The Telluride Via Ferrata is SCARY! And awesome.

The Telluride Via Ferrata is SCARY! And awesome.

When you are in the American Southwest and you think about Via Ferratas, two immediately come to mind; the Telluride Via Ferrata and the Ouray Via Ferrata.

Tina and I have done both. So what is the difference? Let's start with the Ouray Via Ferrata. It's set in a beautiful canyon with a running river in the middle. The Ouray Via Ferrata is also very protected. You are almost always clipped into a cable. There are lots and lots of rungs, a 'tightrope' and a cool cable bridge. Lots of climbing straight up rung 'ladders' embedded in the cliff faces. The Ouray Via Ferrata is newer and it is way overbuilt.

Then there's the Telluride Via Ferrata. You start with a stroll (or drive) by the base of Bridal Veil Falls. You're soon on the Via Ferrata itself and right away, there is a lot of exposure. You're walking a short goat trail on a narrow cliff band, hundreds of feet above the valley below. And if you weren't too busy watching the views of Telluride, Bridal Veil Falls and the surrounding mountains, you might start wondering 'where are the cables?' Yeah. The Telluride Via Ferrata is a lot more 'natural', at least for the first half or so. That's not to say it's unsafe. You just need to make sure you don't walk off the cliff. There are a few sections of cable and you eventually come to Kroger's Bench. Take a break, sign the register and get ready. The Main Event is next.

The Telluride Main Event is, well, it's the part of the Telluride Via Ferrata that you will definitely not forget. You round the corner after the bench and you're met with a sheer cliff face and several hundred feet of air before you could reach the canyon floor below. The only way across this section are some hand and foot holds made from steel, bolted to the rock. It's thrilling.

Or terrifying.

Depends on your mood. Tina and I have done this via ferrata before and she was all grins and laughs the first time. This time? She freaked out and froze up.

Did she make it? You'll have to watch the video and see.

SIDE NOTE: I know some people will most likely comment on my via ferrata lanyard. Here's the story. I went to the Arizona Hiking Shack (great place, btw) in Phoenix to purchase lanyards right before our trip. They had one, which Tina was using. Since they did not have a second, I built one. It consists of climbing rated, screw gate caribeners, dynamic leash/runner tied with an overhand on a bight and a rated shock pack. The main issue I see with this set up is the carabiners I used to clip into the cables. They were properly rated, but they used screw gates instead of the automatic locking gates like Tina's. This means that unless I locked them manually at each clip in (which I did not), they could possibly release during a fall due to roll over. I do not recommend making your own setup unless you are 100% confident in your knowledge and abilities and cannot recommend the set up I used. (I would have bought a second Black Diamond via ferrata lanyard if it had been available and/or if I had thought far enough ahead to order one online.)

One more thing. They sell all sorts of via ferrata lanyards online. Some are cheaper than others. Just because it says it's a via ferrata lanyard does not mean it is a rated or properly constructed one. So if you're thinking you can save some bucks going with a no name rig, keep in mind you're trusting your life to it.

A few other things. I usually get my music from Epidemic Sound for my videos. I got one song in this video from them. But the other song is called Sweepstakes and it's by a band called American Dinosaur. And it ROCKS! American Dinosaur was nice enough to let me use their song for this video. They also love the outdoors. Show them some love and check them out here;

www.americandinosaur.us

I also used a song from Epidemic Sound: Oak City - Sarah, the Illstrumentalist

And for guiding services, check these sites out;

Ouray Via Ferrata - Basecamp Ouray

https://basecampouray.com/

Telluride Via Ferrata - Mountaintrip

https://mountaintrip.com/tellurides-local-mountain-guides/telluride-via-ferrata/

Видео The Telluride Via Ferrata is SCARY! And awesome. канала Jerry Arizona