- Evaluate your fear of heights.
- Make sure your equipment is complete and up to code: via ferrata kit (an approved via ferrata lanyard, rope and carabiner if you need to stop on the cable), helmet, harness and climbing gloves if you want.
- Check each other’s equipment and then clip onto the cable.
- Before unclipping your second carabiner, always make sure the first one has been clipped on.
- Avoid overtaking others or, if you have to, do it in a safe place.
- There should never be more than one person on the same stretch of cable at the same time.
- If you are a beginner, we strongly recommend you hire a mountain guide.
What equipment will I need on a via ferrata?
Your safety on equipped trails like ferratas doesn’t just depend on your constant preparation, caution and careful choosing of the itinerary, but also on you having the right gear.
In particular, you will need:
- helmet: there are many different models to choose from, but the important thing is that it is approved for climbing and is CE- and UIAA-marked. You should wear your helmet when approaching and leaving the rock face, as hikers above you could accidentally dislodge loose stones.
- harness: wearing a harness that correctly distributes the energy generated by the impact force throughout the body following a fall is crucial. A full-body harness (traditional) or a sit and chest combination (chest, waistband and leg loops) harness is recommended. The only time a sit harness (waistband and leg loops) is recommended, is when you’re carrying a backpack.
- via ferrata lanyard: this is a kit that must be approved and CE- and UIAA-marked. It is attached to your harness and allows you to move safely along the steel cable on the via ferrata. It consists of a rope or webbing, a shock absorber and two via ferrata carabiners. We recommend using a Y-shaped via ferrata lanyard.
