The Mount Blue Sky Via Ferrata is one of AVA’s newer extreme adventures, sitting at the base of a beautiful 14,000+ foot peak in the Colorado Rockies. A Via Ferrata, which means “iron way” in Italian, is a method of mountaineering and rock climbing that’s been used in Europe for centuries. Via Ferrata courses use a combination of ladders, rungs, rails, cables, and bridges to aid in moving across and up a cliff face.

The Iron Way in Idaho Springs is an assisted rock climbing guided tour where guests clip into cables that run along the side of a cliff. They then move along a designated path of iron rungs and bridges to move across, and along the way, they will be required to clip in and out of the cable to progress through the course. This is made possible through an advanced internal locking system in the carabiners.

Each guest will have two carabiners connected to bungee-style lanyards on their harness. The internal locking system makes it impossible to clip out of both at the same time, insuring that climbers are connected to the cable of the course at all times.

Note: The minimum age for this tour is 12 and the maximum weight is 250 lbs. This is a wild excursion that will require physical exertion throughout the trip. Guests should be moderately active. 

Be sure to bring good shoes for the hike in, comfortable athletic-style pants, a water bottle, sunscreen, and  backpack.

Duration: Half day