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Via ferrata

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Via ferrata (the Hermann von Barth Way), on the Partenkirchen Dreitorspitze (Austria)

Via ferrata Piz de Lech A via ferrata (Italian for "iron road", plural vie ferrate) or klettersteig (German for "climbing path") is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities. Walkers and climbers can follow vie ferrate without needing to use their own ropes and belays, and without the risks associated with unprotected scrambling and climbing. They are found in a number of European countries, including Italy, Germany, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Austria, Slovenia, Romania, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, Norway and a few places in the United States, Canada, Iran, Malaysia and Singapore. The first vie ferrate were built in the Dolomite mountain region of Italy during the First World War, to aid the movement of the Italian mountain infantry. A new via ferrata has been established on Mt Kenya, providing safe passage on the Northwest approach to Point Lenana (via Austrian Hut), as well from the south side (Shipton). Christened "Olonana", this is the world's highest "via ferrata" at 4,985m. Launched on 9 July 2012 by the Kenyan Wildlife Services (KWS), it replaces the via ferrata located at 3,800 metres on Mount Kinabalu in the state of Sabah, Malaysia, as the world's highest.

In English the plural can be written either vie ferrate or via ferratas. The German name is Klettersteig, plural Klettersteige.

Contents

 [hide]  1 History in the Dolomites
2 Routes 2.1 Italy 2.1.1 Dolomites
2.1.2 Other via ferratas in Italy

2.2 France

2.3 Germany
2.4 Spain
2.5 Canada
2.6 China
2.7 Japan
2.8 Malaysia
2.9 Mexico
2.10 Norway
2.11 Peru
2.12 Poland
2.13 Sweden
2.14 United Kingdom
2.15 United States
2.16 Oman

3 Equipment 3.1 Lanyard

3.2 Carabiners
3.3 Shock absorber
3.4 Harness
3.5 Helmet
3.6 Other equipment
3.7 Differences to climbing equipment

4 See also

5 References
6 External links

[edit] History in the Dolomites

In 1914 the Dolomites were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria was part of the Central Powers during the First World War. In 1915, Italy joined the alliance of Britain, France and Russia and declared war on the Central Empires. Austria’s troops were heavily committed in Russia and it immediately withdrew to a defensive line which ran through the Dolomites. Until the end of 1917 the Austrians (supported by troops from Southern Germany) and the Italians fought a ferocious war in the mountains of the Dolomites; not only against each other but also against the hostile conditions. In the particularly cold winter of 1916 thousands of troops died of cold, falls or avalanches. Both sides tried to gain control of the peaks to site observation posts and field guns. They also tried to create and control tunnels below the peaks to attack from there (see images below from Lagazuoi region). To help troops to move about at high altitude in very difficult conditions permanent lines were fixed to rock faces and ladders were installed so that troops could ascend steep faces. These were the first vie ferrate.

Trenches, dugouts and other relics of the First World War can be found alongside many vie ferrate. There is an extensive open air museum on 5 Torri, and around Lagazuoi, where very heavy fighting took place.

This wartime network of vie ferrate has been restored, with many new routes added. Steel cables have replaced ropes. Iron ladders and metal rungs (stemples) anchored into the rock have taken the place of the flimsy wooden structures used by the troops. These aids are now maintained by the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) or Italian Alpine Club. An extensive network of mountain rifugios exists in the Dolomites, many of which provide accommodation. By using ordinary hiking paths and via ferrata coupled with overnight stays in the rifugios, large sections of the Dolomites can be traversed at high altitudes. There are also many hotels in the valleys supporting winter and summer tourism. The larger ski lifts are open during summer to provide fast access to these high level routes.

[edit] Routes

[edit] Italy

There are more than 400 vie ferrate in Italy, most of them located in the Dolomites.[1]

[edit] Dolomites

The start of VF Ivano Dibona The Dolomites are divided into two main regions. The greater part of the Dolomites, and most of the via ferrata, lie to the east, between the A22/E45 and A23/E55 roads. There are the mountain groups like Marmolada, Tofane, Sella, Cristallo, Sorapis, Pale di San Martino, Civetta and the main town is Cortina D'Ampezzo. The via ferrate in this region differ greatly in both difficulty and length. There are short and easy ones like Via ferrata Averau, Short and difficult like Via ferrata del Canalone and long whole-day experiences like Via ferrata Gianni Costantini.

To the west are the smaller Brenta Dolomites. They have many vie ferrate, particularly around the town of Madonna di Campiglio. The Sentiero Bocchette Alte and the Via delle Bocchette Centrali can both be reached by lifts from Madonna di Campiglio. Via ferratas names with "Sentiero" (Eng. path) suggest easier routes with not much denivelation.

