Via Ferrata

Via ferrata — "iron way" — routes are the Dolomites' most distinctive outdoor activity: fixed iron rungs, stemples, ladders, and cables bolted into otherwise vertical rock faces, allowing relatively non-technical climbers to reach high terrain that would normally require roped alpine climbing. A via ferrata harness and a short lanyard are all the equipment you need; a good head for heights helps considerably.

The routes range from gentle walks with a few easy iron-rung sections to serious multi-hour climbs on near-vertical walls above 2,000 metres. Beginners might start with the Ferrata Averau above Cortina, or the routes around the Cinque Torri; experienced via ferratists tackle the Ferrata Lipella on the Tofana di Rozes, or the historic Ferrata della Marmolada. The season runs from late June to late September; outside this window the routes may be iced over. Many guided half-day trips are available from the main valley towns if you'd rather have expert company for your first attempt.

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A story
The via ferrata as a climbing style was essentially invented in the Dolomites during WWI, when Italian and Austrian military engineers installed iron rungs, ladders, and wire ropes into the mountain faces to allow troops to move up and across terrain that would otherwise have required specialised climbing skill. The routes built for tactical movement in 1915–18 became, after the war, the basis of an entirely new recreational activity. There are now over 250 documented via ferrata routes in the Dolomites alone.

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