Sass Tavarac via ferrata

Access

From Erba, take the provincial road for Canzo almost to the border with the municipality of Ponte Lambro. Shortly before, turn left into Via San Giorgio and follow it until it becomes private. There is ample parking space.

Introduction

Short and intense, semi-unknown ferrata located on the edge of one of the cliffs upstream from the town of Erba. It develops in three segments - all rather wooded - characterised by three different types of limestone: from compact rock, it passes to a sort of gravelly conglomerate and then to a series of stratifications. The equipment (cable, chain and cable again) is designed for safety only: in fact, the route is to be considered educational for climbing. The use of climbing shoes is highly recommended. Take care not to dislodge stones, as the first traverse of the route is above some of the single-tiers of the climbing hall.

Description

From the car park, continue along the tarmac road leading to the Hermitage of San Salvatore until you reach a hairpin bend, the outer wall of which is interrupted by a stepped passage; a signpost indicates the direction for the climbing wall along a wide mule track through the woods. Radiant paint marks (be very careful!), with various changes of direction, lead to the foot of a smooth grey limestone wall: you are at the base of the Sass Tavarac climbing wall. Following the rock to the right, past some thorny brushwood, you arrive at the anchorage of the first cable: climb up a sort of dihedral-channel that continues beyond an exposed traverse to reach the end of the first section of the ferrata. Take the short path that leads to the second section and, following the chain, climb up an easy and well-steepened ramp (a little too wooded) to the summit (rock more solid than it looks). Once again, a stretch of path, crossing a small landslide ramp, leads to the last cable: a hint of a gully, from right to left, with good holds (a few mobile stones) leads directly to the summit of Sass Tavarac.
For the descent (ignoring a chain which descends to the right near the end of the ferrata - an adventurous route), follow a small path which runs along the edge of the wood among scattered rocks slightly uphill until it joins a wide mule track directed to the Mara hut. Proceed downhill on the left, very comfortably, past a rock face (Sasso di San Salvatore gymnasium) and on to a second climbing area: this is the famous Sasso d'Erba, a historic gymnasium in Alta Brianza; neglecting a fork to the right, continue downhill to the clearing of the Eremo di San Salvatore. Here begins the carriage road that, monotonously followed, leads back to the car park. Be careful not to take an apparent wide shortcut to the right, which in reality leads into Val Bova.