Probably the most unusual via ferrata in the eastern part of the Dolomites is via ferrata Lagazuoi Tunnels. Fighting for control of Mount Lagazuoi in World War I, Austrian and Italian troops built a series of tunnels through the mountains. The aim of each side was to tunnel close to the enemy and detonate explosives to destroy their fortifications. Some of the tunnels have been restored, with a via ferrata following the route of one of these. It is now possible to descend into the mountain by following the VF Lagazuoi Tunnels route.

Very interesting and historically based via ferrata in the Dolomites is the VF Ivano Dibona, involving a traverse of the main Monte Cristallo ridge. The complete route takes about eight hours. The route starts at the base of the Rio Gere lift system with a ride on two lifts to reach Rifugio Lorenzi at 2950 meters. The traverse starts at this point (with characteristic bridge), trends mostly downhill, and passes several World War I fortifications.

The VF Bolver-Lugli (constructed in 1970 by mountain guides from San Martino di Castrozza) takes climbers of the Cimon della Pala as far as a bivouac at 3,005 meters. Once there, only the "Variation for the Summit" remains, to attain the summit itself at a height of 3,184 metres (10,446 ft).

There are a few different scales of difficulty, mostly having five grades. Used in Klettersteig-Atlas Italien and Klettersteig-Atlas Dolomiten & Südtirol Kurt Schall scale from A to E. Used by J. Smith and G. Fletcher in “Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites” grades 1 to 5. Used in www.klettersteig.de 1 to 6.5, but via ferrate in Dolomites are graded 1.5 to 5.5, making this scale similar to Schall's but shifted by 0.5. Grade one usually involves nothing more than an assisted walk, and grade five demands serious climbing skills and condition.

[edit] Other via ferratas in Italy

Via ferrata Burrone Giovannelli also known as Burrone di mezzacorona, a Mezzocorona, Trento
Via ferrata Ernesto Che Guevara, on Monte Casale, Trento
Via Ferrata del Monte Emilius, on monte Emilius in Valle D'Aosta
Via ferrata Deanna Orlandini, in Genova
Via Ferrata del Cabirol (IT), on Capo Caccia, Alghero, Sardegna

[edit] France

Routes in France are graded for difficulty using a six level system whose names are derived from those used for alpine climbing:

F - Facile : Easy, suitable for initiation into the sport.
PD - Peu Difficile : Slightly difficult, suitable for beginners and possibly children.
AD - Assez Difficile : Moderately difficult, suitable for accompanied beginners.
D - Difficile : Difficult, for those accustomed to the sport.
TD - Très Difficile : Very difficult, physically demanding, for regular participants.
ED - Extrêmement Difficile : Extremely difficult, very physically demanding, and suitable for experienced practitioners with a high level of fitness.

This grading system, while very well established, is considered by some to not provide sufficiently detailed information to precisely know how hard a route is. A different system, which remains under discussion, grades via ferrata difficulty according to four categories: how athletic they are, degree of exposure, how well equipped the route is, and where the route falls on a scale ranging from a walk all the way to climbing with steep ascents and overhangs. However, one may wish to consider that either system does not take into account the effect of weather conditions on these routes. A route with wet or even icy sections becomes very different from the grade assigned to it when dry, for example.

The French vias, of which there were some 120 in existence at the end of 2005, are well distributed across the six grades, with around five each of F and ED, the bulk falling within the four middle classifications.

While most of the vias in France exist for tourism purposes some facilitate visits to historic sites. Les Mines du Grand Clôt near the village of La Grave in the Hautes Alpes department takes the climber up a sheer cliff where a lead mine operated with little success between 1807 and 1925. This route is illustrated with sign boards in English and French telling the story of the struggle to extract small amounts of ore in very difficult conditions. Another via near Lumbin in the department of Isère, the Vire des Lavandières, passes an old section of route called the Échelle des Maquisards built in 1943 and used by resistance fighters during the Second World War.

Responsibility for maintaining via ferrate in France lies with the commune in which the via is situated. Maintenance can be costly depending on location, with vias at higher altitudes being subject to damage by snow and ice through the winter months. Some communes have decided to fund this maintenance by charging an admission fee, but this applies to very few vias and most remain free of charge.

