Via Ferrate means literally ‘Ways of Iron’. The ‘iron’ in question are ladders that are a legacy from the conflict in WW1 when troops battled for supremacy in the high mountains. The ladders and cableways are fastened to the vertical faces and high ridges and these days, under the guidance of Mountain Guides, they allow walkers and climbers to safely ascend mountains normally only accessible by experienced mountaineers.

Originally a feature of the high granite spires and pinnacles of the Italian Dolomites, the construction of new Via Ferrate has spread across the Alps.