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Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri, The “Smugglers’ Way” via ferrata in Pregasina, near Arco

Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri
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Pregasina

Marika, IFMGA certified mountain guide, offers an exciting outdoor activity in Pregasina, in northern Italy. Join her and complete the famous Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri via ferrata!

Private and Group

Alps

1 Day

Apr, May, Oct, Nov

Occasional

Beginner


Highlights

  • Discover a scenic region of northern Italy.
  • Complete an exposed via ferrata with an expert guide.
  • Enjoy breathtaking views of the Italian Alps and Lake Garda.

Description

Are you looking for an awesome family-friendly outing in the Italian Alps? Then come to Arco and let me take you to Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri, a popular via ferrata in Pregasina!

Pregasina is located within Riva del Garda, in the province of Trento, 15km from Arco. Part of the Italian territory since the end of the First World War, this scenic mountain village lies on the southern edge of the Italian Alps, next to Lake Garda.

On this day outing, we will meet in Arco and drive to Pregasina for an amazing adventure. We will traverse the Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri, an unconventional via ferrata overlooking Lake Garda and a beautiful valley. Also called the Smugglers Path, this trail follows a flat, narrow, and exposed ledge. It is mainly horizontal and only partially equipped with bolts.

This day tour doesn’t require a high fitness level. However, most of the time we’ll walk on a really expose ledge, so it is very important not to be afraid of heights. During the entire traverse, we will be roped, and a via ferrata cable will help us only on the more exposed parts.

So, if you are up for this unforgettable experience in the Italian Alps, please contact me. Let’s complete the famous Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri, in Pregazina!

I offer many other via ferrata trips around Italy. Check out, for example, my Sarca Valley and my Dolomites programs.

Price includes

- Guiding fee


Itinerary

Day 1: Via Ferrata Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri ("Smugglers”)

Meeting at 9am in Arco. Gear check.

Car drive to Pregasina (20 minutes).

Short hike (20 to 30 minutes) to Sentiero dei Contrabbandieri.

Via ferrata route.

Steep hike (not exposed) back to the car (1 hour). Optional: hike down to the lake (10 minutes), to be picked up.

 

Details

Accommodation

Camping or many B&B in the area

Meeting point

Prabi (Municipal Swimming Pool) - Parking Lot (Arco, Italy).

Equipment you will need to bring

Helmet

Harness


About the guide

I was born in Bozen and I have been living all my life long in Fassa Valley, Dolomites. That's why my native language is ladin, a reto-romanic language spoken around Sella.

My big passion besides traveling is mountains and guiding because I love to show the people the beauty of the mountains.

I was a member of the Italian National Alpine Ski from 1990 to 1997 when I became Ski Instructor. In 2009

I became an IFMAG Mountain guide. I guide in the Dolomites, Sarca valley, Sizialian vulcanoes, Ortles Cevedale area, and Sardinia.

Languages

Italian | German | English

Certificates

IVBV | UIAGM | IFMGA

Residence

Campitello di Fassa (Dolomites), Italy


What people are saying about Marika Fave

Brittany Scrugham

5.00

March, 2023

Marika was an excellent guide! She was very accommodating for all our skill levels and did a wonderful job planning and finding the best snow - even for a low snowfall year. It was such a pleasure going on Marika's trip and I highly recommend her for anyone looking for a multi-day ski tour in the Dolomites!

Shai Abadi

5.00

November, 2022

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Sin Chow

5.00

September, 2022

Amazing climber, lots of knowledge and fun to be around. We had a great time with her as our guide!

Collin Edwards-Hill

4.00

September, 2022

Marica was a great guide with a lot of knowledge

Enikő Rausch

5.00

August, 2022

Marika is a great guide. We spent an amazing day together. She made our day challenging but at the same time we felt safe and relaxed.

Ellen Allgurin

5.00

August, 2022

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Menahem olesh

5.00

August, 2022

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Jennifer Winters

5.00

July, 2022

Marika was wonderful, she had good suggestions on which via ferrata to try, she was quick to respond to questions, and she made us feel safe on the via ferrata. Highly recommend!

Maria Voznesensky

5.00

June, 2022

Awesome!

Claire Addison

5.00

June, 2022

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Rita Einevoll

5.00

June, 2022

We can truly recomend having any kind of trip with Marika. She is fantastic in every way. She is very skilled and knows the area very well.

Kimberlee Keller

5.00

September, 2021

Marika was amazing! She was very knowledgeable of the history of the Dolomites and the terrains. She made us feel very safe and comfortable- would highly recommend another tour with her! Excellent guide and highlight of our Italy trip!

Tanya Ianniello

5.00

August, 2021

Our family with kids ages 5, 9 and 12 had a wonderful day with Marika at a via ferrata! She was amazing at catering to the needs of our 3 very different children including one who was feeling anxious. Our 5 year old was completely enamored with Marika & wanted to stay in Italy with her! In addition to being a lovely person I felt safe the entire time and she was appropriately cautious as you would want anyone to be with your children. Highly highly recommended!!

