I enjoyed them very much in many parts of the Alps. If they are used irresponsibly it's the climbers fault. You can and should use them in the most responsible way possible.

I'd rather see ferratas in the mountains then paved roads.

mrzlagora wrote:Ferratas keep hikers irresponsible, and they rape the mountain.
Thoughts?

When in Bavaria I used the Klettersteigs. A poor man's Ferrata, but it's still ironwork on the rocks. When I can face going back to Germany, (without my lovely late wife ), I'll get going on some of the easier Klettersteigs again.

But with the research I used to do on all my solo mountain walks, (my wife "only" did the lower level walks with me), it meant I could get up to places and reach summits I'd otherwise be denied. Leaving alone routes I could see were above my low skill levels.

Because I've never climbed and never will, I don't see why me dragging my fat ass up such a mountain is either irresponsible or causing rape by ironwork. It's how I enjoy the mountains.

But yes. I am sure there are those who get out of a cable car high up, and wearing trainers and the wrong clothing who will try their hand on a Klettersteig or Via Ferrata. That's irresponsible IMHO, but still doesn't mean that the ironwork being there is a rape of the mountain.

Maybe mrzlagora is talking about the "via ferrata boom" of recent years, in which a bundle of new ferratas have been created. The more natural lines for such things have been occupied, and so the new ones try to garner the cachet normally associated with rock climbing by adding overhangs and other tricks to increase the excitement.

I'm with mrzlagora when it comes to these new developments. Via ferrata have a historical places in the Alps, and provide many good (ie, not "rapine") experiences for all. Those old ones should be left alone. But some of the new ones probably deserve the outsized language mrzlagora uses and offer a valid bone of contention.

What mvs and mrzlagora sre saying is the general attituda among climbers here in Italy. There are exceptions of course. While older ferratas have a logic too them, and often have a history, that sometimes dates back to WWI, and are therefore an interesting way to get to know the mountains, some of the new ones seem to be looking for technical difficulty, making them much more similar to, and competing with rock climbing. This is pointless, as for passing technical points, rock climbing already exists.
Plus, what worries me, on such hard ferrata is the level of danger and risk of injuries, that appaently might be higher on a ferrata rather than on a climb.

I understand guys.

I was quite happy with the small amount of ironwork I found and used. Gave me more than enough routes to use.

I don't see the need to start adding a lot more, especially if it is of the more complex Ferrata type of ironwork on what were once pure climbing routes. Once that starts there may be no end to it.