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Via Ferrata may be new to Tahoe, but its origins are actually quite old! Via Ferrata, Italian for “iron way,” originated during the first and second World Wars. In order to aid troops in crossing the high peaks and passes of the Alps, the rock was retrofitted with steel ladder rungs and cables. The steel “aids” made the challenging terrain accessible to soldiers with no prior climbing experience. After the wars, nobody bothered to remove the leftover hardware from the rock and eventually recreationists began climbing the old routes for fun. Just like that, a new sport was born!

Think of Tahoe Via Ferrata as an assisted climbing activity. It transforms complex and impassable terrain into a fun and accessible course. We’ve equipped the rock with ladder rungs, steel steps, and suspension bridges to allow climbers to move through challenging terrain. Each Via Ferrata route also has a steel cable anchored into the rock which runs up the entire route from start to finish. Each participant is issued a harness with a specialized lanyard that attaches to the cable. This system achieves two goals. First of all, it ensures that participants are connected to the rock 100% of the time. Secondly, it makes climbing a big cliff accessible to people with no prior climbing experience.