Via ferrata is a new fashionable hobby for extreme sports enthusiasts. If you have long wanted to feel like conquerors of mountain slopes, but at the same time are not ready to take risks, like climbers, then your choice is via ferrata. Unique routes of varying degrees of difficulty will appeal to real adventurers.
What is via ferrata
Imagine a sheer rock with staples, ladders, rings driven into it. All these devices are needed for human movement. Somehow, the passage along the via ferrata, which can be translated from Italian as "Railroad", is reminiscent of rock climbing.
The daredevil, reliably belayed with rope cables, goes through specially designed routes. Some of them are up to only well-trained, athletic people, others are available even to children.
The prototypes of modern via ferrata appeared during the First World War. They were built for the urgent movement of soldiers through the sometimes inaccessible mountains. The first via ferrata appeared in the Alps. Until now, it is in these areas that the most interesting "iron" routes are located.
What a tourist will need on the via ferrata
Via ferrata is an obstacle course that must be crossed by a well-equipped one. When passing via ferrata you will need:
- safety belt with carabiners;
- a helmet that will protect against pebbles falling from above;
- gloves, as you will have to hold on to steel supports, which can injure your hands;
- Sunglasses;
- comfortable suit;
- suitable footwear, tightly wrapped around the leg.
How to behave on the via ferrate
Even a light via ferrata does not resemble an ordinary walk. On the route, there will definitely be places where you have to pull yourself up, take wide steps, trying to reach the next support, tiptoe, etc.
The basic rule when passing the via ferrata is to be sure to be fastened to the safety cable that goes along the entire route with the help of two carabiners. They can be rearranged on their own if a cable mount is encountered on the road.
Route marking
Before you set off to conquer the via ferrata on inaccessible rocks, it would be good to understand what level of difficulty the route awaits you. All routes have their own markings. For it, numbers from 1 to 5 and the first letters of the Latin alphabet are used.
The numbers indicate the difficulty of the route. Via ferrata marked with 1 is considered to be quite easy, the route marked with 5 will be stressful and demanding.
The letters symbolize the level of a person's workload. The letter A does not imply special skills and training, the letter C suggests paying attention to the serious physical activity awaiting the tourist.
Via ferrata can be laid both on low cliffs (routes for beginners) and in dangerous gorges (routes for professionals).
Via ferrata Gemmi in Switzerland
The difficult Swiss via ferrata is named after the pass it sits on. It should be looked for about 200 km from Geneva. The Gemmi cable car and its highest point will serve as a reference point. Via ferrata is carved into the rock just below it.
Tourists begin their journey along the "railroad" from the hotel "Wildstrubel". Via ferrata, 1300 m long, can be covered in about 2.5 hours. During this time, brave travelers will climb 100 m and descend 40 m, pass the suspension bridge and fight with a rope spiral staircase.
This track is difficult but very interesting.
Via ferrata Skypark in Russia
A simple via ferrata was developed at Skypark in Krasnaya Polyana on the Black Sea coast of Russia. It consists of two sections, the first of which is relatively simple and slopes slightly. Its length is 200 m.
The second section is a little more difficult - tourists will have to climb 700 m along the cliff.
The passage of the first segment takes about an hour, the second will take up to 3 hours. On the way, you will meet a lot of interesting things: a suspension bridge, a picturesque forest. The route ends at a rocky cave, which can be visited.
Via ferrata Feliz Navidad in Spain
The route, which is recognized as the most difficult on the planet, is located near the Catalan town of Ager, more than 200 km from Barcelona. Its name translates as "Merry Christmas!" and surprises absolutely everyone, because the difficulty level of this track is simply off scale.
It will take a whole day to explore the local via ferrata. Some sections of the route will be obeyed only by physically powerful people who can pull their body up to the next support. Tourists face great difficulties at the very beginning of this via ferrata. If you hurry, you can quickly get tired and not reach the end.
Another scary section of the road is a place where there is no safety cable. It is suggested to fasten your insurance to rods with rings.
