Vie Ferrate
Our friends Carol and Mike invited us to come to Ridgeway for a small Airstream Rally. They have a spectacular property on Log Hill called Piñon Park that has several full RV hookups and lots of space to dry camp. Their property has amazing views of the San Juans including Mount Sneffels. In addition to hanging out with Carol, Mike and other Airstream friends, our plan was to climb the Telluride and Ouray Via Ferratas. Via Ferrata is Italian for “Iron Path” and is a mountain climbing route that employs steel cables and rungs for safety. They have been common in the Alps for decades and are growing rapidly in the US.
Mike & Carol’s 30 foot Airstream, parked on their property.
The view of the San Juan’s from Mike & Carol’s property.
A dramatic sunset from Mike & Carol’s yard.
Great views of Mount Sneffels and the San Juans on the drive to Telluride.
The Aspens were at their peak of color in Telluride.
The start of the Telluride Via Ferrata is near Bridal Veil Falls.
Staci at the start of the Telluride Via Ferrata.
Many parts of the Telluride Via Ferrata looked like this. Very exposed, narrow loose ledges and no cables. We decided to stop at this point.
The next day we went to Ouray to try their Via Ferrata. It traverses the this rock face, above a deep canyon, and has a well-maintained cable the entire way.
Staci at the start of the Ouray Via Ferrata.
Staci crossing the first cable bridge. She has a Via Ferrata Y-shaped lanyard that stretches to minimize the force during a fall. The lanyard attaches to the harness and has two lengths of webbing with locking carabiners. The goal is to always have one carabiner attached to the Via Ferrata cable. In this case she is clipped into both top cables.
The end of the Via Ferrata.
Another beautiful sunset from Mike & Carol’s.
Staci running the Ouray Perimeter trail, which circumnavigates the city over 6 miles.
Driving down Monarch Pass on the way home. The Aspens were gorgeous all over Colorado.
