Rock climbing

Via Ferrata has been one of my favourite sports for five seasons and yesterday marked the first outdoor climb of the season. It took place at the Val de Tière near Champery in Switzerland.

What made this experience special was arriving at the car park near the Telepherique and seeing hundreds of cars parked. Yesterday marked the end of the ski season and with the end of the ski season the mountains are abandoned by the masses. The mountains are then left to people who love the mountains when we see rocks, plants and more.

The Val de Tière Via Ferrata (VF) is an easy one for beginners but don’t let that fool you. Just because people say that it is easy does not mean that beginners won’t be petrified. As a precaution make sure you go with someone who knows the VF well and is ready to offer assistance to those who get scared.

Yesterday one person was afraid. He was really clinging to the bars and his arms were always tense. He was afraid and tense and this tired him. As I had a spare drink I offered it to him, so that he could get some strength and re-hydrate himself. He made it to the top.

Via Ferrata are not as easy as climbing a ladder and fear does play a very important role. Always go with someone who knows Via Ferrata well and make sure that you are with a patient and attentive person. People underestimate their ability on via ferrata and then get stuck. When a person gets stuck six to eight rescuers are needed to assist and they sometimes have to drive a big distance.

If you have never rock climbed and if you have never tried Via ferrata or canyoning then make sure to go with people that will help calm you down and build up your confidence. If you take less experienced people make sure that you have spare food and drink. If someone is distressed this small anticipation may provide them with the strength to continue.

Fear and Strength in Via Ferrata play an important role. Fear drains us of energy. In Rock climbing this is fine. If you run out of energy you abseil down and you call it a day. In Via Ferrata when you run out of energy you are stuck on a rock face and people usually do not have the required safety equipment to help you out of the situation. It is for this reason that we read so frequently about rescues on via ferratas. I read that at fort l’écluse there have been four rescues this year, at Saillon there have been a few and in Bellevaux there may have been as many as ten.

The point of via ferratas is that anyone can practice them. In theory once you get the harness, the y-combinator and helmet you are ready to climb. In practice you need to take several things in to account. Via Ferrata are graded according to three factors. These are Equipment, Height off the ground and physicality.

Some via ferrata are well equipped and some leave you to improvise hand holds and foot holds on the cliff face. You also need to trust your own equipment. This does take some time.

Height makes us afraid and our fear tenses the body. When the body is tense it uses a lot of energy. You stay closer to the rock and you use your arms to raise yourself whilst staying as close to the rock as possible.

Through practice I have seen my confidence grow and in the process my technique has evolved and adapted. I often keep my arms straight and pivot about my hand as I push upwards with my legs. In so doing I climb fast and without burning energy. I can save energy because my fear has faded over the years. Whilst a beginner will try to keep their centre of gravity as close as possible to the rock I do the opposite. I swing out and up with every step. It means that I save energy for the overhangs.

Two days ago someone who was afraid, who had far less experience was using his arms rather than his legs. Arms have tiny muscles compared to legs so they tire much sooner. In rock climbing if you make mistake you can usually be lowered back to the ground and within a minute or two the incident is over. In Via ferrata you do not have this luxury.

In Via Ferrata when you start to get tired you need to continue. If you can’t continue then there are three options. The first is to call in a helicopter to take you off the cliff, the second is for a mountain response team to come and assist you and the third option is self rescue. For the latter I mean a group rescue.

In the first two cases these are trained professionals who will resolve the incident relatively quickly. Always climb with people more experienced than you as they can help you.

In one rescue scenario a person ran out of strength and let go just metres from the end. In this case knots were put in a rope so that the person could climb the rope as if it was a ladder. In another case a rope was used as a counter-weight where the distressed climber had to climb and two of us were supporting the weight as we were given slack. This is not ideal as it requires a lot of strength if the person being helped is exhausted.

In the third case a rope and pulley system was used. In this case the force exerted was tripled and the rope was longer. It took just one person for this rescue. When we saw with what ease someone could be rescued we decided we needed the same equipment and to get proper training.

Via Ferrata is a fun and exciting sport that brings you to beautiful landscapes and it is easy to assume that you can make it from point A to point B. People should take the time to assess their level of strength and stamina before starting. They should also rest when they have the opportunity. The problem with fear is that it is a positive feedback loop. The more afraid you are and the more your muscles tense, the tenser you are the more tired you are and the more afraid you are. Knowing when to take a mental and physical break in via ferrata is essential. Take breaks to drink and eat something before you get tired. Clear your mind and relax before you continue. It is better to take twice the recommended time than to run out of energy half way through a Via Ferrata.

