Via Ferrata Telluride

Extreme Adrenaline Rush - Via Ferrata Telluride

6-27-16

DAY 9

A few months ago, when we asked Papa what he wanted to do for his 40th birthday this year, he said “the via ferrata in Telluride.” We all agreed, not knowing what we had committed ourselves to doing. Little did we know, neither did he!

We got ready excitedly for our adventure on the via ferrata, putting our faith in Papa to make sure that we had all of the info for the “hike” and the correct gear. Our understanding was that it would be kind of like horizontal rock climbing where you are clipped into a cable for safety. After all the gear was sorted and packed, we left the campground for our “hike.” The approach was on a pretty dirt road full of switchbacks, wildflowers, birds, and a huge waterfall. Once we found the trail head, we got our harnesses and helmets on and headed out - this was the last time our heart rates would be normal.

The beginning of the hike was a little scary and we weren’t even sure we were on the right trail. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we would not be clipped into a safety cable for large chunks of the exposed hike along a sheer cliff. Frequently, the footing was on loose rocks - one wrong step and catastrophe could strike. Luckily, there was a cable to clip into on some of the more dangerous sections, but it would have been much less stressful if there had been more cables. There was only one freak-out moment by Maya, but Papa got her through. There was a trail log half way through and it was really funny to read the comments of other hikers. The pictures don't quite do this experience justice, but it can give you an idea of what it was like.

Afterwards, Mama and Papa both agreed that it probably wasn't the safest option, and if they'd known more about the unclipped sections we probably wouldn't have done it.

That evening, we took the FREE gondola ride to the Mountain Village to see Mama’s friend, Katja from her gymnastics days. She was awesome and so were the well-earned 6 personal s'mores that we got for dessert!