Via ferratas and secured paths

Slovenian mountains offer exceptional opportunities for exploration, both for hikers and adrenaline seekers.Increasingly well-known and popular are ascents via protected mountain trails and climbs along via ferratas, which are becoming ever more attractive, especially in alpine regions. Although both activities share the same goal – overcoming demanding mountain terrain – they differ in difficulty, equipment, and the type of experience they offer. In this presentation, we will explore the main differences between them, and then focus on some examples from the Julian Alps, the Upper Sava Valley, and the western part of the Karavanke, where one can find outstanding routes and via ferratas for every taste.

History

Before diving into the technical details, let us first look at the history of via ferratas and protected climbing routes. The vast majority of mountaineers and the broader mountain community probably believe that the story began in Italy, specifically in the Dolomites, since the very term via ferrata (iron path) comes from the Italian understanding of protected routes. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The story of protected routes actually began in Austria, today’s mecca of sport via ferratas. In 1843, the first protected climbing route (a classic via ferrata) was established on the normal route to the Hoher Dachstein (2995 m), rising above Ramsau. Today, its south face is home to one of the longest and tallest alpine sport via ferratas – the Dachstein Super Ferrata (1200 m of elevation gain and 1850 m in length, graded D/E).

The greatest expansion of protected climbing routes began during the First World War, along the front lines in the Italian Dolomites, where mighty towers and peaks were equipped with iron aids to improve and facilitate logistics for the army. Today, many well-known tourist and sports centers (Arco–Riva del Garda, Canazei, Cortina d’Ampezzo, etc.) build their successful stories of mountaineering and tourism also on the development of these routes.

In Slovenia, the story of protected climbing routes began with the very first ascent of Triglav, when climbers secured a passage in the notorious chimney above Planika with a “komarča” (a log with cut branches). Later, in 1896, Jakob Aljaž had the route from Kredarica to the summit of Triglav secured, and thus Slovenians gained their own protected route. The route from Planika Hut (then Maria Theresa Hut) was under the management of the DÖAV (German-Austrian Alpine Club).

More developments followed:

• Between the two wars, Trentar Hanza and Borovec Kopiščar established routes in the north faces of Mala Mojstrovka and Prisank.
• At that time, two of the more difficult routes in the Julian Alps were also created: Via Italiana on Travnik and Kugy’s route on Montaž (today abandoned).
• The very first seriously protected climbing route (a classic via ferrata) in Slovenia appeared in the Kamnik–Savinja Alps. On daring Konj, near the more famous Rzenik, a route was equipped as early as the late 19th century – so our “Očak” (Triglav) does not hold the primacy.
• The most daring and magnificent route is the protected climbing path from Logarska Valley past Klemenča Jama Hut to Ojstrica, known as Kopinškova pot, which was established during the turbulent time of the Second World War.

Austria nevertheless took the leading role in the development of sport via ferratas, from where the idea spread to Slovenia. Today, there are many – from easy to difficult, from less attractive to spectacular ones. One such ferrata is located by the highest waterfall in Carinthia – the Falbach ferrata, graded E. Austria now has over 800 sport via ferratas, and Slovenia still has quite some work ahead to catch up – provided we even wish to.

Slovenia got its first sport via ferrata only in 2011, near the village of Vinska Gora, where the local Mountaineering Club (PD Vinska Gora), with the help of the Alpine Association of Slovenia’s technical team, equipped the wall of Gonžarjeva peč. For a long time, this route held the primacy as the hardest in Slovenia, graded D/E.

Four years later, the development continued at Jezersko, where, at the initiative of the late Davo Karničar, a sport via ferrata was established in a more alpine environment – in the north face of Ravenska Kočna, directly below Češka koča (Czech Hut), which also gave the ferrata its name.

Shortly after, Kranjska Gora also recognized the great potential of expanding its tourist offer, and in 2015 established the Mojstrana ferrata (Aljaž’s Route and the Mojstrana Squirrels’ Route), which is now certainly the most visited ferrata in Slovenia. It later added the Hvadnik, Jerm’n, and in 2022 also the Dobršnik ferrata.

Following these three leading destinations, more ferratas were created: Lisca, Boč, Otmarjeva, Spodnji Plot, and most recently Črna na Koroškem, where two years ago the currently longest and most difficult sport via ferrata in Slovenia was opened. The Olimpline Ferrata is graded F and leads to the top of an attractive zipline that can take visitors back into the valley.