Take the Viaferada (Iron Route) in Colorado, USA
Clip into a steel safety cable and traverse exposed rock faces using a mixture of natural holds, iron rungs, narrow ledges and suspended crossings. Colorado has several via ferrata routes, but the best-known are around Telluride and Ouray , where the San Juan Mountains provide the height and exposure that make the experience memorable. At its most dramatic, you can be moving sideways across a cliff with hundreds of feet of air beneath you. Via ferrata means “iron road”, and the concept originated in the European Alps before becoming closely associated with protected mountain routes in the Dolomites. Colorado’s versions vary considerably. Telluride’s route, sometimes called the Krogerata, is notably serious because some exposed sections do not have continuous cable protection. Ouray’s purpose-built routes use extensive fixed cables, rungs and bridges, with different options depending on ability. Neither should be treated as an ordinary hike. Go with a professional guide unless you already have the correct equipment and experience using via ferrata systems. You will need a climbing harness, helmet and certified energy-absorbing via ferrata lanyard, and weather matters enormously because exposed metalwork, cliffs and thunderstorms are a dangerous combination. Allow several hours, start early and choose a route appropriate to your confidence with heights and scrambling.