Via ferrata La Resgia – airy climbing – amazing views!

The introduction to via ferrata La Resgia and its sibling via ferratas on the Engadin tourism website should be enough to put most people off… or, if you’re an adrenalin junkie, you’ll be raring to go and get your adrenalin kick!

To me it sounded like just another bit of copy written by an over zealous copywriter who will probably never set foot on any of the via ferratas advertised! But, as I was to discover on via ferrata La Resgia, there were several moments when muscles were sending desperate messages back to the brain while there was nothing below my feet…

Via ferrata La Resgia is one of three Engadine-based via ferratas promoted on the Engadine tourism website. The other two being Piz Trovat I and Piz Trovat II. Barbara and I have previously done the easier K3/K4 graded Piz Trovat I, having decided on the day that we’re not up to the K5/K6 variant with its Tyrolean traverse spanning across a chasm 100s of metres deep! This time however we were not going near Piz Trovat. Instead we were heading in the direction of Piz Languard and via ferrata La Resgia (Klettersteig La Resgia). We wanted to do this some time last year. But for one or other reason we never got around to it. So when the rain drove us west to Lago di Como, we decided it was a perfect time to hop across the Swiss border and climb via ferrata La Resgia.

We manage to squeeze the car into the last parking slot available, get our shoes on, and set off for the start of the ferrata. As we approach we notice a few other climbers above us. We climb the first ‘spider’s web’ – a metal cable version of a GI Joe assault course obstacle. Fortunately we don’t have a sergeant-major barking orders at us, so we can take our time. Then we traverse to the second part and discover that we could have walked up here… At the foot of this next section we come across a dad and his son, sitting and waiting patiently for the group ahead to clear the section. Dad invites us to go past with the remark ‘my wife needs some time’. Wife and the other three children being on the next ledge up. When we get closer, we discover that Mrs is unsure of how to climb the next section. With a bit of psychological support, me in front and Barbara behind, we guide her to overcome this obstacle. Then we continue climbing with the family to the top. Dad taking up the rear. Along the way overcoming a few more challenges. Including a walk across a single stranded metal cable bridge with two further parallel cables to clip your via ferrata lanyard into and hold onto! Plus the very airy and slightly overhanging so-called ‘eagle’s eyrie’ (adlerhorst) and a bigger and more tiring version of the spider’s web we encountered at the start.

After taking a few pics of ourselves at the top we carry on to the berggasthaus for some ice cold drinks, giving the newly added very contrived looking top part of the via ferrata a miss.

We say goodbye to our new friends as they head off toward Piz Languard. Deciding to give the very inviting chair lift a miss we start our walk down back to the car park.

Like its sibling via ferratas across the valley, via ferrata La Resgia offers superb views across the beautiful Bernina range. Piz Bernina with its ‘Biancograt’ and the equally imposing three-ribbed Piz Palü, both very much on my tick-list of to-do peaks, very prominently in view from the via ferrata. A panoramic feast for lovers of mountains. Which means a few stops along the way to take pictures of the stunning views on our way down!

Then it’s time to drive back to Zürich. Through the scenic windy alpine road past St Moritz. Stopping off at a smallish hotel / restaurant who could only offer us an outside table to have our not-too-bad dinners! Followed by another couple of hours of driving. Bringing to an end another amazing mountain day!

Via ferrata La Resgia route description and topo

Engadine tourism website – source of the quote, and head over to bergsteigen.com for a topo of via ferrata La Resgia.