Rendezvous with the Via Ferrata I Now OPEN

Saturday morning, up at above 9000’, the routes of the Via Ferrata lay waiting for the first climbers.  Snow patches still punctuated the trails; marmot chirps resound in the natural amphitheater.  The dull metal glint of the Ferrata’s rungs and cables were visible from the Gondola.

Jake, one of the guides waiting at the Rendezvous Lodge, moved forward to greet the first climber of the season as she stepped out of the gondola car. Lisa, with a huge grin already on her face, lit up even more upon his greeting.  Lisa had done some climbing in the past and loved it.  However, she hadn’t climbed in over two decades.  “I’m so excited…and nervous” she confessed and thought the Via Ferrata would be a fantastic way to get started again.

Jackson’s Via Ferrata is a great way for anyone to get started. The thoughtfully placed rungs and hand holds allow a neophyte or a nervous returner an extra measure of security. The classic Teton granite allows the bolder or more experienced climber to test themselves alongside the route.  All participants wear a harness and lanyard system. As the climber ascends, he or she clips the lanyard onto a route side cable. In case of a stumble, this system arrests the fall.

The routes also include several suspension bridges and a ladder- all reminiscent of the traditional features found on Ferratas in their birthplace, the Italian Alps. The longest suspension bridge is 112 feet long and 75’ above the ground.  The sparsest, the Tyrolean Traverse, is a mere single span of wire across a ravine. At first, it looks intimidating.  However, the confidence-inspiring lanyard system, and well-chosen words from your guide, back you up. Before you know it, you are whooping on the far side.

There was no shortage of whooping as Jake and Lisa strolled back into the Via Ferrata basecamp area 3 hours later. A jubilant Lisa recounted the routes they had been on- from The Good, The Bad or The Ugly to Shifty/Shakey to The Bridge.  Then back around to tackle Tough Love.  Standing mid-span on the Bridge she looked back at Jake, “I’m so glad I’m out here doing this again.” A final down climb brought the pair to a fixed line over a hefty frozen pile of snow left from the winter.

Lisa turned toward the valley; a slight breeze ruffled her sweatshirt.  The Snake River wound sinuously below; the Headwall and Ranger Ridge loomed large above. Her eyes crinkled in a huge smile above her mask.  “Wow, we are really IN the mountains, aren’t we?  This is the real deal….” as a tone of wonderment crept into her voice.  We couldn’t agree more.

The Via Ferrata is a guided-only activity. To book either call 307.739.2797 or purchase online at Via Ferrata.