Introduction To Via Ferrata: Italy Walking Holiday

Our Clients’ Reviews

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Average Review Rating: from 9 reviews.

Peter Coville

INTRODUCTION TO VIA FERRATA (Dolomites)

Written September 2012
An excellent introduction to assisted climbing in beautiful mountains but a good head for heights and faith in the equipment is required.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Hanging off the cable on Punta Anna with the Marmolada glaciers in the background and the misty morning fog clinging to the mountains below. This trip allows you to reach places and sights that you may not have considered before adn to perhaps go outside your comfort zone a little bit :-) - we had a great time and will be going back to explore some of the other routes in the future.
What did you think of your group leader?
The guides from Globo-Alpin (Hubbert and Paolo) were professional, friendly (insiting on buying drinks and bringing sweets to the top of the peaks) and knowledgeable. They were always happy to answer questions and to provide guidance on possible future walks (and ones that are too difficult!).
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
A bit of practice on a climbing wall would be useful before you go if you have not done any climbing before. Also work on building up your arm and upper body strength which is very useful to pull yourself up the cables.
Via Ferrata gloves or an equivalent are a must!
Some kind of backpack hydration system is also very helpful - there are limited places on the Via Ferratas where it is safe or convenient to take off your rucksack.
Normal walking boots were absolutely fine although the type that have a rubber covering over the toe area are better (most newer models have this) - and make sure that your soles are in good shape as good grip is important. Conditions can be variable - a warm hat and thermal protection is necessary for the high altitude routes (you can reach 3300m), and waterproofs a must. The thin fleec ear warmers that go under your helmet are good.
There is a good English book on the Via Ferrata of the Dolomites by Fletcher and Smith which is interesting if you like to read around a route but by no means required. Maps can be bought easily locally in the supermarket in Dobbiaco, in one of the climbing shops or in refuges.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Arranging your own flights via Verona and a visit to the Opera in this ancient Roman town is a worthy addition to the trip. Trains go regularly from Verona to Dobbiaco taking around 4 hours and costing only 20Euros (change at Fortezza).
Mehmet Sacit Erdem

INTRODUCTION TO VIA FERRATA

Written September 2012
This was a very good experience and most of the things have exceeded my expectations. Thanks to Exodus for organising the event is such a good way. The stunning view of the Dolomites and Sud Tyrol was a bonus, on top. The local team of 2 very experienced leaders was also an important factor of the success of the whole organisation.   They have helped in every way, from belaying the inexperienced to finding bus tickets for the free day.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
On the third day, we have started a serious via ferrata route, which was quite hard compared to the previous 2 days with some vertical ascents, etc. The first 30 meters of that route was a killer on the body and on the mind. After that, you gain more confidence and go to the summit with less pain, and looking down from there to see your progress was fantastic.
What did you think of your group leader?
Hubert Niederwolfsgruber and Paolo Sbisa were outstanding in their leadership. Despite the size of the group and the wide difference in the physical capacities of the individuals, they have managed to lead the group safely during the whole event.
They were excellent in keeping the group in harmony and did utmost for everyone to enjoy this tough event.
When help was needed, they manage to do it in a way so that one would feel more confident of him or herself.
A big thanks to Hubert and Paolo...
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Few practicalities to share for the future trips ;
Technically the trip is do-able, irrespective of your physical capacity. We had a wide range of participants from serious runners and military staff to decent hill walkers, who all managed. Some with required more help from the leaders than the others, but all managed to go all the way up and down.
The first 2 days of the via ferrata trip is planned for getting acquainted with the technique and the equipment, be patient, the remaining days are tough and a lot of fun.
If you are not familiar with scrambling and/or rock climbing, please do not forget the fact that “It is normal to be afraid of the heights, just don’t panic”. Panic makes things worse and you loose control of your coordination. Do not hesitate to ask for help from the leaders. They are very experienced and they know how to handle such cases. Most of the times they will tell you to step on the little crack on your left and the problem will be solved.
The cost of renting the equipment, the via ferrata lanyard, helmet and the harness is eur 25, where as the cost of purchase of the same is around eur 130. If you are keen on continuing via ferrata and/or scrambling, it is worth considering to buy own equipment before the trip.
Consider using an approach shoe rather than a pair of mountain boots (B2). The approach shoe performs perfectly on the rocks and much lighter, about 500 gr per pair compared to a sturdy boot , weighing about 1500 gr per pair. I have used FiveTen Camp 4, which was very comfortable both on the rocks even when wet and on the scree while going downhill.
The arrival to the Hotel on the very first night is very late, and there are no lunch packs available for the next day.  Therefore, suggest to arrive with some biscuits, crackers, etc that can be your lunch pack for the first day.
The sauna in the hotel is not heated, unless you tell them to do so prior your departure every day.
You can plan to go and see Venice on the free day. There was a bus departing Dobbiaco at 06:30 am (3 hrs by bus to Venice) and returning back at 07:00 pm. The cost was eur 64, which included the bus ticket, a canal tour with a guide.  Otherwise, short walks to neighbouring towns (Innichen, 6 km, try the FunBob), crossing the Austrian border by bike to Lienz (approx 60 km, 2-3 hrs, mainly downhill and take the train on the way back) is also recommended.
The check-out time is at 11:00 am on the last day, and the bus departs from Dobbiaco to Venice at 6:00 pm, therefore one can also use the last day for sightseeing, etc.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A short note to Exodus here ; the group consisted of 15 participants, which was quite large for this event. There are long queues at the via ferrata routes and it was very hard to keep the whole group in one slot, as the speed of each member were so much different.
There were times when the time difference in between the first and the last party was 30 minutes. An optimal group size would be max 8 for such a trip. Otherwise, the large group would have been divided into 2-3 smaller ones and may even carry out different routes.
Chris Brown

