Via Ferrata Merlone - from Lago d'Antorno to Cima Cadin

From the Lago d'Antorno parking lot, follow the unnumbered trail alongside the road for about 400 meters. Then, turn east onto Trail 119, which steadily climbs to Forcella de Rinbianco. Continue on Trail 117, which is slightly more technical and steeper. This trail passes through a wide scree slope equipped with a few handlines and leads to Rifugio Fonda Savio (2,367 m), the gateway to the Cadini.

From the refuge, Trail 112 heads due south and quickly opens into a scree-filled valley. The trail becomes very faint here, so cairns and marks on the ground will guide you across the scree field to the base of the via ferrata on the opposite slope.

After a few equipped sections and short free-climbing passages, the route enters a long series of iron ladders—several hundred rungs in total—in a decidedly airy setting. The final section consists of ascending traverses and a short vertical wall before opening onto a trail with about 50 meters of elevation gain leading to Cima Cadin Nord-Est. The via ferrata is not particularly technical, and the numerous iron ladders make for swift progress. At the summit, the view is reportedly remarkable. Since the clouds clung to the face during our ascent, however, we'll have to settle for imagining it.

The descent follows the same route back to the refuge, meaning you have to go down all the ladders again. Since the route is not heavily used, encounters with other hikers are rare—which is fortunate, as traffic jams would otherwise be inevitable. Back at Rifugio Fonda Savio, Trail 115 begins the descent due west. First, it traverses beneath the rock faces of the Ciadin dei Tocci, then through a series of switchbacks that gradually lead to the alpine meadows and then the coniferous forest. The slope eases significantly in the second half, leading directly back to the starting point at Lago d'Antorno.