the north side, there is a much easier trail to follow down back to the loop starting point. Both options have plenty of fun climbing and challenging terrain so you really can’t go wrong!  

Hike Tip(s): When planning a trip to the Sass Rigais Via Ferrata, be 100% sure that the weather is good. This is a long day and extremely exposed to any bad weather that could blow in. In addition, I would recommend an early start (8:30AM when the station opens) so that you have plenty of time for your trek + some extra time to enjoy the views before the gondola station closes at 12:00 or 12:30. If you do miss the last cable car, you would have to walk down the steep slopes back to the bottom which would add several KM + time to this day. 

Best Views: The entire thing. A+ views from start to finish, really. From the time we hopped in the cable car to the beer and snack we had at the end of the day, the views were stunning the ENTIRE time. This place is so beautiful. 

Sass Rigais Via Ferrata Hike Route

Gear Needed

• Men’s Trail Runners
• Women’s Trail Runners
• Backpack (Summer)
• Food & Water
• Helmet 
• Via Ferrata Lanyard
• Climbing Harness
• Climbing Gloves
• Optional: Garmin inReach
• Optional: Hiking Poles – 125CM
• Optional: Headlamp
• Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, GoPro 360
• Optional: Drone
• *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

Our Trip to Sass Rigais Via Ferrata: July 2022

After an amazing warm-up in the Dolomites the day before, Jackie and I were hooked on the Via Ferrata life. I was skimming through one of the brochures in our hotel and found this hike that looked cool, the Sass Rigais Via Ferrata. It was the highest mountain in the group and super close to our hotel to start, both huge positives. Without a ton of research, we arrived to the Col Raiser gondola and hit the trail. On the top, we had a tiny bit of trouble on the approach since there seemed to be so many variations of this hike. Eventually we found our way and were on our way up the grueling climb to begin the actual via ferrata. 

For really no reason at all, we decided to go to the North cable section first which involved a very steep climb up a valley and eventually to the Northeast shoulder of Sass Rigais. There were a lot of people on the trail, but my major concern was the weather which was starting to look nasty. We worked up several sections of fun cable and ladders which were much more difficult than the day before but still very much in our comfort zone. Luckily, we made it to the summit with no major weather problems at all but the views were basically non-existent. Bummer! 

Our summit time was somewhat short and after being made fun of by all the other hikers because we were taking too many pictures and videos (sorry, not sorry), we started our descent down the Southern Via Ferrata. As we worked down, we ran into even more people but the clouds started to clear revealing some pretty stunning views. We really took our time to soak it all in and not make a stupid fall on all of the loose terrain. Even after the cable sections ended, there was A LOT of downclimbing on steep slopes to finish this loop. After one last cable section, we were finally down the Sass Rigais Via Ferrata and ready for a drink! 

With only 40 minutes or so before the Col Raiser station closed, we enjoyed the views with a weizen beer, piece of cake and prosecco. The perfect ending to another amazing day in the Dolomites of Italy. I would HIGHLY recommend this day for the experienced hiker with a desire to step up their via ferrata game a bit. 

Sass Rigais Via Ferrata Virtual Trail Guide