Catherine Derroitte

5.00

August, 2021

Very happy about this faboulous day in the dolomites. We travelled with 3 kids and it was an unforgettable experience! Many thanks to Marika for her patience!

Marianne Sanggaard Assenholt

5.00

July, 2021

Really good setup the communication with explore-share was good and fast. The guide Marika know very much about the area and adapted the trip to our wishes and the weather. She was also very helpful both before and during the trip. Marikas attitude is welcoming and warm and we can recommend her.

Quentin Janssens

5.00

July, 2021

Every family leader should take their family to a trip like this! Such a bounding experience

Simonetta

5.00

April, 2020

In winter I had the top opportunity to be trained by Marica in my ski tours in the Dolomites where I experienced an incredible improvement, also in freeride, as well as in summer for rock climbing and "ferrate". Normally I appreciate being guided all day long for about a week. I have been trained twice a year for 3 years now. Marica has got passion and great talent. She is strong, reliable, cautious, kind, patient, empathic, nice, funny. She has a great knowledge of the Dolomites, and she can safely guide you at different levels of technics and disciplines. Rocks and ice have no secret for her.

Mark and Kim Chagnon

5.00

April, 2020

We have been climbing in the Dolomites for the last seven years with Marika. We would not climb with anyone else but her! She is highly skilled and competent. Professional but also makes the climb exciting and fun! We consider her a close friend and look forward to every year climbing with her! She is a five star guide! We have climbed with others but no one compares to Marika! She challenges us, we learn and we laugh! If you want an adventure of a lifetime, we highly recommend Marika!!

Pit De Faccio

5.00

April, 2020

I went to Campanile Basso di Brenta with Marika. Awesome, nothing less, experienced, kind, calm and female gentleness.

Peter Adamco

5.00

October, 2019

I couldn't recommend a climbing guide more highly. Marika is energic, friendly and gave us just what we were looking for, moderate multi-pitch climbing in beautiful settings in the Dolomites, followed each day by the best restaurants and bars. She knows everything about climbing, the routes and as a local, the history of the region. She was also meticulous with safety and kept us in line where needed. Marika met all of our expectations and more. You won't be disappointed when you climb with her.

Sarah Smart

5.00

October, 2019

Wonderful experience for my daughters and me. We climbed in the Cinque 5 and had a beautiful and exhilarating experience

Ellen Waterman

5.00

October, 2019

We had a great day out with Marika and were spoilt with amazing views and a great climb up Monte Averau. We hiked up to the via ferrata from Cinque Torri instead of getting the chairlift and were treated with incredible views of cloud inversions on the mountains. The via ferrata itself is quite short, so great for beginners (more time hiking than on the via ferrata) but the views from the top were sensational!

David Marino

5.00

September, 2019

We started climbing with her 5 years ago in Alto Adige and we organized a week every summer since then (5 torri, Col Rodella, Forcella del Sassolungo, Marmolada and many others). She is extremely professional with strong empathy skills. Outstanding teaching and climbing capabilities. She managed to guide us and our kid in challenging experiences but always in absolute safety conditions!

Paolo Pannuti

5.00

July, 2019

Marika is a competent and professional guide. I did the tour (La via Ferrata Tridentina, located in the Sella Group, just below the Gardena pass) with my 11 year old son and the kindness of marika's was truly commendable. ****really recommended****

Katerina

5.00

November, 2018

Marika is an amazing guide and a really nice person! we had a great time. She was not pushy but helped us to overcome our inner barriers and complete more that we expected. as a trainer Marika is absolutely professional and very passionate and open to share her knowledge, experience and love to the climbing. I really hope we will come back to works with her soon, since it was unforgettable

Battista Gilardi

5.00

August, 2018

Last days of August 2018. As for more than 10 years I have left Valtellina for a week of climbing in the Dolomites. Our historical, affectionate and appreciated mountain guide Marika. On August 23, 2018, at the suggestion of Marika herself, we let ourselves be guided to the conquest of the "Campanile di Val Montanaia", a spectacular and wild spire. Beautiful ascension, in absolute safety and plaisir. Thanks "great" Marika. Battista.

Terry

5.00

July, 2018

My wife and I had an incredible experience on our via ferrata trek. Marica was so helpful when it came to directions, choosing the right trail and even provided a rain jacket for my wife as she did not have one. Marica was very safety conscious and we had complete trust in her abilities and knowledge of the area. Thank you

Ornella Gatti

5.00

August, 2016

I've done many climbs with Marika, always in perfect safety and with extreme pleasure. Taking into account that I am now 67 I can say that with her I always feel like a little girl. Her exuberance and sympathy, her safety in manoeuvring make even the most demanding climbs a real fun. Among the many climbs made with Marika, I remember with greater pleasure the wonderful climb to the corner of the first Tofana di Rozes in August 2016.


 

 

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