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The overall risk comparison between being alone or in a group can be split into parts: falling: no increased risk This is obviously independent of being in a group or soloing as climbing on a via ferrata is a solo activity. severity of fall: hardly any increased risk The safety device used on via ferratas is a single user device. So the only factor ...

The reason is simple: You are not supposed to fall on these climbs, in any case. Falls will in most cases be very bad indeed, no matter where you clipped in. Your security line is basically made so that you don't fall 1000 meters, and so that the rescue team has an easier time finding you and cleaning away the mess. The "real" security comes from being able ...

If you understand what you're doing and why, do what is safe. First of all (probably obvious): you should never fall on a via ferrata, so don't do anything risky. Second: even a 10m + lanyard fall should not be fatal if you use a proper modern via ferrata set - those are designed to rip open in a controlled manner to absorb the fall energy. A well-designed ...

Quantifying the total risk of an activity is hard and to an extent opinion based. The increased risk of being solo, is more quantifable and that is what my answer focuses on. The major increase in risk of doing a via ferrata alone (as opposed to in a group or with a partner) is that if you get injured (e.g., from a fall, rock fall, or a bee sting), you will ...

There are such things as reusable energy-absorbers, they use rope and a braking plate to absorb the energy of a fall. Stiched webbing energy-absorbers are only intended to catch one fall, but that fall typically has to exert at least 2.5kN (250kg) on the device before it will start to tear. If the threads in the energy absorber tear, then yes, it needs to ...

The rule with Via Ferrata is to always have at least one point of safety clipped in at all times. Many people have fallen to their deaths while unclipped from their safety lines in order to pass an anchor, or to pass another individual. You have two lanyards so you can pass an anchor while always having one clipped to the line. While it would not ...

No. An industrial shock absorber cannot be used as a via ferrata set, because: Via ferrata sets are intended to absorb falls that exceed a person's height. EN 355 (industrial absorbers) mentions a drop test that involves a 100kg mass being dropped from 1.75m such that the final resultant force cannot exceed 6kN. The EN 958 (via ferrata sets) drop test ...

Previous summer I spent a week in Switzerland and did four via ferrata's on my own. The risk varies greatly depending on the weather and the route. One day there was mist and snow, and I went up a mountain anyway. The climb went well, but when I got to the top you couldn't see the very much and it was hard to find the way back. Luckily someone else did the ...

For storing the harness, REI recommends Transport a harness in its supplied bag and always keep it away from sharp objects, ice screws, crampons, direct sunlight, corrosive substances (e.g., battery acids, gasoline, solvents, bleach) or any other potentially damaging objects. If your harness did not come with a bag, a stuff sack can be a cheap and simple ...

Nordegg has a via ferrata that was set up by COE, the owner Mike Adolph "...recommends anyone using the via ferrata to do so through a guide, although if a climber shows up with a helmet and the correct harness and clips, they could go solo." Mt. Nimbus, BC has a via ferrata run by CMH. CMH says that "while the public could, in theory, access Mt Nimbus, it ...

The thing with Via Ferrata routes is how long you take often depends on the size of your group, their fitness, and how comfortable everyone is with heights and using their gear. I've seen people at a crawl on some simple via ferrata lines that provide some assistance on high exposure parts of popular hikes. They have both hands on the cable, bodies as low ...

I have always used the rungs for clipping in, and was taught so by the guide too. Never heard of any reason to not do it; yes, it slows you down, but clipping into horizontal steel cables also slows you down. As my life might depend on it, I'd always have a minimum of one clipped in, even if I take a minute for a ladder instead of 20 seconds.

I talked to a local guide and they said typically on a weekday it will take someone in reasonable shape who isn't afraid of heights 2 to 3 hours to complete Telluride's Via Ferrata route. I will update my answer after I complete the route for accuracy and conditions. I completed it in ~4 hours with 2 friends who are avid hikers but none of us had any ...

Your trail appears to follow a ski slope all the way, so you can pretty much rule out ferratas or technical climbing. Still, the snow may cover some rougher terrain in the winter (like streams that can be difficult to cross), so I'd not rely on this alone. It may not be the nicest kind of terrain to hike on, or their might be fenced-off pastures in the ...

As long as you can safely clip into the cable, prefer that as it's the safety equipment on a via ferrata and lets you move faster and in a more ecomfortable way. But of course safety first, do what is safer in given circumstances, especially that it can give you a confidence boost to do a harder part of ferrata. But as other said, do not take a fall into ...

You could take steps to evaluate and mitigate your specific risk. e.g. Check whether the entire route is under cellphone network coverage Analyse how popular is the route? Should you have a disabling fall how long will it be before another person comes across you? Check on response times for rescue services to reach the route. Investigate the ...