The psychology of Via Ferrata is similar to the psychology of climbing except that everyone is moving constantly and there are few pre-requisites. As a result of this it is easy for people to push themselves beyond their comfort zones. They can be made uncomfortable by how high they are off the ground, how little they trust their equipment or the equipment on the cliff face. Peer pressure can also help make the challenge harder to cope with.

Fear of Heights

In Via Ferrata there are four psychological challenges to face. The first of these is height. In normal life we are usually no more than two or three floors off of the ground and unless we’re on a balcony we are at ease within various rooms. The fear of heights comes when we are more exposed, for example on a roof top, on a high bridge or other places. Some via ferrata take you from the base of the cliff upwards so you gradually get used to being higher and higher. You acclimatise and although certain moments may be scarier there are places where you feel at ease and your level of tension decreases.

Other via ferrata start high off the ground and immediately pull practitioners out of their comfort zone. Be wary of this. With the right guidance beginners will make it from start to finish. It will be character building for the guide and the student.

Trust the equipment

The second fear is a fear that the equipment will not keep us safe. This is true for scuba divers, rock climbers and many other types of sports. In rock climbing you need to trust your harness and the via ferrata set. Until you trust this equipment to keep you safe you will be unable to rest on a via ferrata. A novice will look to rest in a place where it feels natural to rest. This could be a depression in the rock or a ledge. At this point they can sit in a familiar context.

The second set of equipment to trust is the Via Ferrata equipment on the rock face. In this instance I have read two or three documents that are designed for the installation of new routes. Through the reading of these documents I saw that via ferrata equipment is over-engineered to take far more weight than we are likely to exert on the equipment. I also went with a maintenance crew and followed the thought process involved to make sure that the Via Ferrata equipment is ready for the current season.

Food and Hydration

When you are on a via ferrata it is important to eat and to drink enough to have enough energy throughout the via ferrata. To drink and to be hydrated keeps us comfortable. This is especially true on south facing rock faces at midday. It is easy to get dehydrated. When I was a novice via ferrataist I often craved for a drink by the time we had completed the via ferrata. As a result of this I soon started to carry more than enough water. Once or twice I had a hot chocolate at the end of a climb, because I was so well hydrated.

Food is a must, especially on a via ferrata like Leukerbad. You are climbing for five and a half hours and you are using your legs and arms. It’s good to have snacks that you can eat every half hour or hour. This will give you the strength and endurance you need to complete the climb. It is also important to have snacks that provide you with a quick energy boost when you have an overhang or other physical challenge to overcome. Knowing that you have enough energy will help you complete the via ferrata comfortably.

Peer pressure

It is important to try never to do via ferrata alone. It is better to be with a group of people whom you trust and whom can help you to complete the via ferrata. You need to find a group that goes at a speed where you are comfortable. Ideally the person or people you go with will make it clear that they are going at your speed, not theirs.

With my level of experience I dance up a via ferrata that is meant to take one and a half hours in fifty minutes. If I am with a less experienced person I go at their speed. I suggest the moments when they should rest and drink. I also ask whether they would like to eat. I never want the person to feel pressure, never to try to exceed their comfort level. The aim is not to add to the stress that less experienced climbers are under.

It is easy to go too fast. It is easy to forget to rest before we are tired. A good group leader will make sure that people are within their comfort zone.

When exploring segmented via ferrata where there are escape routes and where sections get progressively harder make sure to ignore your ego and listen to your common sense. It is easier to say “I can go on” than to say “I’ll take the escape route”. I have often chosen not to push myself beyond my comfort level. It is better to give yourself a reason to come back than to regret taking on a challenge. I have read and heard of people getting stuck at Saillon, Fort L’écluse, Plan Praz and other via ferrata. A helicopter rescue is 3000 CHF. When ground teams rescue someone they do so in groups of five.

Clearing your mind

Under the right conditions a via ferrata clears the mind and recharges you from the pressures of the week. It is a sport that you can get up to every single weekend when you live in some parts of France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and others. It is an opportunity to visit new places and meet new people. With the right people you will arrive at home in the evening with good memories and feel impatient to practice the sport again.