Tired of indoor climbing? Ever want to feel what it might be like to climb a mountain, but feel too afraid to try? Give Via Ferrata at Mt. Norquay a go! Latin for iron road, Via Ferrata has three different guided tours for people to experience climbing first hand while have extra safety precautions of attaching to a steel cable throughout the climb.
Our tour guide Kim greets us in the cabin at the bottom of the hill. Most of our group of eight are in our twenties and early thirties, but there are also a couple in their fifties. Kim has the easy-going attitude of someone who is used to climbing mountains, and her quiet confidence makes us all feel at ease about climbing a mountain.
We decide that my sneakers may not be the best shoes for the hike (my hiking boots were giving me blisters, so I didn’t wear them), so the Norquay staff let me borrow a pair of hiking boots. Like a bowling alley, they have many different sizes of hiking boots to choose from.
After getting our crew together, we head down to gear up at a cabin closer to the chairlift. Since it is a bit cloudy outside, Kim informs us that it may snow once we get higher up the mountain. The hike comes with much of the equipment that we need, including wind breaker pants for keeping our legs warm. We all put on our harnesses and helmets while Kim goes around to each of us to make sure we have our equipment on properly.
We ride the fifteen minute chairlift up to the beginning of the hike. Kim then leads us to a small practice area. We each take a turn attaching and releasing our auto-locking carabiners from the steel cable as we climb up. Once everyone finishes the practice route, we are ready to go!
Elevation at the top of the chairlift. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Checking footing as we climb up Via Ferrata. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Girl on the suspension bridge. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Dangling on a precipice. Photo by Kim the tour guide.
Climbing up to the top. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Top of the climb. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Looking down a mountain. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
View from the top. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Hiking to the bottom. Photo by Sarah Ferguson.
Even though I’ve done a bit of outdoor climbing in the past, I’ve never gone as high up as we get to do on the Via Ferrata. I get a giddy feeling of excitement as I gaze at the stunning views. The Via Ferrata guided tour and route started two years ago, but Kim tells us that Mt. Norquay has a hundred year plan for it. Meaning, they are taking steps to make sure that the path will be as beautiful in one hundred years as it is now. I hope that is true, because the trip to the top is one we should all be lucky enough to experience.
The Ridgewalker Route is 4 hours long and $179 + GST per person. The Explorer route (2.5 hours long and $139 + GST per person) and the Mountaineer route (6 hours long and $299 + GST per person) are also available. The routes run from June 18 to October 12 each year.