I love the idea of big mountain trips, with plenty of climbing and plenty of exposure. But I also love the idea of heading out on a solo adventure, and most climbing related activities require you to team up with others to tackle the task. That’s probably why the idea of via ferrata has always seemed to appealing.
A via ferrata is a type of climbing that relies mainly on ladder rungs set into an otherwise un-scalable face, usually protected by a metal cable that you remain connected to. As a climber used to holding the rock, the rungs allow you to get quite high on a cliff without much effort, and while clipped into the cable, you are in charge of your own safety.
This seemed pretty perfect for what I wanted from a solo holiday. I began looking in the Dolomites, where there are an abundance of routes, but logistically (and financially) I decided a weeklong trip to Chamonix would be a good place to try it out.
Chamonix only has a few routes, most of them involving glacier travel, but one stood out as a decent one to try as a novice. Via Des Evettes, a fairly recent route at the top of the Flégère lift.
It was easy to follow the signs to the start, and before I knew it I was at the start of the route. I’d taken my harness and purchased some Petzl lanyards, so got myself ready and headed off.
The route itself heads up a couple of faces and crosses a variety of bridges. There were no challenging sections, but there was plenty of exposure. And the bridges were amazing!
The final section has a huge 50m bridge spanning from a pinnacle. I had to wait for another party to finish crossing before I had my shot, they were struggling a bit with the heights.
All in all this via ferrata was a great introduction to this style of climbing. Although expected to take between 3-4 hours, I was finished in around 30 minutes. If you’re in the Chamonix valley and wanting to try it, this is the most accessible one near the valley. You can rent all the gear in town and there are plenty of guiding companies that’ll take you along if you are unsure.
If you are not familiar with via ferrata or climbing in general, please get proper instruction before heading out and trying it. Although a fall on this route is unlikely, if you did it would hurt a lot and you’d probably need rescued. I am not recommending doing this solo, having someone else there if SHTF is always beneficial. Please truthfully assess your abilities before heading out.
I aspire to this but would require some serious knee and arm training to achieve. Fab views.