Our Home. Our Playground. Experience the beautiful mountains of Austria, even without great climbing experience! Well-secured via ferratas allow advanced climbers, but also families, beginners and pleasure climbers unforgettable mountain experiences. But beware: via ferratas are often underestimated! So before you plunge into your vertical adventure, there are a few things to keep in mind. Our 5 tips for more safety on via ferrata:

1. Planningis key.

Climbing may seem wild and free, but good planning is the foundation of any safe adventure. Take a close look at the via ferrata in advance, inform yourself about duration, degree of difficulty and the weather forecast. If there is a thunderstorm, never enter the via ferrata! Rain, wetness and cold also increase the risk of falling.

2. Gearup! Complete, standard-compliant equipment is a must-have.

A sturdy helmet, standard-compliant via ferrata set and a well-fitting strap to which the via ferrata set is attached are a MUST for via ferratas with a difficulty level of A/B or higher. The via ferrata set consists of a binding loop, a belt trap damper to absorb the fall energy in a fall and at least two load arms with carabiners to connect to the wire rope. Be sure to check and maintain your equipment regularly and inspect it for damage before each tour. After a fall in which the belt trap damper has been triggered, you should definitely replace the via ferrata set. In addition, manufacturers provide an expiry date for their via ferrata sets. This is usually around 10 years or less from the production date.

Via ferrata gloves are also part of the basic equipment. Gloves protect against injuries, for example from the carabiner of the via ferrata set, the rock or the steel rope. In addition, the gloves prevent blisters. The right via ferrata gloves also provide more grip, better hold and relieve the hands.

High-quality glove materials are crucial for reliable climbing gloves. Due to the constant handling of the rope, the palm must be particularly protected against abrasion. We recommend a reinforcement made of leather. Gloves made of leather provide a lot of breathability and thus counteract sweaty and damp hands. The leather adapts flexibly to the hand, so additionally convinces with high wearing comfort & tactility. Leather is extremely robust and ensures a long life of the gloves. This not only protects the environment, but also your wallet.

The Mountain Rescue Tirol and the Mountain Guides Kals & Heiligenblut are among our equipment partners. For this reason alone, our models for mountain sports must offer extreme performance.

3. Adapt the goal to personal requirements.

Do you have the confidence to do the via ferrata? Do you feel physically and mentally fit? Set yourself realistic goals and adapt the tour to your abilities. Der Klettersteig ist kein Ort, um über unsere Grenzen zu gehen - hier gilt safety first! The via ferrata is not a place to go beyond our limits - safety first! The difficulty rating of the via ferrata ranges from A to E (Schall scale), with A being particularly easy and E being extremely difficult:

• A = easy: Mostly an unsecured hike, but with handrails and steel cables in exposed areas for additional safety, well suited for inexperienced but sure-footed hikers.
  
• B = moderately difficult: Steep rocky terrain secured with pins, steel ropes and chains, requires arm strength for longer and steeper ladders as well as dexterity for rope bridges. Experienced via ferrata users use self-locking, while an additional rope lock is recommended for children and beginners.
  
• C = difficult: Extremely steep rocky terrain with vertical passages and overhangs, secured by ladders, treadpins and brackets, requires immense strength and absolute self-protection. Not suitable for children and beginners.
  
• D = very difficult: Vertical rock with few resting places, wire rope, pins and brackets. Only for experienced, strong via ferrata climbers. Not suitable for beginners and young people. Additional backup recommended.
  
• E = extremely difficult: Long, smooth, vertical passages with large overhangs, only for extremely strong and experienced climbers. Even good climbers often need rope securing or additional short fixation.

4. Dos & Don’ts: The most important rules of behaviour on the via ferrata.

Check the connection of via ferrata set with climbing harness, belt buckle and helmet again before the start using partner check. Four eyes simply see better than two. When rehanging, always make sure that one of the two carabiners is attached to the rope. Also keep enough distance to the other climbers. As a rule of thumb, there should always be only one person between two fixed points. When overtaking or "letting someone overtake", always communicate clearly with the other person.
There is also always a danger of falling rocks, regardless of the compactness of the rock. Then immediately press against the wall and ideally seek shelter under a ledge. If you accidentally set rocks in motion yourself, you must immediately warn following people of the danger. For us as a ClimatePartner certified glove brand, especially important: environmentally friendly outdoor experiences. Respect our environment. Nature. Our beautiful mountain world. So: Please avoid garbage and noise on the via ferratas and, if possible, travel by public transport or carpool! This also makes more fun!

5. Focus & concentration when descending

Once at the top, don't forget to sign the summit book. 😉 Sit back, enjoy the view and be proud of your achievement! But don't forget: the via ferrata is not over at this point. Take as much time and concentration for the way back as for the ascent. Many accidents happen during the descent, when fatigue strikes, concentration weakens or small evanescent mistakes creep in! Don't let the euphoria dazzle you, stay focused until the end. You conquered the summit, now you conquer the descent!

On your first via ferrata, it's best to be accompanied by an experienced via ferrata guide or take a climbing course - then you'll be ready to explore Austria's most beautiful via ferrata routes in any case. Show us your #mymountainpassion on social media!