Via Ferrata Telluride

I'm looking a partner to do the Via Ferrata trail with July 23. 

I would love to do this in Telluride with you.

It's all horizontal traversing. Make sure your teathers is dynamic though. 

Christian George wrote:

It is possible to generate a factor 5 fall. 

If the formula for calculating fall factor = distance of fall / amount of rope fallen on, please explain how this ratio can be greater than 2....

20 ft fall / 4 ft of rope in the system = fall factor 5

look at a via ferrata and think about it for a minute. it's easy to see how this could happen.

Alexander Blum wrote:

20 ft fall / 4 ft of rope in the system = fall factor 5

look at a via ferrata and think about it for a minute. it's easy to see how this could happen.

please elaborate... im a little slow...

EDIT: NM, got it...

:) good

Christian, why do you recommend going left to right for your first time?  So we would end up at the bridal veil falls road side?  I was just curious.  I appreciate the advice.  I plan on doing it soon this summer.  I actually have my via ferrata tether on order right now.

nathan, left to right, you are looking ar bridal veil falls while walking towards it, especially on the last traverse, rather than walking away from it the whole time.  plus then more of the fun is at the end, rather than near the start....

Also, yes, you should have a decent via ferrata set up, but you have screwed up something fierce if you generate a factor 5 fall on the Telluride Via ferrata.  It is 100% horizontal, there are no vertical sections to generate elevated force.  plus, to be honest - you would have to try to fall off the  thing.

It's horizontal, not vertical, and amply protected. Slings with large easy open lockers are fine. Throw screamers in if you want. 

I recommend out and backing from the east. Right to left then back. Considering the shuttle or hike, it's just as fast for some to return and more fun.

DIY teather for the Telluride Via Ferrata:

Note:  This setup is only for the horizontal via ferrata in Telluride, it will not work for a via ferrata with vertical climbing. If you're planning on doing an actual via ferrata get an actual teather system. 

1.  Five to six feet of dynamic climbing rope. 

Tie a figure eight on a bite in the middle and at each end. Make the bite in the middle just big enough to be girth hitched through your hard points on your harness. The other two bite should be just big enough to allow you to clip locking biner through them. 

When girth hitched to your harness you want the bites at the end of the rope to he at your hands with you arm fully extended. Too long? Shorten the bite locations at the end of your rope. 

2.  Dedicated carabiners (2). Once you use the biners on the VF cables they can get burrs scratched into them. Don't use these biners for climbing again. In fact use steel biners if you can as they will last longer ( assuming you do the VF often)

That's it. Very simple and cheap to build. Several shops in Telluride will sell you 5-6 foot lengths of new climbing rope just to make a teather for around $15   

goingUp wrote:

Also, yes, you should have a decent via ferrata set up, but you have screwed up something fierce if you generate a factor 5 fall on the Telluride Via ferrata.  It is 100% horizontal, there are no vertical sections to generate elevated force.  plus, to be honest - you would have to try to fall off the  thing.

I agree that it's very unlikely a climber would fall off the via ferrata in Telluride, but I can think of a couple of spots where you can generate vertical falls. I remember one section where you do have to scramble up a bit. It's easy, like climbing a ladder, but sometimes people do fall off ladders. Also, at the end of the horizontal traverse (the only part that's actually like a real via ferrata) I remember you have to stand up on a ledge. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I remember before you get the next anchor point clipped, the last anchor point is by your feet or maybe below your feet. Again, unlikely that anyone would fall off the thing, but is it possible to hurt yourself if you do slip off? I think so.

Rob, the Telluride Via Ferrata is super fun. I second the advice on doing an out-and-back from the east (R-L-R). The dedicated VF setups are indeed safer - a factory 2+ fall is easily possible in VF, since on vertical runs you would slide down a section of cable before the lanyard binder jammed at the next attachment point down. Unthinkable fall, really - fortunately, highly unlikely on ladder rungs. But maybe the best thing about dedicated VF setups is the heel-of-the-hand unlocking mechanism and cable-friendly action of the VF biners. You do A LOT of clipping!