Via Ferrata Climbing in the Dolomites of Tirol

Via Ferrata literally translates as "Iron Way" and is said to have originated in Italy in the Second World War as a way to get troops over dangerous mountain paths in relative safety.

Instead of having ropes like in normal climbing, in via ferrata there's an iron cable already drilled in to the rock face, and the climber wears a special climbing set which is comprised of two flexible cords, each with a special carabiner on the end. As you climb up the cables, you clip yourself on to the iron cable which is fixed to the rock. Since the cable is fixed at many places, you must un-clip and re-clip as you climb. Having the two carabiners means that as you re-clip, you're always attached with at least one cable.

One of our favourite places to climb, and just to visit in general, is Schlick 2000 in the Stubai Valley. The area is known as the Dolomites of Tirol, as the dramatic limestone peaks dominate the landscape here. Schlick has a few short, easy climbs, great for a Sunday morning training session. And the views are just out of this world.