Living the “Via Ferrata Spirit”
Climbing mountains requires fitness, experience, situational awareness, adequate equipment, and lot more…and even then it is not a given that you will manage to climb the hardest big wall routes. You need time, money and a reliable climbing partner. And when all this is in place, the risk of a fall with injuries or worse is still looming in the background.
During world war 1, when the frontline was crossing the Alpes, the military leaders faced the challenge to move a lot of soldiers up into the mountains and most of them had no idea of how to move in alpine terrain. The solution were iron bars, wires and stairs installed on vertical walls and exposed ledges, leading to tunnels and shelters high up on the mountain ridges. The Italians gave the the new invention the obvious name “Via Ferrata” (Iron Path).
Today there are many Via Ferrata-installations all over the world. Every alpine village with self-respect has to build a Via Ferrata in order to attract visitors. While the early protected routes were mainly established with a safe passage in mind, the newer locations are competing with attractions such as Tibetan bridges, ziplines, twisted ladders and more. The WW1-solders have been replaced with masses of adventure seekers, nature lovers and the occasional Instagram-poser.
Via Ferrata opens the world of adventure to a much broader audience. Places like Tjøme allow an easy, stress-free entry into the vertical mindset. Experienced and skilled guides will make sure you progress at the speed which is right for you so you can enjoy the experience.
