Vajont - Diga del Vajont (Via Ferrata della Memoria)

Access to starting point:
Access from Gorenjska: From Rateče or Predel we cross the border to Trbiž / Tarvisio and then we continue on a highway in the direction of Videm / Udine to exit Tolmezzo. From Tolmezzo we follow the road in the direction of village Ampezzo and mountain pass Passo Mauria. The road then descends and it brings us to a crossroad, where we continue left in the direction of the settlement Belluno. Further, we follow the signs for settlement Belluno all the way to the settlement Longarone. In the settlement Longarone we then turn left following the signs »Diga del Vajont«. The road then crosses the river Piava and soon starts ascending. An ascending road we follow to 6th zig zag where signs »Ferrata« point us to the right on a narrow road. We follow this road to the parking lot before the tunnel.
From Primorska: We drive on the highway towards Venice / Benetke / Venezia. At town Portogruaro we leave the highway towards Venice and continue right on the highway towards Pordenone. At the next highway junction near Conegliano, we continue right towards Belluno. Near Belluno the highway ends, and at the next crossroads we continue in the direction of the settlement Auronzo and mountain pass Passo Mauria. We follow this road only to the settlement Longarone where we turn right following the signs »Diga del Vajont«. The road then crosses the river Piava and soon starts ascending. An ascending road we follow to 6th zig zag where signs »Ferrata« point us to the right on a narrow road. We follow this road to the parking lot before the tunnel.

Path description:
From the parking lot, we continue to information boards where a signpost points us to the right on a narrow footpath which runs through the forest. The path is at first slightly descending and soon brings us on steep slopes above the gorge and then to the entrance into a tunnel. While walking through narrow and low tunnel we will need a lamp. From the tunnel, the path brings us on the ledge where also starts secured path.
The path further for quite some time on the ledge crosses precipitous slopes above the stream Vajont. From the path, we have here nice view towards the gorge and on the old road which leads towards the dam. Higher above us runs also main road consequence of which are unfortunately also litter by the path. From the ledge then path ascends on a ladder left steeply upwards. The path here becomes significantly more demanding and above the ladder is for quite some time mostly vertically ascending (difficulty C/D and D). On hardest parts we also get help from few stemples. The path then turns slightly to the right and is ascending on a steep groove right upwards (difficulty C, D). Above the groove difficulty slightly decreases. First follows shorter less demanding crossing on the ledge to the left then ascent by the steel cable (difficulty B/C, C) and then again crossing on the ledge.
Further, the path again becomes steeper and runs on mostly almost vertical wall (difficulty C). Here also a view starts opening up on dam Diga del Vajont, which is situated on the end of gorge. After that, the path for some time becomes less demanding and leads us also through a short lane of a forest.
The path then soon again brings us on steeper slopes where we are ascending by the steel cable upwards. On this part we will also often hear noise of cars, because the path bypasses tunnel through which runs the main road. The path above the tunnel is still ascending by the steel cable upwards (difficulty B/C). The slope is here mostly a little less steep as in the first part of the path (difficulty to B/C). On such slope, we are then ascending all the way to a little bigger ledge where the path becomes a little easier. On the ledge we cross wall to the right and we also slightly descend. Such a path brings us to the inscription box.
From the inscription box follows an ascent over a ladder, and then secured path soon ends. After the end of the secured path we continue on a footpath through the forest, which brings us to a crossing.
Left leads the path towards the settlement Casso, and we continue right downwards towards dam Diga del Vajont. From the crossing, the path is still descending all to the main road. After the crossing of road we continue right and we soon come to a dam Diga del Vajont and memorial chapel.
Towards starting point we return through the tunnel. While walking through the tunnel be careful. Traffic through the tunnel runs alternately one-way, this helps us to avoid walking on blind curves in time, when from the opposite side are coming cars.
On the other side of the tunnel we then go left on a footpath which brings us back to the starting point.
The described path is extremely demanding and for the ascent we will need a helmet and self-belay set. In initial tunnels we also need a lamp. It is also recommended to use climbing gloves.
Secured climbing path Via Ferrata della Memoria was made in the year 2015 in the memory of victims of catastrophic accident, which happened in the year 1963. Because of an artificial lake above the dam, which soaked terrain from the mountain Monte Toc triggered huge landslide and buried the lake. Landslide pushed water over a dam and large wave then flooded village Longarone in the valley of river Piava. In accident died 1917 people.