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We're off to the Alps in a couple of weeks, and there's a VF quite nearby we fancy doing.
We've both done the Honister Mines one, both have climbed a bit and I do a certain amount of industrial access for work, so we're not unfamiliar with the concept, we both have harnesses, I have a lid, buying a second one and VF lanyards is easy. We're both pretty decent with heights.
However, me being me, I'm (over)thinking about the what-ifs, rescue plans, suspension trauma etc. I can mackle up a bunch of krabs, pulleys, grigris and some line from my work kit - enough to pick someone off if they fall. But then its no good me carrying it, if I'm the one who pings off. So that's 2 kits. Then we're adding a lot of weight and complication, so thus increasing fatigue and the risk of something happening, compared to traveling light and accepting "thou shalt not **** up" as the Method Statement. I'm very well aware that taking a fall on VF kit may not kill you, but may well seriously rearrange your internal organs, so TSNFU is the best rule to work by anyway.
So what do people generally do? This is an easy to access "sporting" route, rather than a dodgy old bit of WW1 wire & staples banged on some back of beyond bit of the Dolomites.
Thanks
Do some easy ones and as said, don't fall off. If you've done some climbing and are in reasonable fitness you should be fine. If you think your partner is going to struggle then take the kit to make short pitches.
Think of it as assisted scrambling rather than easy climbing
I've done loads in Italy, Austria, Germany and Slovenia (it's my favourite sport).
It really depends on the route that you're about to do, the weather and your climbing ability plus how you deal with exposure. Some routes are nothing more than a handrail with hardly any consequences if you fall, whereas others can have a 900m sheer drop.
Which VF route is it that you're thinking of?
The new sport routes in Austria, France and Germany can be at a crazy grade, think more like protected overhanging climbs rather than a graded scramble. There's a huge variation in difficulty and route condition.
When are you going? peak summer afternoon thunderstorms in the Alps are another factor to consider. You don't want to be a metal rope in an electrical storm.
This is a good resource
https://www.bergsteigen.com/touren/klettersteig/filter/?no_cache=1
So what do people generally do?
For the most part they don't fall off and don't worry about things like suspension trauma. A fall is unlikely on a VF and a fall that leaves an incapacitated casualty suspended is highly unlikely so people don't tend to bother with specific rescue kit. If you're still worried and have deep pockets check out things like the Petzl Rad system.
To echo other's thoughts, don't fall off.
Given your climbing experience, I assume you're comfortable with heights and exposure, and will work through challenges methodically. If this is the case, you'll be absolutely fine. I use a standard VF kit with an emergency sling/carabiner clipped to my harness in case I need an unscheduled rest.
Which VF route is it that you’re thinking of?
Peisey-Vallandry (for starters, anyway)
So yep, generally feels like TSNFU is the way forward. Works for me 🙂
(I've been known to write RA/MS for some of my dodgier rigging jobs that include the phrase "in case of emergency, a mop and bucket will be kept on standby")
What @gemr says.
+1 on lanyards, a short 'rest sling' and krab, and I take another long sling and krab for rescue/create a step/leash etc.
We've done a few, initially with a guide, and the last 7 or so on our own as a family. I would say that Google is your friend. They are graded, and whilst not an exact science, it gives you some clue as to the likely difficulty (and remoteness).
e.g. The last one we did (was it really only a week ago today ;-( was https://www.viaferrata-fr.net/via-ferrata-71-La-via-ferrata-du-Mont-Sixt-Fer-%E0-Cheval-Haute-Savoie.html its graded AD/D, and the agreement amongst ourselves, and with another person who happened to be there, was that it was probably under-graded. Mostly fine, but with couple of tricky overhangs.
I carry a rope and belay kit, because my fear was that one of the kids would get cragfast, but TBH, its never been used, and I'm probably (now) the most likely person to fall. Probably time to either not bother (most people don't) or hand over the torch.
Which one are you aiming to do?
LR
Gloves. Its a wire rope and snagged skin is nasty.
French VF can be quite tricky and slightly "undergraded" as someone up there put it. There was a Cordee French VF guide book in the past. It could be in that.
It looks good fun. The consequences of a fall are always there but you limit that by having proper a VF kit .
We carry 4/5 4ft slings, some HMS krabs and a few bits with us just in case. They're pretty handy if you just want to rest for a bit on a very steep or exposed bit. If you don't have gloves for ropework use old cycling mitts
One thing to bear in mind is that routes which are easily accessed get popular, so they tend to be pretty polished (Col Rodella in Dolomites is a great example) hence making them harder.
<<One thing to bear in mind is that routes which are easily accessed get popular, so they tend to be pretty polished (Col Rodella in Dolomites is a great example) hence making them harder.>>
Also, just busy. If you've got your own kit then start early is my advice. We were on the VF last week at about 8:30 (there was a bit of a walk in) and I was sweating buckets. An hour later and:
a) It would have been unpleasantly hot.
b) It would have been a lot busier (we returned to a full car-park).
Nothing worse than either being stuck behind a slow person, or having people behind.
Via Ferrara kit is a last resort to save your life. I’d assume a fall would need outside help
Don’t let that put you off. It’s great fun and it’s great to know you won’t die
I’d assume a fall would need outside help
That's not the case.
It depends on the type of fall, the loading on the kit during the fall and the energy dissipation method in the VF kit etc. etc. A fall of 2-3m will be very unpleasant but you do your very best to avoid it.
There is another thing to consider too which is style of "climbing". Many Brits come from trad or sport climbing and use the metal wire as something to clip onto and rarely touch it, a more purist style if you will... whereas many continentals just grab the wire and bulldoze their way up the route using every bit of metalwork at every opportunity (an oversimplification but you do see it a lot)
That’s not the case.
