Are the wire ropes for support or protection?"

"I know vie ferrate both from doing them and building them. My brother and I built the first vie ferrate in Sweden a few years ago and will build the first one in Norway this summer. I have a few thoughts on whether it is correct or incorrect to use the wire as a handhold:

A fall on a via ferrata will, mostly, be much more uncomfortable, than a well safeguarded fall using traditional rope techniques. The braking will, in spite of the "zyper", be more sudden. You might hurt yourself on iron sticking out and so on.

If the fall is caused by using loose hand- or footholds you might bring following parties in danger because of stonefall.

Therefore I think that the inexperienced climber is well advised to use the wire for support as well as protection. I don´t know how often (alpine) via ferratas are inspected. A good guess might be that it differs wildly. Therefore a (short) climbing rope should be carried and used when in doubt of the construction. Using the wire only for protection calls, I think, rather for climbing experience (handling loose or doubtful rock for instance) than sheer technical climbing ability.

If you intend to freeclimb a difficult via ferrata, I think you should treat it as an ordinary climbing route, using the rope techniques that goes with it (slings for runners on eyebolts and so on)".

The registered number of visitors to the vie ferrate Arne and his brother constructed has increased from 350 to 3,000-4,000 the latest years. The routes themselves go together for the first 70-80 meters. Then branches and zig zag their way up the 200 m wall of Skuleberget. The left one is easy/moderate according to via ferrata grading. It can also be freeclimbed quite easily (moderate, I think, by British climbing standards). The right one is difficult according to via ferratagrading. (Some "Hard very severe" by British climbing standards if freeclimbed).

On the right route we have had some incidents, connected to freeclimbing attempts. Nothing really serious, but those involved have quite clearly felt surprised and unprepared for the violence of the experience of falling in the via ferrataequipment. These incidents led us to announce, that "the name of the via ferratagame" is to use the wire both for protection and support. The via ferrata equipment can be lifesaving, but you certainly shouldn´t test it just for fun!

Via ferrata in Sweden

They are situated on Skuleberget some 600 kilometres north of Stockholm along the E4. (About 40 kilometres north of the newbuilt "pride" of our county, The Veda bridge, which is said to be the same size and shape as the Golden Gate bridge. You surely can´t miss it!) Equipment can be rented on Skule Naturum at the foot of the wall and with the E4 right on the other side, for 80 kronor (some 8 pounds/person).

The routes are simply called "Skule klätterleder=via ferratas My brother and I brought the "Via ferrata-idea" to Sweden 12 years ago, after, having spent a nice " via ferrata-holiday" in the Alps. We went there together with our girlfriends and it was much their enthusiasm being non-climbers, that gave us the idea of a via ferrata in Sweden.

We presented this idea for the county government. They liked it. Gave us the necessary money for the project and then we built the first one on Skuleberget in the summer of -87 and the second one in -90.

Since there is no real mountain tradition in Sweden we couldn´t expect people to bring there own equipment, like in the Alps. We therefore arranged with the touristoffice at the foot of Skuleberget, that they should rent the via ferrataequipment. Part of the service would be to educate the visitors in the use of it and to provide other information for their safety. That´s the way it works.

We educate the tourist office staff every year and inspect the routes twice a year. We also inspect the equipment on these occasions and propose replacement when necessary. The staff however is also supposed to check the equipment as part of their daily routines. The registered number of visitors has increased from 350 to 3.000-4.000 the latest years.

The routes themselves go together for the first 70-80 meters. Then branches and zig zag their way up the 200 m wall of Skuleberget. The left one is easy/moderate according to via ferrata grading. It can also be freeclimbed quite easily (moderate, I think, by British climbing standards). The right one is difficult according to via ferrata grading. (Some "Hard very severe" by British climbing standards if freeclimbed).