[edit] Germany

There are about 180 via ferratas in Germany, the easiest of which can be approached without special equipment. Many are in the southern regions of Germany near the Austrian border. There are also many via ferratas in other areas - most notably in Saxon Switzerland. As opposed to via ferratas in the Dolomites, many routes were built in modern times and they have sport character, can be short and much more difficult than classics in the Dolomites.[2]

[edit] Spain

601 Via Ferrata Regina, Alt Urgell
602 Via Ferrata d'Allinyà, Alt Urgel
603 Via Ferrata de St-Marti Sarroca, Alt Penedès
604 Via Ferrata del Castellot, Alt Penedès
605 Via Ferrata Olmo-Urquiza, Montsec
606 Via Ferrata de la Pertusa, Montsec
607 Via Ferrata Teresina Montserrat
608 Via Ferrata Feixa del Colom, Conca de Barberà
609 Via Ferrata de l'Aigualcoll, Baix Camp
610 Via Ferrata del Santo Christo Somontano de Barbasto
611 Via Ferrata del Puente, Somontano de Barbasto
612 Via Ferrata de Sacs Ribagorza

[edit] Canada

There are via ferratas in Canada. In 2002, the mountain guide François Guy Thivierge installed the first via ferrata in Canada at the Canyon St Anne close to Québec City. The operator, www.aventurex.net, proposed 2 via ferrata, one zip line, three adventure bridges and a rappel station. In 2003, he developed 2 via ferrata in Les Palissades de Charelvoix, 10 km north on 170 road from St Siméon. The operator proposed 2 via ferrata, one bridge and 2 zip lines. The park is also a good place for lodging. In the Mont-Tremblant National Park in the province of Quebec, in Rawdon at the Arbraska park, at Cap Jaseux Saguenay, and in the Charlevoix region. There is also Aventures Lafleche near Gatineau, Quebec. The largest via ferrata in Canada can be found on Mt. Nimbus in the Columbia Mountains. Operated by Canadian Mountain Holidays, this via ferrata is accessible only by helicopter from the Bobbie Burns Lodge, 35 km south of Golden B.C.[3] Western Canada's first public via ferrata is located halfway between Nordegg and the Icefield Parkway in the Rocky Mountains; the trailhead can be picked up at the parking lot on the east side of the Cline River. The climb is about 180 m (600 ft) long and takes around 2 hours to return to the parking lot. Whistler's only via ferrata is operated by Whistler Alpine Guides. This private climb passes the toe of the Whistler Glacier to access the buttress of Whistler Peak.

[edit] China

There is a high level hiking trail on Mount Hua in China. Though nothing like the via ferrate now being constructed for sporting purposes it does however provide similar sensations of exposure. Another path is under construction in Hunan province.[4]

[edit] Japan

On Mt. Hoken in the Japanese Central Alps are mid-level via ferrata. At an elevation over 2900 meters they pass over sheer drops of 300 meters. Several people have lost their lives on this route and the via ferrata can unexpectedly ice over.

[edit] Malaysia

The via ferrata in Malaysia is located on Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. At 3,776 meters, it has been verified by Guinness World Records as the highest via ferrata in the world.[5] The route difficulty grading is French AD or Italian 3C.

[edit] Mexico

There is a recent via ferrata in Mexico located in the Huasteca Canyon 30 minutes from the city of Monterrey, the largest in Latin America. Its difficulty level is intermediate.

[edit] Norway

Several via ferrata are found in Norway, usually named by their Norwegian word 'klatresti' which roughly translates as 'climbingtrail'. There is a via ferrata Tysso in Tyssedal, starting at the Norwegian Museum of Hydro Power and Industry and climbing along the very steep hydropower pipeline. There is also one in Hemsedal[6]. Since 2012 a new via ferrata opened in Loen, close to Stryn[7]. Trondheim boasts a via ferrata opposite the Trondheimsfjord on the Munken mountain, with spectacular views of the city[8].

[edit] Peru

Located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas (2,650 meters), between Cuzco and the spectacular Ollantaytambo fortress. The via ferrata reaches a vertical height of 300 meters, including a hanging bridge at 250 meters, and has a total length of 700 meters. Private route. Intermediate level. Exit via 100 meters rappel.

[edit] Poland

There is an assisted high level hiking trail - Orla Perć. It is equipped with chains, ladders and other assisting features, but usually it is not traversed with harness and lanyard. Though it is not like the via ferrate it does however provide similar sensations of exposure.

[edit] Sweden

There are at least seven via ferrata routes in Sweden. One on the eastern route to the peak of Kebnekaise, one in Funäsdalen, one in Kittelfjäll and four on Skuleberget in the High Coast area.[9]

[edit] United Kingdom

Located in the Lake District, Honister's via ferrata was originally used for transporting slate from one end of the valley to the other. There are two routes to choose from Via Ferrata Classic and Via Ferrata Xtreme. Honister Via Ferrata.

