History of Via Ferratas

From the first touristic Via Ferrata over World War I to modern Via Ferratas

In this post I will give you a short summary about the history, origins and development of Via Ferratas.

Everthing started at the Dachstein, Austria. The 1st touristic kind of Via Ferrata was created by Friedrich Simony. Instead of the modern steel cables he used marine rope.

In World War I  there was a mountain warfare between Austria-Hungary  and Italy. It was important to keep the summits and Via Ferratas were built as trails for the soldiers and logistics. Most of them are to find in the Dolomites, in South Tyrol and Trentino. A lot of them are reconstructed.

However, the "Big Boom" of Via Ferratas started first in this century. More and more modern sport Via Ferratas have been created. More spectacular, more difficult. And some of them became commercial. Well, that does not mean, you have to pay entrance, but they were built from cable car companies or tourism clubs to get more visitors in areas. Currently there is a contorversy. Alpine Clubs trying to fight against this development.

Here is a timeline of the origins of Via Ferratas:

1843 - First Via Ferrata at the "Hoher Dachstein"

1869 - The "Stüdlgrat" at Großglockner got a fixed rope (currently not a Via Ferrata, but a popular climbing route)

1873 - A Via Ferrata to the Zugspitze was built

1899 - Opening of the "Heilbronner Weg" in the Allgäuer Alps

1903 - The Marmolada got a Via Ferrata

1911 - The Scheffauer in the "Wilder Kaiser" in Austria got a Via Ferrata

1915 

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1917   - At the front line of the mountain warfare in WWI a lot of Via Ferratas were built for a military purpose. A lot of them are reconstructed

1932 - The first part of the "Via delle Boccette" was built, the "Sentiero Brentari"

1967 

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1970 - Some of the most famous Via Ferratas were built, for example the "Via Lipella", "Via Tomaselli" and the "Pisciadu Klettersteig"

1976 - The first sport Via Ferrata was built at Monte Albano near Lake Garda and Arco. Because of some legal problems it was closed for a couple of years, but re-opened in 2014

1991 - Two of the first Via Ferratas were built in the French Alps and the Via Ferrata Boom started in France

1993 - Opening of the "Tälli Klettersteig", first Via Ferrata of Switzerland

2002 - Salzburg got his own Via Ferrata, the "City Wall Klettersteig". Very short, but extreme 

For sure this timeline is not complete. I will update it regularly.

My next post will be about definitions, components and special attractions of Via Ferratas.