What an amazing set up. I wasn't aware there were any Via Ferrata's in the USA. Your pics are outstanding and kudos to your son for doing this one with you. I see your dog refused to attempt it however. ; )
Thank you Dean. I was so proud of my son because some sections were scary and he is afraid of heights. I did not give Duchess any chance, she spent the day resting at home:)
Enjoyable read and I love to see your son out hiking and climbing with you! And it's an amazing tribute to Kroger and his technical ability to share a beautiful place with others (though some might disagree!).
I was climbing late one night with a friend (Marc) at the grand junction climbing center and as usual we talk of fun climbs and hikes that we have done recently.
He was telling me about his recent trip to telluride and late one evening he had gone on a hike that went across a 300' cliff on iron bars. He described the town lights at night and stars and mountains on some mystical hike across a cliff face, and music echoing up through the canyon from some concert that was happening in the town.
Well that was enough for me the next weekend i went to telluride, unsure of where to find the start of this hike i hit the streets and started asking the locals, i was surprised just about everybody in town had known about it and where it was located and i did get good directions to the mine.
i have yet to do this hike at night but i must say it is one of the coolest hiking trails i have gone on.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this really excellently written article of yours full of very interesting information! And the place looks very attractive, I might even say, very "European" - it stirred up quite a lot of old memories of places I had been to, years ago, in Italy and Switzerland (of course not on via ferratas! :D). Congrats to you, also for your well-deserved photo of the day (even if it means I failed by a hair to make POTD today - haha!), and congrats to Misa as well - chapeau for having done that route so courageously!
Cheers, Liba,
Eric
Thanks Eric. It was an exciting day, and my son did so great. Did I mention that he is afraid of heights?
You are right, this part of Colorado is particularly beautiful, and so far from big cities (front range area) that it still feels relatively uncrowded.
Thanks again for visiting.
Thanks for posting Liba, that was a great read! I didn't know that VF. even existed, and have never heard anyone talk about it before.I Will have to put that on the must do list.
Ps. I think I ran into you, and your friend coming off the Coxcomb, back in Aug???
yes, I was on cruising mode, focused on getting into the basin. What a fantastic place to camp The wild flowers were amazing! We climbed the Coxcomb, Wetterhorn, and some no name thirteeners. It looks like you did the north side of the Coxcomb. Was that a new route( first ascent?) What a great area of Colorado!
Wow, sounds like you had an exciting trip. No, I don't think it was first ascent. It is a common descent route, and we ended up just below the belay anchors. It was easy, just one pitch.
I love San Juans too.
Hi James, I already had a link to Telluride Mountain club via ferrata info. I did not know that somebody took a 70 foot fall on it - I guess they had no security system set up. This page was not meant as a route description, but more as an information.
I understand that it does have very difficult and exposed sections, and I would not go there unprotected.
I was hoping to honor Kroger, and write about this unique experience. Thanks, for your comment.
I'm non sure about this. I've enjoyed ferrata routes in Europe immensely, but I'm not sure if it's such a good idea in the USA. Maybe if it is limited...this route for example was put up by a dedicated team who knew what they were doing, and had experienced climbing in both continents, and it shows in the quality and planning. But even European climbers are starting to realize that via ferrata can only go so far before it gets silly. In a country where one cannot use a power drill on the walls of Yosemite, and you have to pay a huge fee to climb a virtually privately owned via ferrata outside Jackson WY, one has to wonder where this is going. Your page looks like the most sane development so far...
Thanks, I understand your mixed response. When one mentions via ferrata, I think of the Alps. I think this one is well designed and safe. Definitively, not a destination of a via ferrata person - Dolomites would be a better place to go to.
So far, this route is free, but there are some talks about closing it b/c many people go there unprepared, and many people do not know via ferrata's systems. Also, this route is hard to rate per via ferrata standards b/c it traverses horizontally, and requires a few downclimbing moves, which I think are harder than going up.
Dean - Oct 3, 2011 1:15 pm - Voted 10/10
Great stuff LibaWhat an amazing set up. I wasn't aware there were any Via Ferrata's in the USA. Your pics are outstanding and kudos to your son for doing this one with you. I see your dog refused to attempt it however. ; )
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 3, 2011 1:24 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great stuff LibaThank you Dean. I was so proud of my son because some sections were scary and he is afraid of heights. I did not give Duchess any chance, she spent the day resting at home:)
ozarkmac - Oct 12, 2011 12:24 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Great stuff LibaAw, but the most famous and popular via ferrata of all is in California:
http://www.summitpost.org/the-cables/157874
silversummit - Oct 3, 2011 2:12 pm - Voted 10/10
Fascinating place!Enjoyable read and I love to see your son out hiking and climbing with you! And it's an amazing tribute to Kroger and his technical ability to share a beautiful place with others (though some might disagree!).
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 3, 2011 3:25 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Fascinating place!Thank you so much. I think that Kroger's work should be appreciated too.
