SAFE via ferrata

The key to a safe and enjoyable tour is planning. Inform yourself in detail about difficulty and length, ascent and descent, as well as the weather and conditions. Via ferrata guides or the internet provide detailed descriptions of all via ferrata routes with topographical info. When planning, the difficulty rating is of particular importance, especially since "blocking" due to exhaustion is the most common emergency on via ferrata routes. As a result, make sure to focus on the degrees of individual difficulty as well as the persistence of difficulty and thus the overall requirements of any given route.

This checklist will help you to gather all the relevant information for your via ferrata tour:

Overly ambitious difficulty levels can ruin the experience or lead to dangerous situations.

A “blockage" due to exhaustion is the most common emergency during via ferrata! Long via ferrata routes with a lower difficulty rating but persistent difficulty often can lead to overstraining and thus to dangerous situations. Economical climbing, whereby the arms are mainly outstretched in combination with a fundamentally sound technique, saves an enormous amount of strength. Securing yourself by hooking with one arm in the rope anchorage while changing carabiners also saves strength. Caution: Although a via ferrata set prevents a “complete fall," unlike in sport climbing falls are actually taboo, because a fall during a via ferrata can result in serious injuries! Overestimating your own ability can lead to dangerous situations on the via ferrata.

Lightning can be life-threatening. Rain, wet, and cold increase the risk of falling.

Thunderstorms are to be expected frequently during the course of the day on muggy, hot midsummer days. Check the forecast for thunderstorms and make sure that you are back from the tour in good time. Plan in a little extra time and turn back early if there are typical signs of thunderstorms such as the rapid formation of cumulus clouds or gusty winds. Cumulus clouds, an electrical charge in the air and sleet showers are all serious warning signs of an impending thunderstorm. Should you nevertheless be caught off guard by a thunderstorm, correct behaviour can save your life. In any case, avoid being unsecured in areas where there is a risk of falling!

A via ferrata is like an oversized lightning conductor. Be warned: Do not make the mistake of disconnecting yourself from the wire rope! The danger of falling always exceeds the danger of lightning.

Other possible Alpine dangers include:
Sudden weather changes, rain, snowfall, ice, avalanches, wind, and fog.>Every day, changing weather conditions alter the terrain. Assessing the safety of a given route is the personal responsibility of every via ferrata climber. Via ferrata at your own risk!

Rockfalls, ice, snow and frost blasting can cause damage to the climbing system. Do not enter closed via ferrata routes for any reason.

As with all via ferratas, it is important to be careful and not to trust any hold or bolt blindly. Oftentimes, it is easy to judge the condition of the route within the first few metres from the start of the via ferrata. It is essential to check whether the via ferrata is officially "open" or - due to maintenance work or seasonal conditions - "closed". Damage to the via ferrata can occur in spring in particular. Pay particular attention to the steel rope ends after the last anchoring: Sometimes these become loose!

Check one another: belt fastened, connection between the via ferrata set and the climbing harness, helmet.

Communicating and being considerate prevent dangerous situations during overtaking manoeuvres or oncoming traffic.

Even if you can easily cope with the difficulties of the via ferrata, make sure that you are always secured when meeting other via ferrata users! Only overtake after a short consultation and use favourable passages for this purpose. Avoid heavily frequented, "overrun" via ferrata where traffic jams frequently occur.

Careful trail climbing prevents falling rocks.

Helmets provide protection from falling rocks. Careful walking prevents loose rock from being kicked up. Such consideration is important during the ascent and the decent of the via ferrata. In the event of falling rocks, the warning cry “beware of falling rocks!" applies. Instead of looking up, press yourself against the rock face until the rock fall is over.