INTRODUCTION TO VIA FERRATA

Written September 2012
This is a challenging and rewarding trip which felt more than an "introduction" at times and you do need to be fit.
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What did you think of your group leader?
The two local guides were very good. The trip lacks a little in not having an exodus guide on hand to fill in the logistical details but we managed.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Due to the late flight home you in fact have two free days to fill so that needs to be planned for.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
As this is billed as an 8 day holiday the exodus 8 day insurance should cover it. I resented paying for another 8 days to cover the last 25 minutes on the plane!
Renata Henkes

INTRODUCTION TO VIA FERRATA

Written July 2012
This was very challenging for someone who has mostly done walking holidays, although some of them tough too. This was really a climbing adventure and we were driven by bus to each of the daily expeditions, so walking was kept to a minimum, I would have liked more.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Dolomites are so varied and wildly beautiful that every day brought a new breathtaking vista.
Some of the Via Ferrata routes we did were the highest level of difficulty and facing the fear was a major deal for an inexperienced climber like myself.
What did you think of your group leader?
We had a German speaker and an Italian speaker and they both complimented each other well.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
You need to have a bit more than just a "head for heights", some of the ascents were proper climber territory, so you have to be fairly confident in your physical fitness and mental focus.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I did enjoy the trip a lot, mainly for the challenge and the beauty of the Dolomites.
I found, however, that some days were too short and we were done by 3 pm. In the programme much longer days were advertised.
The week could have been more densely packed with activity.
I would have preferred to have the free day at the end of the week, not the middle.
cath stibbs

INTRODUCTION TO VIA FERRATA

Written September 2011
A brilliant challenging week. The local guides from Globalalpin were fantastic.
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Frederick Cousens

INTRODUCTION TO VIA FERRATA

Written July 2011
The Dolomites are truly beautiful and should be on everyone's itinerary at some point. And if you want a bit of an adrenaline buzz from leaning out safely over empty space 2500 meters up the side of a mountain, then try Via Ferrata.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
1. Having arrived in the dark, opening the curtains of our room the following morning to a view of the mountains
2. Scaling our first 3* ferrata
3. Absorbing the scale of the scenery in relation to oneself.
What did you think of your group leader?
This was perhaps one of the disappointments of this trip, because we didn't have a group leader. We had hired mountain guides but no Exodus representative. We were met at the airport by a number of Exodus people who dropped us at our hotel but we didn't see them again until the coach arrived to take us back to the airport.
The mountain guides, while being very good, kept changing throughout the week.
Kirsty von Malaise

INTRODUCTION TO VIA FERRATA

Written August 2009
An excellent way to introduce oneself to Via Ferrata: routes were well chosen and there was the right level of challenge.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Gaining enough confidence on via ferrata to feel that I can return to the area independently. The views from Cristallo were wonderful.
What did you think of your group leader?
Both leaders were very professional and shared their love of the mountains with us.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Avoid the advances of the black cat, 'Schwarzer Peter', in the hotel. My bruises from the scrambling have long since faded, but his unexpected bite, a compulsion of his it seems, has left its mark.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Don't forget that there is a local payment of about 95 Euros for the harness hire and minibus travel.