Uphill on Solid Rock [Vid]

[Cyc]

Combining two sport activities with good music. The video is actually from last automn, but it got pretty quickly blocked due to the audio. I found now the time to redo it with a live version of - for sure - the same song, which I had already in my mind climbing the route.

Uphill on Solid Rock

[Nurse Ben]

Who puts up routes like that?

Man, that was some nice rock and what a fast way to get up, no ropes to pitch, no pro to carry, but still that would be some hard falling if you got caught in the eat and had to walk on those metal bolts.

Nice video, I'm thinking there was an easier way up, but that was a better way

Makes me want to move to Europe

[Cyc]

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

Who puts up routes like that?

These routes are called "Via Ferratas", which means "iron trails". They vary in origin and character. They range from historic trails, which have been created decades or even centuries ago in order to get from one valley into another one, to sport and adventure trails. This is clearly one of the latter kind, located in Engelberg/Switzerland. The tourism industry is heavily engaged in putting those routes up and maintaining them, which is costly (e.g. in winter they remove all the cables to put them up again in spring). Over the last decade hundreds of new Via Ferratas have been created in the Alps.

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

Man, that was some nice rock and what a fast way to get up, no ropes to pitch, no pro to carry, but still that would be some hard falling if you got caught in the eat and had to walk on those metal bolts.

The route is Swiss made, which stands for high quality and safety standards, no doubt. However you do need pro - you need the right one and you need to use it correctly. When you are sport(!)climbing it is all about performance and falling is permitted at (almost) any point in time. Here it isn't. A fall in a vertical sector would lead to by factors higher deceleration forces, which neither material nor the people could survive. Therefore the pro is specifically made for Via Ferratas including a braking mechanism. Having said this, as falling is still no option at all, since the metal bars can hurt if not worse. It is extremely nice, but do not get confused, this is serious.

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

Nice video, I'm thinking there was an easier way up, but that was a better way

A Swiss mountain guide was very astonished and said to me “that’s what we have supply railways for”. There is actually a cable car right next to it. No idea why it is there!

Originally Posted by Nurse Ben

Makes me want to move to Europe

You’re welcome!

[OutdoorJunkie]

So awesome dude!

[Feisty]

Absolutely amazing, thanks so much for sharing

I am keen to do some rock climbing as did a little in my youth but also want to do some caving as well, both things un-nerve me a little which makes me want to do it even more

Sham I don't have much time to even Unicycle with two young kids at the moment, still something to do with them when they are a bit older

[blueharmony]

Heilege scheis!
I wouldn't do well up there, I internally cringed just watching the video. I'd love the trip down the other side though.

[MadFurai]

Awesome video. Makes me want to take a day trip to the Virginia mountains and find some DH trails.

[Mikefule]

OK, I'm impressed.

[JJuggle]

Hot diggity dog!