Located in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, How Stean Gorge's via ferrata was constructed in 2009 for recreational purposes and incorporates fixed beams and ladders over the river as well as rockface sections.

Located to the west of the village of Elie, in the county of Fife, Scotland. The Elie Chainwalk is Scotland's best-known Via Ferrata. It comprises eight chains along a route which follows steep sea cliffs. Reputed to have first been installed to help fishermen reach their nets, it is now maintained by the local council and was recently refurbished. Suitable for those aged about 10 and above (with supervision!), it is not recommended at high tide due to the possibility of being stranded.

[edit] United States

Via ferrata routes in the United States include Mount Ogden Via Ferrata in Waterfall Canyon east of Ogden, Utah, Nelson Rocks in West Virginia, Picacho Peak in Arizona's Picacho Peak State Park, Torrent Falls in Kentucky, Doe River Gorge in Tennessee, Telluride, Colorado, and Amangiri Resort in Southern Utah (4 routes). Liability exposure in the USA is significantly different than other countries, which may explain the low incidence of via ferrata construction. Also, via ferratas in the US are currently not approved for installation on public lands.

[edit] Oman

There are 3 routes in Oman; Jabal Shams, wadi bni auwf(snake gorge) and khayran (Western Isle). Fantastic route in the snake gorge and Banda Al Khran islands really worth a visit.

[edit] Equipment

In addition to the normal hiking equipment for alpine areas (such as the boots, clothing, weather protection), it is essential to use special via ferrata equipment: lanyard, energy absorber, harness and helmet.

[edit] Lanyard

A Y-shaped lanyard with threaded rope shock absorber

A Y-shaped lanyard with progressive-tear shock absorber

Close-up of a progressive-tear shock absorber There are two types of lanyard: Y and V-shaped. Currently only Y-shaped is approved by UIAA, as it is simpler and safer in use and harder to use it inappropriately. Using the Y lanyard both arms should be attached to the steel line, in contrast to a V-shaped lanyard where it is imperative that only one arm is attached at any point in time. New types of commercially available lanyards have retractable arms to keep them out of the way.[10]

[edit] Carabiners

Carabiners are also made specially for via ferratas, their design typically allowing a larger-than-normal opening and having a spring locking mechanism that can be opened with one hand. They are also strong enough to withstand high fall factors. Such carabiners are marked with a K in a circle, the K standing for Klettersteig, the German term for via ferrata.

These are the only types of carabiner that should be used on the end of the safety lines. Certain limitations of via ferrata carabiners should be kept in mind. Many such carabiners are not true "locking carabiners", as employed in roped climbing and caving systems, and should not be used as such. A typical design uses a spring-loaded sleeve on the carabiner gate. While the gate is closed, the sleeve is held in place over the gate opening by its spring; to unlock and open the gate, the sleeve slides directly down the gate shaft away from the opening. The ease of opening these devices makes them suitable for via ferrata climbing, with its constant clipping and unclipping, but not for applications where more secure locking mechanisms (automatic or manual) are called for. In addition, locking sleeves on via ferrata carabiners have been known to hang up in the gate opening and prevent the gate from closing properly. Care must be taken to maintain (clean and lubricate) and/or replace the carabiners as needed to avoid this potentially unsafe situation.

[edit] Shock absorber

There are two types of shock absorber in common use.

The first is a metal braking device with a rope passing through it and attached to the harness. The rope provides a high degree of resistance when pulled, thus gradually absorbing the energy of the fall. There are several variants of these absorbers. The advantage of such absorber is that it can be used again after a fall providing some protection while finishing the climb. Note that after any significant fall the lanyard should be replaced. A length of the rope which passes through the plate hangs loosely from the plate while in use, so as to be available to be drawn through the plate if high fall forces occur. This "tail" tends to get in the climbers way; commercially-made lanyards employ various methods to attach the tail to the harness and/or hold it in a compact bundle, which can easily be pulled apart during deployment. If, however, the climber ties a knot in the tail, wraps it tightly around the torso and clips it in place with a carabiner, or makes any other adjustment which will impede its ability to pull through the plate under load, excessive forces will not be dissipated and an unsafe situation is created.

The second type of absorber is a tearing energy absorber. It consists of a length of webbing specially sewn together to allow progressive tearing in case of a fall. The advantage of this type of absorber is that it is much more compact and since it does not have additional rope that can get in a way of climber it is also considered safer in case of the fall. The disadvantage is that it can be used only once, possibly leaving you unprotected in case of a fall in the middle of the climb. As with the rope braking device, this type should also be replaced if it has deployed.

