Telluride Via Ferrata

Traverse the wildly exposed cliff band above the town of Telluride on one of only a handful of Via Ferrata (Italian for “Iron Road”) in the United States. Using a Via Ferrata lanyard, climbers attached to themselves to a steel cable that is periodically fixed to the rock in the most difficult sections. 

The Via Ferrata is easily combined with multi-pitch rock climbing and additional technical variations. For those who wish to keep is simple the “standard” route is mostly hiking with exposed sections of cable.

Mountain Trip will now be handling booking for the Telluride Via Ferrata. Please call 970-369-1153 to book.

Peak Takes the Skylight Arete Approach

Peak’s standard approach to the via ferrata is by way of Skylight Arete or Ame’s Way, a 3 pitch rock climb route. It is possible to gain the terrace and via ferrata without climbing Skylight or Ame’s Way, but we recommend taking the less traveled and more exotic route. We’ll then traverse the via ferrata along the standard route, taking time along the way to climb some of the best pitches of rock climbing. We suggest a maxuimum of 2 climbers with each guide to allow the most possible climbing along the route.

Group Size

This is a private program, no one else will be paired with your party. If your group is larger than 4, we apply a group discount and additional guides are added to keep the guest to guide ratio at 4:1 or lower. We suggest a maximum ratio of 2:1 to allow the most flexibility and the ability to climb a multi-pitch rock climb to start the via ferrata.

Time and Place

This trip meets in Telluride at a time and place to be determined with the guide. The route generally can be done in 4-7 hours depending on the group’s speed and the variations taken.

Guides have a limited number of tools at their disposal on this objective and there is no guarantee of security.

All the technical climbing equipment required for this outing is included.
View equipment list as PDF

There are endless options to climb below and above the via ferrata. There are sport routes ranging from a very introductory grade of 5.7 to harder climbs even the most seasoned climber can apprieciate.

The opening section of the via ferrata gives us a glimpse of what’s to come. Narrow ledges and exposed trail lead to a few short sections of cable.

In the middle section of the route a long mellow ledge is traversed leading to Kroger’s Bench and the Main Event.

Through the home stretch of the via ferrata there is a wide variety of challenges and long stretches of cable. This fun section is a favorite of many!

Via Ferratas were originally created as a way to move troops through the mountains of Europe during WWI. Many battles took place between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces in the Dolomites of Italy. Seeking a way to make the mountains more accessible, both sides built these routes to aid in their mountain mobility. Later they evolved into a fun recreational activity and have become increasingly popular elsewhere in the world. Our local Via Ferrata has a much more pleasant history being created specifically for fun by Telluride local, Chuck Kroger. Chuck had the vision to make an easily accessed mountain adventure for people of all ages and skill levels.

Peak Mountain Guides is a proud partner and supporter of the Via Ferrata Sustainability Fund. This fund was set up to help protect Telluride’s unique via ferrata well into the future and preserve its free access to the public. As a friend of the via ferrata, Peak Mountain Guides has accepted a role in route stewardship and has generously agreed to help cover costs associated with engineering, analysis, reporting, and more. In an effort to help keep the via ferrata open for the long-term future, we’ve added a $5 per person surcharge that will go directly to the Via Ferrata Sustainability Fund. By joining us, you’re helping to support this special route in the San Juan Mountains.