Via Ferrata - Protected Climbing Paths in the Dolomites - Intro and Overview -

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Overview & Introduction

What is a Via Ferrata?

A Via Ferrata (in english : "Iron Way"), is a fixed-protection climbing path, mostly found in the Dolomites mountain range in northeastern Italy. Over the past five years, I've made several trips to the area, and I've condensed the information from those trips into this Via Ferrata page.

As mentioned above, a Via Ferrata is a fixed-protection climbing path. The protection consists mostly of heavy-gauge steel wire, periodically fixed to rock with thick metal bars with eyelets on the end. These bars seem very similar to the 'rebar' steel that is used to reinforce concrete in buildings. These metal bars are drilled and cemented into the rock.

In some cases, other types of aids are present, such as rungs of metal (aka 'stempels'), and ladders and bridges.

Some vie ferrate are easy enough that they may be climbed without any technical gear at all. However, many of the ferrate go through areas with huge amounts of vertical exposure and some are fairly difficult technically. Therefore, depending on the level of exposure and technical difficulty (and your own level of comfort with unprotected climbing), you will want to be physically attached to the ferrata for safety.

On a via ferrata

For adequate safety, then, a few bits of basic gear are usually needed when climbing on a via ferrata: a harness, a helmet, gloves, and some sort of dynamic attachment from the harness to the ferrata itself. Typically this is some sort of y-shaped lanyard with a dynamic belay device. See the following link on the manufacturer Petzl's web page regarding via ferrata laynard: [Petzl via ferrata equipment page]. On the end of each tip of the y-shaped lanyard, an auto-locking carabiner is used.

Ferrata closeup

When climbing on the ferrata, both carabiners are locked onto and slid along the wire rope of the ferrata. As rock-attachment points are reached, the carabiners are individually unclipped and reclipped beyond the attachment point, thereby ensuring that one is clipped into the ferrata at all times. Additionally, In areas where the wire rope runs vertically, it is also important to space yourself out from your fellow climbers such that no one climber is on the same segment of wire between two rock-attachment points.

As long as these few simple safety rules are followed, climbing on a via ferrata is about as simple and secure as protected climbing gets! They are a great way to experience the fantastic scenery of the dolomites from a perspective that few usually see.

All of the routes described on this web page are accessible from a variety of points. You can click here to go directly to a full listing of all of the ferrate I've done. Or, you can use the vertical sidebar on the left, which also contains links to all of the ferrate I've done, along with links to an interactive satellite locator map, links to related web sites, both internal to myself and external, references to the guidebooks I've used, and galleries of some of my better ferrata images.

Happy exploring!