In the case of hired equipment the progressive-tear shock absorber can be easily verified by both the customer before the hire and the supplier after the hire to ensure that the shock absorber is not reused after a fall.

Using an energy absorber is essential due to high fall factors.

[edit] Harness

A normal climbing harness can be used. Children and people with heavy backpacks are advised to use a full body harness or a normal harness combined with a chest strap.

[edit] Helmet

The helmet should be a UIAA approved climbing helmet, since the danger of falling rocks or hitting your head in the fall, is always high. Helmet is very useful on longer vertical routes especially in the Dolomites where the rocks can be quite loose. Other types of helmets can be dangerous as they are usually not designed to stay in place during the fall.

[edit] Other equipment

It is a good idea to use gloves, as the steel cables may have some loose steel threads, and gloves help to protect your hands from abrasion caused by continuous contact with the steel rope and rocks.

Sunglasses, sunscreen, additional food and water can be very helpful depending on the weather and length of the route.

In Dolomites some via ferratas require headlamps because they travel through long underground tunnels.

Trekking poles may not be very useful during the climb but they may be helpful while navigating to and from a via ferrata.

Some routes go through glaciers or snow fields and require crampons and ice axe.

On very difficult via ferratas some climbers use climbing shoes and sometimes a rope and belay device.

[edit] Differences to climbing equipment

While via ferrata is similar to rock climbing the major difference is that the fall factor, which in climbing does not normally exceed two, can in via ferrata be much higher. These high factors are possible because the length of rope between harness and carabiner is short and fixed, while the distance the climber can fall depends on the gaps between anchor points for the safety cable. The human body, as well as most items of climbing equipment, cannot withstand the forces associated with some of these higher fall factors and so a number of devices have been developed to act as shock absorbers or progressive brakes. Their function is to dissipate the energy of the fall while at the same time keeping the climber and equipment intact.

However, in spite of the perception of via ferrata as being more secure and safe than rock climbing, people are more likely to injure themselves if they do fall, partly because of these elevated fall factors and partly because there are often rungs, steps, pigtails, etc. on which to land.

[edit] See also

Dolomites
Alta Via 1 - 150 km long trail in the eastern Dolomites
Caminito del Rey
Self belay

[edit] References

1.^ "Klettersteige in Italy". 5 December 2011.

2.^ "Klettersteige in Germany". 25 November 2011.
3.^ Flinn, John (17 January 2010). "A via ferrata makes scaling a vertical face like climbing a jungle gym". Los Angeles Times.
4.^ "Construction cliff work 'not for the faint-hearted'" (video). BBC News Online. 3 May 2011.
5.^ According to the following article: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/articles/27torq/Article/index_html
6.^ Via ferrata in Hemsedal to vesle Røggjin
7.^ (German) Via ferrata - Loen
8.^ (Norwegian) Via Ferrata-ruten på Munken
9.^ Via Ferrata Skuleberget
10.^ "Petzl catalogue". 5 December 2011.

Via ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Volume 1 [North, central and east] by John Smith and Graham Fletcher. Published in 2002 by Cicerone, UK. ISBN 1-85284-362-4.

Via ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Volume 2 [Southern Dolomites, Brenta and Lake Garda] by John Smith and Graham Fletcher. Published in 2003 by Cicerone, UK. ISBN 1-85284-380-2.
Tabacco Maps by Casa Editrice Tobacco.
Kompass Maps by Kompass Wanderkarten.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Via ferrata

Dolomiti.org - offers information on the Dolomites and maps and guides to several via ferrate

Personal website about via ferrate in the Dolomites, including geo-tagged pictures and detailed trackmaps
via ferrata in Italy photogallery
communitywalk.com - Map of walks and via ferrate in the Dolomites on Google Maps
(German) Via-ferrata.de - over 300 via ferrate in the Alps with detailed description and pictures
(French) Viaferratafr.free.fr - French site with detailed descriptions and photographs of some 120 via ferrate in France
(French) LaViaFerrata.net - All via ferrate in France
(Spanish) Via Ferrata in Spain - Spanish site with description of via ferrate in Catalonia, Aragon, Andorra and France
(Italian) VieFerrate.it - Italian site about via ferrate in Italy, with users' reports, pictures and evaluations
360degreeslongitude.com - via ferrata from Mürren to Gimmelwald, Switzerland as kmz file
Discover Via Ferrata. Caren Osten Gerszberg. Experience Life magazine. September 2010. [1]

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