Via ferrata

A mountain route equipped with fixed cables, ladders, and anchors, allowing climbers to traverse steep terrain while attached with specialized safety gear.

Via ferrata set: A climbing safety system with a harness, energy-absorbing lanyard, and two connectors for attachment to a via ferrata cable. Its lanyard connectors move along the route’s cable while keeping the climber attached.
Fall factor: A measure of fall severity calculated as fall distance divided by the length of rope or tether available to absorb energy. Short cable sections can make a via ferrata fall unusually forceful.
Dolomites: A mountain range in northeastern Italy, part of the Southern Limestone Alps. The Dolomites contain many historic and modern via ferrata routes.
Scrambling: Movement over steep, rocky terrain using hands and feet, usually without the continuous protection of technical climbing. Scrambling relies more on natural holds and less on installed steel protection.
Via ferrata cable: A fixed steel cable anchored along a route for climbers to attach their safety lanyards. It provides continuous attachment between the route’s anchors.
Fall arrest: The stopping of a fall by a safety system before a person reaches a lower surface. Via ferrata equipment is designed to arrest falls, not prevent every injury.
First World War: A global war fought from 1914 to 1918 between the Allied Powers and the Central Powers. Military forces installed fixed aids in the Alps to move through contested mountain terrain.
Traditional climbing: A style of rock climbing in which climbers place and remove their own protection as they ascend. Unlike traditional climbing, a via ferrata supplies fixed protection along the route.
Via ferrata anchor: A fixed point that secures a via ferrata cable to rock or another structural support. Anchors divide the cable into sections and must withstand forces from falls.
Personal protective equipment: Equipment worn or carried to reduce exposure to safety and health hazards. A helmet and via ferrata set are personal protection used on the route.

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