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Return to alavigne.net home Via Ferrata Table of Contents VF Home Page Overview & Intro Full Route List Locator Map Difficulty Ratings Selected Images Ferrate Index (by name) Alfredo Benini Alleghesi Angelo Pojesi Astaldi Bocchette Alte Bocchette Centrale Bolver Luigi Brigata Tridentina Centenario Camillo Depaoli Carlo Campalani Cesco Tomaselli Tomaselli Descent Route Campanili di Latemar Canalone Che Guevara Col dei Bos / Alpini Curato Militare Hosp De Luca / Innerkofler Dino Buzzati Ettore Bovero Fausto Susatti Finanzieri Franco Gadotti Gaetano Falcipieri Gianni Aglio Giovanni Barbara Gran Tschierspitze Ivano Dibona Lagazuoi Galleries Marino Bianchi Masare Michielli Strobel Nord Oliva Detassis Paolin-Piccolin Piz da Lech Punta Anna Rio Sallagoni Rotwand SOSAT Scalette Taccole Trincee Tschierspitze V Ferrate Index (by location) Brenta Group Bocchette Centrale SOSAT Oliva Detassis Bocchette Alte Alfredo Benini Val di Fassa Area Rotwand Masare Franco Gadotti Campanili di Latemar Civetta Group Alleghesi Cortina Area Ettore Bovero Michielli Strobel Giovanni Barbara Punta Anna Gianni Aglio Astaldi Marino Bianchi Ivano Dibona Lagazuoi Tunnels Fanes Group Cesco Tomaselli Tomaselli Descent Route Col dei Bos / Alpini Odles Group Gran Tschierspitze Tschierspitze V Marmolada Region Cima Auta Finanzieri Trincee Pale di S. Martino Group Canalone Bolver Luigi Camillo Depaoli Dino Buzzati Piccoli Dolomiti Gaetano Falcipieri Che Guevara Rio Sallagoni Centenario Fausto Susatti Taccole Sella Group Brigata Tridentina (Pisciadu) Piz da Lech Sesto Group De Luca/Innerkofler Scalette Curato Militare Hosp Nord Lessini/Vicentine Alps Carlo Campalani Angelo Pojesi Related Presentations Italy 2001 Europe 2002 Italy 2005 Dolomites 2007 Europe 2009 Europe 2010 Reference Material Guidebooks Maps GPS Tracks Other sites Feedback & Message Board Send Feedback	Overview & Introduction What is a Via Ferrata? A Via Ferrata (in english : "Iron Way"), is a fixed-protection climbing path, mostly found in the Dolomites mountain range in northeastern Italy. Over the past five years, I've made several trips to the area, and I've condensed the information from those trips into this Via Ferrata page. As mentioned above, a Via Ferrata is a fixed-protection climbing path. The protection consists mostly of heavy-gauge steel wire, periodically fixed to rock with thick metal bars with eyelets on the end. These bars seem very similar to the 'rebar' steel that is used to reinforce concrete in buildings. These metal bars are drilled and cemented into the rock. In some cases, other types of aids are present, such as rungs of metal (aka 'stempels'), and ladders and bridges. Some vie ferrate are easy enough that they may be climbed without any technical gear at all. However, many of the ferrate go through areas with huge amounts of vertical exposure and some are fairly difficult technically. Therefore, depending on the level of exposure and technical difficulty (and your own level of comfort with unprotected climbing), you will want to be physically attached to the ferrata for safety. On a via ferrata For adequate safety, then, a few bits of basic gear are usually needed when climbing on a via ferrata: a harness, a helmet, gloves, and some sort of dynamic attachment from the harness to the ferrata itself. Typically this is some sort of y-shaped lanyard with a dynamic belay device. See the following link on the manufacturer Petzl's web page regarding via ferrata laynard: [Petzl via ferrata equipment page]. On the end of each tip of the y-shaped lanyard, an auto-locking carabiner is used. Ferrata closeup When climbing on the ferrata, both carabiners are locked onto and slid along the wire rope of the ferrata. As rock-attachment points are reached, the carabiners are individually unclipped and reclipped beyond the attachment point, thereby ensuring that one is clipped into the ferrata at all times. Additionally, In areas where the wire rope runs vertically, it is also important to space yourself out from your fellow climbers such that no one climber is on the same segment of wire between two rock-attachment points. As long as these few simple safety rules are followed, climbing on a via ferrata is about as simple and secure as protected climbing gets! They are a great way to experience the fantastic scenery of the dolomites from a perspective that few usually see. All of the routes described on this web page are accessible from a variety of points. You can click here to go directly to a full listing of all of the ferrate I've done. Or, you can use the vertical sidebar on the left, which also contains links to all of the ferrate I've done, along with links to an interactive satellite locator map, links to related web sites, both internal to myself and external, references to the guidebooks I've used, and galleries of some of my better ferrata images. Happy exploring! [ via ferrata home page \| overview & intro \| full route list \| satellite locator map \| rating systems \| best images ] Send feedback or leave comments (note: comments in message board below are separate from those in above message board) send feedback \| homemade custom message board (897 messages) (last message posted on Mon. Feb. 11, 04:44 EST 2019 by Anastasia)
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