Littleton, Colorado – Reported by Elite Traveler, the Private Jet Lifestyle Magazine
Dolomite Mountains, a Colorado-based luxury adventure company, is now offering tours of the Italian Alps along the historic Via Ferrata roads. A Via Ferrata (or iron road) is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities.
“It is a different way of enjoying the sheer magnificence of the awesome Dolomite environment – travelers will be stopped in their tracks by amazing views and mountain situations. is a different way of enjoying the sheer magnificence of this awesome mountain environment in which you will be stopped in your tracks by amazing views and mountain situations. You can experience the Via Ferrata even if you are new to it. To make this fascinating ‘game’ even safer, we supply simple mountaineering equipment such as a harness, helmet, some rope and a few karabiners,” comments Agustina Lagos Marmol, Founder of Dolomite Mountains. “Your guide will teach you how to use the equipment and give you hints on climbing techniques in complete security. Trips are adapted to clients’ abilities and our local guides will show not only the beauty of the mountains but the history of the area though the Via Ferrata as they were built during WWI.”
Many Via Ferratas were originally built to aid movements of alpine military units during the First World War, and now (although they also exist in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland) they represent one of the major attractions in the Dolomites. They are, in effect, a range of protected routes, comprised of fixed cables, ladders and even gorge-spanning bridges, which aid ascent to places normally reserved for expert rock climbers. Routes are graded according to difficulty.
Probably the most unusual Via Ferrata in the eastern part of the Dolomites is VF Lagazuoi Tunnels. Fighting for control of Mount Lagazuoi in World War I, Austrian and Italian troops built a series of tunnels through the mountains. The aim of each side was to tunnel close to the enemy and detonate explosives to destroy their fortifications. Some of the tunnels have been restored, with a Via Ferrata following the route of one of these. It is now possible to descend into the mountain by following the VF Lagazuoi Tunnels route.
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