Via Ferrata in Telluride

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Overcoming Your Fears

I must say that even attempting this was actually a miracle. When it comes to getting off the ground in a high location, I am insanely terrified. So, how did I get off the ground and complete this? Well, it was a work retreat, and one of my coworkers requested we do this for her thirtieth birthday. There I was faced with chilling in Telluride, CO or experiencing a first with the rest of the team.

The Via Ferrata

Telluride, CO has a hike called the Via Ferrata. This is where you hike horizontally across a mountainside. Yes...across a mountainside! How do you do this? There are iron bars drilled into the side of the mountain. Basically, there is you, a harness and iron bars keeping you on the side of a mountain. Below you is a 400ft drop. This was used in war to help soldiers cross a mountain during a war. This was recreated in the beautiful land of Telluride, CO. If you ever want an easy thrill, I highly recommend this hike.

The Adventure

We drove up to the start of the hike. I had no idea what to expect; well, except the fact that I will have nothing underneath me but iron bars. We get on our harnesses, and they teach us how to use our clips. Then we need to put on helmets. Safety first! Well, except where is safety helping you survive a several hundred foot fall? Sorry, that's the fear talking. Now you may not know, but I have an extremely huge head. I can't even find a hat to buy in a local store. So, I strap on my boss' wife's helmet. If you needed something to laugh at, that is a site worth seeing. Either way, we were prepared for the hike.

We took a short stroll up to the start of the walk. This hike has a walking start, the Via Ferrata, and then a walking finish. The first part of the walk is cool but mildly scary. You are right near the edge and there is no rolling off, just a vertical drop. As you get closer to the Ferrata, the path starts to narrow, and you need to begin clipping in to wires attached to the side of the mountain. The best part of this walk is the view.

Telluride is a small mountain town that has become a huge tourist location and rests in the bottom of a valley. From the start of the Ferrata, you can see the whole town, the valley, and the beautiful sites. At the time of year we go, it is always changing colors on the trees. The site was even better because you could see everything from green to red! I could have stopped there, but I wanted to face my fears.

Surprisingly the actual Ferrata isn't crazy long. I got started, and my coworker led me through each part. I did look down once, and it was the only thing that filled me with fear. At about the 2/3rd mark, my coworker had to adjust her rope so it would be longer. So, we just hung on the side of this mountain for like eight minutes. That was hard, but again, as a heavy dude, this wasn't so bad.

After we finished, there was a satisfying sense of accomplishment. We still had more hike to do, but there is nothing like just hanging out on the side of a mountain. I am glad I overcame that.

Recommendation

I highly recommend adding this to your Colorado experience. If you ever are near Telluride, take the time to do the Via Ferrata. It has great thrills, amazing views, and is a once in a lifetime type of hike.

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