Via ferrata nevertheless require specific equipment and familiarity with certain safety techniques. They offer another way of experiencing the vertical and airy world of the rock climber and of enjoying the thrills of scaling austere and hostile precipices.  

For a list of all the via ferrata and via cordata in Savoie Mont Blanc, click here 

There are two types of via ferrata:

• Roadside via ferrata
  Located close to towns, villages or resorts, roadside via ferrata are safe, fun and airy routes that often provide a unique way of discovering an aspect of the area's cultural heritage.
  
  
• Mountain via ferrata
  Ranging from exposed hiking trails with in-situ hand lines and metal steps to long, steep climbs on ladders and cables, these routes can be subject to the objective dangers of the mountain environment (storms, stone fall, remoteness, altitude, colder conditions, etc).

New in Savoie Mont Blanc: via cordata 

Via cordata allow newcomers to rock climbing, supervised by a guide or instructor, to safely discover the joys of moving over rock, using only a few artificial holds to overcome the most difficult sections. Via cordata do not have safety cables, as do via ferrata, but safe top ropes can be set up from the "pig's tails" bolted into the rock.
Accessible to all with supervision from a qualified mountain guide or instructor.

Climbing techniques for via ferrata

• Moving horizontally
  Whether or not you are roped up, always keep a lanyard (safety line) clipped into the cable. The rope between two climbers must be kept snug at all times and passed through the "pig's tail" anchors that are bolted to the rock, or clipped into karabiners, rock spikes, or other "running belays".
  
• Moving vertically
  Whenever possible, clip the lanyard into the rungs of the ladder rather than the cable. If the lanyard is clipped into the cable, a falling climber may slide far enough to pick up sufficient speed to cause serious injury or death.
  
• Through the correct use of a rope and a lanyard, via ferrata can be climbed in complete safety.

Recommended equipment:
Climbing helmet, climbing harness, double lanyard made from climbing rope. Each lanyard should be fitted with a self-locking karabiner.

Updated January 2009