First English Via Ferrata For Lakes
Who needs the Dolomites when you've got, erm, Fleetwith Pike?
Posted: 13 March 2007
by Jon
The UK will get its first Via Ferrata at the Honister
Slate Mine in the Lake District with the opening scheduled
for May during the first Keswick Mountain Festival.
Via Ferrata, which use a combination of ladders, chains, cables
and other metal hardware to safeguard walkers on steep terrain are
popular in Europe, but new to the UK. They were originally developed
to facilitate troop movements in the mountains during WW1 and the
best known are in the Dolomites.
The Honister version will follow a Victorian miners' route along
the face of Fleetwith Pike - above - using cables, steel ladders and
solid bridges for protection before topping out on the 2,126 foot
summit.
It sounds more of a tourist attraction than a genuine outdoor
experience however. Honister Slate Mine already has a visitor centre
and cafe along with guided underground mine tours.
Owner Mark Weir says that the via ferrata is being introduced for
the increasing number of people looking for a different high
adventure experience in the Lakes. He continues...
"Honister Via Ferrata is not just a first for the Lake District
but a first in England. We are convinced it will be incredibly
popular - not just with walkers - but with young families
looking to achieve something together, create lifelong memories and
to be rewarded with the sort of views you only get from an
aeroplane."
More about Honister Slate Mine at www.honister.com
Discuss this story
It's certainly an interesting idea and a good example of diversification. The Press trip looks fun with the helicopter flight over it too. I'm not too sure how well their plans to follow it up with one on Clogwyn Y Person Arete once the new cafe on Snowdon's finished will go down though - to make the route from CYPA to the summit safe means they'll have to "protect" Crib Y Ddysgl too, and that's part of the Snowdon Horseshoe.
Posted: 13/03/2007 at 16:47
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