3 Rather more difficult routes, not recommended for the completely novice via ferratist. At this level complete freedom from vertigo and sure-footedness are required, as is complete competence in the use of self-belay equipment.
4 Demanding routes, frequently involving steep rock faces and requiring a fairly high standard of technical climbing ability. Definitely not for the novice or those unsure of their confidence in mountain situations.
5 Routes of the highest technical standard encountered in via ferrata climbing, suitable only for the most experienced via ferratist.
The steep start of Via Attrezzata Rino Pisetta (RIVA 1)
Seriousness
1 Straightforward outings in unthreatening mountain terrain. Routes will have easy access and/ or escape opportunities, will be virtually risk free in the event of a change in the weather, and be relatively free from the risk of stone-fall.
2 Routes where a degree of mountain experience is required. Access might be more difficult, and opportunities to escape from the route will be limited, so minor mishaps could develop into quite serious situations. A change in the weather could potentially be more than merely inconvenient, and the climber needs to be aware of the risk of stone-fall.
3 Routes for only the experienced mountaineer. Such routes might lack any escape opportunities, be in remote areas, have passages of very exposed, unprotected terrain, or involve inaccessible situations where any mishap could have the most serious consequences. The threat of stone-fall might be a major consideration, or a change in the weather could add greatly to the problems posed by the route.
Route vital statistics
For each route an indication of the ascent, descent and length of via ferrata involved is given. Where a route involves extended traverses this can appear to give rather odd statistics where the length of the ferrata exceeds the ascent/descent figure (e.g. VICEN 2 Sentiero Alpinistico Angelo Pojesi).
Conditions in the mountains
The route descriptions and gradings in the guide assume, as they must, that conditions are good, that ice is not a problem and, in the case of some lower-level routes, that watercourses are not in spate. However, even in mid-summer the weather can be extremely variable. Sudden thunderstorms, snowfall, ice formation or flash flooding of watercourses can all occur unexpectedly in a Dolomite summer. So, when considering the given grading assessments, you should make appropriate allowances for additional difficulties resulting from adverse conditions.
Equipment
The basic equipment required to climb via ferratas safely is neither complicated nor expensive. The items below will suffice for all but the most demanding outings, but for the higher routes (and even lower ones early in the season) consideration needs to be given to additional gear such as ice axes and crampons.
Although some UK-based climbing shops do now stock (or can order) via ferrata equipment, it can be bought readily in the Dolomites. As well as being cheaper in Italy, a wider variety of equipment is also available.
Helmet: perhaps the single most important piece of equipment. This must conform to UIAA (Union Internationale des Associations d’Alpinisme) standard to protect the climber against rock-fall. However, to be effective it should be on your head, not in your sack, so be sure to put it on as soon as the risk of stone-fall is present. For example, the approaches to some routes negotiate gullies which can be raked by stones falling from above, so don’t wait until you are about to start climbing before reaching for your helmet.
Harness: a full body harness will give you the best safety protection for climbing via ferratas. Many British visitors to the Dolomites will already own a climbing sit-harness; but, whilst this will generally suffice for tackling via ferratas, do remember that you will probably be carrying a loaded rucksack, so if you were to take a fall you run the risk of being turned upside down. Consequently, you can either invest in a full body harness, much more popular (and available) in continental Europe than in the UK, or supplement your sit harness with a chest harness. Whatever you choose to do, it is a totally personal decision and risk assessment.
Via ferrata self-belay set: incorporating belay rope, KISA (see below), and karabiners. Like all climbing equipment, via ferrata self-belay equipment has been greatly improved in recent years with new systems appearing all the time. The obvious problem with self-belaying on a vertical run of cable is that any fall will only be arrested when the climber reaches the attaching peg below him (with a long cable run, this can mean a very high fall factor and an enormous shock loading on the system). To help overcome this, a device called a Kinetic Impact Shock Absorber, or KISA, is used. There are several different models in use, but they all function in the same way, acting as simple friction brakes which, in the event of a fall, absorb the energy generated, thus reducing the shock loading.
Two different types of KISA
The two most commonly used systems (V type and Y type) which incorporate a KISA in the belay system each contain the same components, albeit configured differently, which means that they must be used differently.
a) The older, V type employs a single rope, about 2 metres long, which passes through the KISA, and with a karabiner on each end. The KISA is then attached to the harness with rope or tape. With this system, only one karabiner should be clipped into the cable, so that in the event of a fall, the loop of rope leading to the spare karabiner is pulled through the KISA under friction, thus absorbing much of the energy generated by the fall. On reaching a peg where the cable is attached to the rock face, the spare karabiner is then clipped into the next cable run and the original karabiner can then be unclipped (note that the spare karabiner should be secured in such a way that the whole length of the spare loop of rope is available to be pulled through the KISA: this means it should not be secured to a gear loop at the rear of the harness). It is only at the moment of leap-frogging over the peg that both karabiners are clipped in to the cable; otherwise the KISA cannot function.
V-type self-belay system. Note this is a Salewa U-type Attac (photo: Salewa)
b) In the more modern, Y type systems, the karabiners are attached to two separate lengths of rope or tape, joined or stitched to form a Y-shape. There are several permutations on the theme, particularly regarding the means of attachment to the harness, and impact absorption, but the principle of how this type works is as follows. The single length of rope (the leg of the Y) is threaded through the KISA to leave a spare loop of rope which becomes part of the system incorporated in the tie on, or is attached to the side of the harness or gear loop. In the event of a fall, it is the spare loop of rope which is pulled through the KISA under friction, thus absorbing the energy generated by the fall. With this method both karabiners can be clipped into the cable: at the end of a cable run, first one, then the other karabiner is leapfrogged over onto the next length of cable.
Y-type self-belay system. This a Camp Rewind (photo: Camp)
Both methods are safe if used properly. However, whilst both types meet European standards (EN958), only the Y-type meets the more exacting UIAA standard (UIAA128), which also requires that all load bearing connections should be unalterable, meaning that systems with knots are not acceptable. For more technical information on the latest models visit a specialist climbing shop or contact the BMC www.thebmc.co.uk, or an equipment maker, for example Mammut www.mammut.ch, Camp www.camp.it, Petzl www.petzl.com, Salewa