I’m happy to learn about this. I saw an online discussion about whether you should carry a spare via Ferrata kit in case you fell and extended the first one. The general consensus was that it wasn’t necessary as your probably need help if you’d deployed your energy adsorbing pack.
A really steep via Ferrata might be ok but the one I was on I wouldn’t fancy falling 4 metres
That doesn’t mean I wasn’t relaxed on via Ferrata. Just just that I climbing well within myself
That’s not the case.
Disagree.
As many people have said above, the don't fall off rule is a huge percentage of the safety margin on via Ferrara.
If you fall off on the wrong place on a VF you could easily generate fall factors that are absolutely unheard of in normal roped climbing. The chances of your spine, hips etc surviving that are not great.
Obviously there are also places where a fall would be inconsequential.
Some friends and I spent a week on old WW1 wire and staples in the Dolomites years ago, all decent trad climbers (ie “purist” as someone up there put it). We didn’t take extra VF kit with us, just a small day pack with food and bad weather gear (it was August and we got caught in a blizzard up top!). Don’t know what the newer stuff is like but if you fell on some of the routes we did you could get pretty knocked about - 3-4m between anchors on the wire, plus your tail. We just worked on the assumption that if someone fell we’d be sending someone down to find a rescue crew, fortunately we never needed to.
The VF kits are not all the same design so it's not as simple as saying they all work in exactly the same way. 20 yrs ago I had a Camp kit with a metal energy dissipator plate and bungee style ropes. My current BD VF kit is very different it's more like a screamer climbing device where the stitching popping slows the fall
@tonyd - I've been on a few VF routes over the years where rock or ice fall has ripped out 20m sections of route. If I wasn't with some very good climbers AND had extra kit, 30m rope etc we'd have to have turned back on Tofane di Rozes
I do think the Dolomites routes are different in terms of many are old, less popular routes seem to be checked less regularly by the local CAI club and they do go up very high. More modern routes in other countries are often harder and sportier but more importantly they're newer and have excellent maintenance. The AUT/DEU grading system is also very sensible.
The VF kits are not all the same design so it’s not as simple as saying they all work in exactly the same way. 20 yrs ago I had a Camp kit with a metal energy dissipator plate and bungee style ropes. My current BD VF kit is very different it’s more like a screamer climbing device where the stitching popping slows the fall
Apropos of ?
If you fall off on the wrong place on a VF you could easily generate fall factors that are absolutely unheard of in normal roped climbing. The chances of your spine, hips etc surviving that are not great.
Having googled that issue the fall factor should be ok. The kit should keep the peak force such that it doesn’t bust your spine . That’s what the via Ferrata kit is for
Looks like the standard is 80kg falls 5m and the peak forces is 6kN
https://www.jimwaltonmia.com/single-post/2017/07/04/via-ferrata-kit-can-i-use-climbing-carabiners
But we basically agree. Just because you didn’t break your spine didn’t mean you aren’t injured
Sounds sh1t, I'll stick to riding bikes !!!!
Re gloves, Interested to know what others think, but I've always climbed in the Alps in cheap £2.99 B&Q rubber builders / gardeners gloves rather than buying some £50 outdoors branded 'specialist' gloves.
Despite all the words above.... Do it!! It'll be great and if it's too much just back off, it'll still be there in years to come
If you're the sort of person who does a risk assessment for a walk in the Peak District. It's deffo not for you
If you are sensible and have experience of climbing, mountaineering or rope access work it'll be fine but just have a little bit of back up kit to get a rest. Watch out for electrical storms.
ElShalimo +1
Do it.
I've done the route you're talking about a few times, including once with my 10 year old son. That's not to say its easy (we took ages, I was right behind him, we had rests on slings etc), but it isn't bonkers IMO.
I'd 100% do it, it's a beautiful route with good condition wires/bolts. There are 3 sections, increasing in challenge and each has a retreat walk you can take if you don't fancy the next section. As such the first section is a good qualifier.
It does get very hot and very busy so I'd aim to start really early, so it's nice and cool and quiet. You won't be rushed then by faster people Catching you up, with my son we started at 8am and had it to ourselves until the very top. Its about a 10 min walk from the huge car park.
If you enjoy it then the one up the other side of the valley, at the Cormet de Rosalend) is amazing, it's on/called the Rock du Vent. Again an early start makes a massive difference and you definitely need good weather, but on a good day it will be the best thing you do on holiday. This has a longer walk in, about 45 min from memory.
I'm jealous! Have fun.
IIRC an advisable bit of extra kit for the Rocher du Vent is a torch. There are some tunnels, I think on the descent, and they can be quite dark...
We have been doing Via Ferratas this week with 2x 8yos, a 10yo and an 11yo. They just scurry along with no need for assistance, like rats up a drainpipe. The supervising adults just keep an eye on "clip-discipline". I caught my nephew "double-unclipping" yesterday. He got some extra advice, resulting in a micro-huff. Better Huffy than dead.
Having done a lot of trad, boulder and bolted free routes I will admit to feeling uneasy on (French) via ferrata. It's the combination of the potential fall factors of 5ish, all those things to catch limbs in and being slammed into the face/metal things on reception - you'd do yourself less harm falling on some E3s or harder I've done. So I echo theGeneralist's words of caution.
There are no ethics in via ferrata, pull on whatever comes to hand cables and all, have a crab on a short sling and sit on the gear for a rest and to admire the view... but don't fall off.
Ignoring all the fatalities because people forget to clip, fall off the slippy exit route, don't do the harness up correctly, this is the kind of injury you can have after a 3-4m fall when doing everything right except staying on:
https://www.millavois.com/2022/05/28/millau-un-accident-sur-la-via-ferrata-du-boffi/