Sasso di Toanella normal route via Forcella Toanella from Pontesei Parking

Introduction

This route was traveled on July 13, 2022, and all subsequent observations and considerations fully apply only to that day.

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Ascent from the parking lot at Lake Pontesei to the start of the normal route to Sasso di Toanella

From the parking lot at Lake Pontesei, you climb to the Bosconero Refuge via one of the possible and obvious variants, then continue behind the refuge following the initial signs of CAI 490.

Out of the woods, continue following the cairns on the hard scree, maintaining a generally straight line: do not be fooled by a large cairn that would lead you right towards Rocchetta Alta, and higher up by other smaller ones directing left towards Forcella del Matt.

Anyway, the entrance to the channel leading to Forcella Toanella is very obvious and you reach it walking along the edge of a large landslide ditch.

At this point (even if no numberings are painted beyond the red dots) you are on CAI 482 and you climb the long gully staying on the left side in the ascent direction with some bends that also lead close to the rock band: the view of the "vertical pyramid" on the north face of Sasso di Toanella is very beautiful.

Towards the end, the path crosses to the right side in the ascent direction of the channel and you can say you reach Forcella Toanella almost always with good shoe grip.

From Forcella Toanella, continue on the other side going down diagonally still along the CAI 482 path.

Today – after about 35/40 linear meters – there was a micro-cairn "in precarious balance" indicating the exit point from CAI 482 to go towards the channel attack of the normal route to Sasso di Toanella.

It is not essential to spot the cairn (which may no longer be there), just know that after 35/40 meters you need to start descending around (a few meters away) the right rock band.

You pass under the entrance of a first wide channel which starts with grass and stones base, and impracticable jumps shortly after: this is not the right one.

After a few more meters of diagonal descent, you reach the entrance of the right channel: the initial walking base is on steep scree-stone debris, with "hard and sparse" sections, and there is a cairn on the right corner of the entrance.

More visual explanation: just aim towards the first – and only well visible from Forcella Toanella – very slender rock spire of the "Diti di Toanella".

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Ascent of the normal route to Sasso di Toanella

You climb again for a few dozen linear meters the steep (even very steep) scree, sometimes unstable and sometimes quite hard.

You end against a squared and large rock spur that divides the channel into two.

The bypass is indicated with cairns at the base towards the left.

I was ascending entirely on the right, so although with some grade I steps, I bypassed it on the right to avoid traversing over the scree.

But the left is easier and I then chose that side for the descent – probably better to start immediately on the left to climb the hard scree.

Bypassing the squared spur, you exit the bottom of the main channel onto a ramp to the left with terraces: it is a bit dirty with scree but does not cause problems, good footings are found.

The ramp ends on a ridge, which connects Sasso di Toanella to the series of characteristic rock spires of the "Diti di Toanella" (the first two to the left looking from the ridge) and the "Castelletto di Toanella" (the others lined up to the right).

From the ridge, bend a few meters right to pass a mini-saddle, which leads to the ascent of a lateral ridge of the main channel.

This ridge is a mix of small rocks and dwarf pines, where there are also cut branches used as signs and a couple of real structured cuts through the pines that ensure a comfortable passage.

The ascent – under the right side of the ridge line – is steep and has a couple of small steps comparable to a grade I.

(This section must have been maintained recently because some cut branches "were still oozing resin" at the cut point.)

With one last cut through the pines, you enter a short ledge that returns to the bottom of the main gully: entering the bottom of the gully (but also a bit before) you should notice red dots painted to be well visible descending.

Now you climb the gully to its head for steep jumps dirty with scree and gravel: solid footings are there and clearly visible, just be careful not to drop stones on others if in a group.

At the head of the gully you exit to the right, and the most intricate section starts with some other small grade I steps: here it cannot be described, but attention to the many cairns and some red dots visible also ascending is enough (descending, I repeat, the red dots are more visible).

At a certain point, the steep diagonal with jumps ends below a vertical wall, and you must traverse on a rock ledge to the left always following the cairns: here I rebuilt the first cairn which was knocked down.

After the short traverse there is a short steep that introduces the passage – in my opinion – the most difficult of the ascent, also because it is different from all the others.

It is an arch-shaped ledge-bench on a slight ascent with, in the first part, a section of inclined slippery scree well exposed: I would say the only truly exposed passage of the route.

Part of the "slipperiness" can be avoided (following a cairn) by lowering to the edge of the jump to walk on a small rock slab, but a few slippery meters must be done, possibly "making some steps by scraping with your shoes".

After this bench-ledge (easy in the second part) you bypass a corner and climb a short steep where there is a small notch step that is a bit more than grade I but on solid holds clearly visible also descending.

Immediately after you enter a spectacular large and airy amphitheater, where there is a first narrow passage through a rock crack.

You go around the amphitheater on a ledge with some small not difficult level jumps until a particular feature: a split-step on a break in the cornice.

On both sides of the split there are good footings, and from the upper side the rock band also offers solid handholds that help in both directions (… you also need to descend).

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE JUMP❗

Soon after the split you bypass another corner and the path continues towards the final channel that divides the two peaks of Sasso di Toanella.

In the channel there is a steep notch step that is a bit more than grade I but on solid holds clearly visible also descending.

At the head of the short channel, turn right and climb without difficulty to the northeast summit point with cairn and signature book (today I found the latter poorly placed under the cairn, it deserves a more professional container).

The other southwest summit point seems to be just as high, has a clearly visible cairn, and alpine steps are needed to reach it starting from the head of the last channel.

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Notes for the descent from Sasso di Toanella

Along the complicated ascents it is always good to memorize the passages, but here they are too many and only remembering the 3 or 4 main turns is enough: the rest is handled by the trail markers … if carefully followed!

If ascending, as written above, you start noticing some small red dots painted for those descending, on descent you will also notice some very useful red "circles" and some small arrows always in red paint.

I found the little arrows a bit brighter red, but the circles also stand out well.

On descent I had the same difficulty feeling in all the grade I or a bit more passages faced ascending: no more than sometimes happens when descending if footings and handholds are not clearly seen.

In short, no need to rush and you can enjoy without getting lost.