Via Ferrata; or in English, Iron Way. Imagine this activity a little like climbing. But rather than using the natural dents and notches within the rock, you’re using cables, pins, foot holds and handles. The activity originated around Italy and France as a way for mountain guides to lead clients to the start of their route. It was later adopted by troops in WW1 as a way to navigate the technical terrain. There’s not a great deal of it here in the UK, so when Mammut contacted us to ask if we fancied a go, we obviously said yes. Let’s dive into our Via Ferrata with Mammut journey.
Via Ferrata with Mammut: From Hereford to the Lakes
The location for this would be the Honister Slate Mine in the Lake District, just south of Keswick. It’s a fair distance from Hereford to the Lakes. That’s why we ventured up the night before to ensure we were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the activity the following day.
Morning rolls around and we’re greeted with hazy blue skies, a low-lying mist in between the sunlit fells and almost no wind. We pack our kit, commute to Honister and get fitted with harnesses, helmets and some Mammut clothing and equipment. Although the weather is blissful lower down the mountain, we’re all fully aware that it can change quickly once you get some altitude under your belt. So we’re appreciative that Mammut have kitted us out with a range of Crater HS jackets and their Ducan 30 rucksacks.
Via ferrata with Mammut: Scaling New Heights
There’s a stone track that’s still used for carting slate up and down the mountain. We graciously use this to commute to the start of the via ferrata routes. The start point is littered with remainders of the mountain’s past including disused slate carts, tracks and other nondescript rusty machinery. A cable runs along a few metres of fence line which we would use to get a practice on before hanging off a two hundred metre drop. Once familiar with our hardware, we were left to our devices and sent down the first ladder of the day. It descended for around five metres before progressing onto the rock face which housed handles that you’d use to traverse. This felt substantially more exposed and definitely left some of us with a bit of shaky leg syndrome.
The Tightiron: Our Experience on the Challenging Via Ferrata Route at Honister Slate Mine
The route winds around the gulleys and outcrops of the mountain until we arrive at the tightrope. I was elected to go first with the intention of capturing footage of the rest of the team clambering across. I began walking across without too much trouble… until Molly from our customer service team stepped on.
The Tightrope Crossing That Had Us in Stitches on the Via Ferrata
It’s not that Molly is incapable of crossing a tightrope. The challenge is that you’re both unaware of each other’s movements, which can lead to unexpected turns and twists. So, imagine you’re shuffling along and suddenly, you’re sent horizontal because neither of you can predict the other’s movements. This made the crossing a *little* more difficult, but also hugely amusing. Every time Molly lost her balance she broke out into a fit of laughter. It unfortunately meant I did the same, soon enough we were both hundreds of metres up making no progress whatsoever. Eventually we both made it to the other side and filmed the rest of the group’s antics.
Via Ferrata with Mammut: The Legacy of Honister Slate Mine
The rest of the route was comparatively uneventful but more enjoyable in the sense that we stayed upright. It ascended via more iron steps, past the previous workers houses and the mines that once dominated the hillside. According to our guide, the mine workers built homes on the mountain to avoid walking up and down each day. It means that for 6 days of the week they’d remain at their workplace. For the 7th day they’d venture down to the nearest town, spend their weekly wages in the pub and hike back up the following day.
The Top of Fleetwith Pike and the Unforgettable View of Buttermere
Eventually we made it to the top of Fleetwith Pike (the mountain with all the mines in!). We were greeted with an unobstructed, blue-skied view of Buttermere; one of the best views in the Lake District. It felt rude not to send the drone up to capture some footage. I’ll put some of those screenshots in this blog for your viewing pleasure. Around twenty minutes later we were back at the cafe to drop off the borrowed kit and have a quick brew before making the journey back to Hereford.
Via Ferrata With Mammut: Massive thanks to both Mammut and their Mountain School for hosting us for the day, and no doubt many of us will be back again to take on round 2!
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