Rockclimber77 - Oct 3, 2011 5:20 pm - Voted 10/10
the mystical via ferrataI was climbing late one night with a friend (Marc) at the grand junction climbing center and as usual we talk of fun climbs and hikes that we have done recently.
He was telling me about his recent trip to telluride and late one evening he had gone on a hike that went across a 300' cliff on iron bars. He described the town lights at night and stars and mountains on some mystical hike across a cliff face, and music echoing up through the canyon from some concert that was happening in the town.
Well that was enough for me the next weekend i went to telluride, unsure of where to find the start of this hike i hit the streets and started asking the locals, i was surprised just about everybody in town had known about it and where it was located and i did get good directions to the mine.
i have yet to do this hike at night but i must say it is one of the coolest hiking trails i have gone on.
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 3, 2011 6:56 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: the mystical via ferrataThanks David. What are you doing tonight? How about checking out lights over Telluride from via ferrata?
EricChu - Oct 4, 2011 5:27 am - Voted 10/10
Bravo, Liba!!!I thoroughly enjoyed reading this really excellently written article of yours full of very interesting information! And the place looks very attractive, I might even say, very "European" - it stirred up quite a lot of old memories of places I had been to, years ago, in Italy and Switzerland (of course not on via ferratas! :D). Congrats to you, also for your well-deserved photo of the day (even if it means I failed by a hair to make POTD today - haha!), and congrats to Misa as well - chapeau for having done that route so courageously!
Cheers, Liba,
Eric
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 4, 2011 9:05 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Bravo, Liba!!!Thanks Eric. It was an exciting day, and my son did so great. Did I mention that he is afraid of heights?
You are right, this part of Colorado is particularly beautiful, and so far from big cities (front range area) that it still feels relatively uncrowded.
Thanks again for visiting.
pyerger - Oct 5, 2011 4:48 pm - Voted 10/10
Great ReadThanks for posting Liba, that was a great read! I didn't know that VF. even existed, and have never heard anyone talk about it before.I Will have to put that on the must do list.
Ps. I think I ran into you, and your friend coming off the Coxcomb, back in Aug???
Cheers, Peter
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 5, 2011 8:45 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great ReadThanks Peter.
Wow... I wish we would have a longer time to talk. Did you like your trip to Wetterhorn basin?
pyerger - Oct 6, 2011 3:25 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Great Readyes, I was on cruising mode, focused on getting into the basin. What a fantastic place to camp The wild flowers were amazing! We climbed the Coxcomb, Wetterhorn, and some no name thirteeners. It looks like you did the north side of the Coxcomb. Was that a new route( first ascent?) What a great area of Colorado!
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 6, 2011 9:44 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great ReadWow, sounds like you had an exciting trip. No, I don't think it was first ascent. It is a common descent route, and we ended up just below the belay anchors. It was easy, just one pitch.
I love San Juans too.
imontop - Oct 9, 2011 9:41 pm - Voted 10/10
Wow!Great stuff Liba!
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 10, 2011 2:55 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Wow!Thanks for visiting. I think it is a great route, and amazing scenery.
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 10, 2011 10:06 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Points of ConcernHi James, I already had a link to Telluride Mountain club via ferrata info. I did not know that somebody took a 70 foot fall on it - I guess they had no security system set up. This page was not meant as a route description, but more as an information.
I understand that it does have very difficult and exposed sections, and I would not go there unprotected.
I was hoping to honor Kroger, and write about this unique experience. Thanks, for your comment.
ozarkmac - Oct 10, 2011 4:36 am - Voted 10/10
Terrific photosand very interesting read. Thanks!
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 10, 2011 3:01 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Terrific photosThank you for visiting and comment.
darinchadwick - Oct 10, 2011 7:57 am - Voted 10/10
Mixed responseI'm non sure about this. I've enjoyed ferrata routes in Europe immensely, but I'm not sure if it's such a good idea in the USA. Maybe if it is limited...this route for example was put up by a dedicated team who knew what they were doing, and had experienced climbing in both continents, and it shows in the quality and planning. But even European climbers are starting to realize that via ferrata can only go so far before it gets silly. In a country where one cannot use a power drill on the walls of Yosemite, and you have to pay a huge fee to climb a virtually privately owned via ferrata outside Jackson WY, one has to wonder where this is going. Your page looks like the most sane development so far...
Liba Kopeckova - Oct 10, 2011 3:00 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Mixed responseThanks, I understand your mixed response. When one mentions via ferrata, I think of the Alps. I think this one is well designed and safe. Definitively, not a destination of a via ferrata person - Dolomites would be a better place to go to.
So far, this route is free, but there are some talks about closing it b/c many people go there unprepared, and many people do not know via ferrata's systems. Also, this route is hard to rate per via ferrata standards b/c it traverses horizontally, and requires a few downclimbing moves, which I think are harder than going up.