Ferrata Fervor

Two climbers ascending a via ferrata at the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus

“Oh my gosh, I can't believe I’m suspended 500 feet off the ground right now,” Reed Rowley thought as he hung in a harness with one foot on a small iron foothold bolted into the almost-sheer rock wall near Telluride, Colorado—his first time on a via ferrata.

The then-inexperienced climber was struck by the views of the San Juan Mountains made accessible by the cliffside cabled traverse. And soon, he set out to bring the magic of that experience to DU’s James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus.

Humans have taken to the mountains for millennia, ascending and descending vast alpine ranges as they migrated across the globe. Some embarked on high-altitude journeys in search of food or safety while others sought enlightenment or, simply, to get from one place to another. In recent decades, interest in climbing has skyrocketed, with the first American via ferrata opening in Kentucky in 2001. Today, there are more than a dozen via ferratas across the country, a number that grows annually.

In June, DU was the first college in the country to unveil two via ferratas of its own at the Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC), located two hours northwest of DU’s city campus, adjacent to Roosevelt National Forest. Open to students, alumni and the public, the routes—designed and built by Rowley and his team—feature a spectacular mix of natural terrain, challenge course features, and sections that are easy enough for a first timer and challenging enough to test an expert climber.

“We significantly reduced the risk for [climbers] while still creating that incredible thrill,” says Rowley. “This is a really powerful activity.”

A SERENDIPITOUS COLLABORATION

Rowley, who is also a graduate student in the Daniels College of Business, is a partner and director of business development at the Estes Park-based Via Ferrata Works. In 2022, both worlds came together for an opportunity to make a lasting mark on the University’s legacy. Matt Jensen, DU’s director of outdoor experience and programs, and Nathan Page, assistant director, approached Reed with an exciting opportunity.

“[They] had an incredible vision, and they wanted to really push the boundaries and invent stuff that had never been done before,” Rowley says.

When he visited KMC for the first time in 2022, Rowley knew that DU’s via ferratas were going to be special.

“The quality of the rock and the natural environment up there is unbelievable. It’s truly a world-class site,” he says. “It’s like a sculpture garden; there's so much diversity within the different climbing sites.”

Beyond the unique design of the routes and their sweeping views of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Great Plains, climbers can choose their own path up each route depending on their experience.

Around the time he began scoping out KMC, Rowley decided to go back to school. Wanting to round out his skill set and gain expertise in the real estate industry, he applied to DU’s real estate and construction management master’s degree program—where he found not only a top-notch program but also a welcoming community.

“Professor [Eric] Holt has been a great mentor and a great connector and very supportive of the entire process. All the professors have been awesome. Every class, you’re introduced to an entire new network and universe of ideas,” Rowley says.

Rowley’s ties with the University deepened when Via Ferrata Works was asked to design and install two routes at KMC.

“The alumni network is incredible. I was referred to both the project at DU and the grad school by an alum.”

With the routes now open to the public, Rowley is excited for the future of via ferratas around the world.

Innovative new routes are making terrain once accessible only to the most skilled climbers more accessible to beginners, while new designs continue to push the limits, even for experienced mountaineers.

In many ways, the future of via ferratas mirrors their past—when existing routes around the globe were altered, modified and upgraded as climbing and building technology advanced, allowing safer, more accessible ways for climbers to move through dangerous mountain terrain.

THE "IRON WAY"

With the first ascent of Mont Blanc—western Europe’s highest peak—in 1786, summiting the world’s tallest mountains became a new inspiration for climbers everywhere. In the 19th century, mountaineers set out to conquer the Matterhorn and other high-elevation mountains throughout Europe, Asia and North and South America.

As climbing techniques advanced and new tools became available, climbers on popular routes affixed pins and carved holds and later added ropes, enabling faster, safer climbing. But as the world drifted into global conflict in the early 1900s, access to and control over the world’s mountain ranges became increasingly important strategically.

During World War I, Italian and Austrian militaries engaged in combat throughout the Dolomite Mountains of northeastern Italy. Moving heavy equipment, supplies and tens of thousands of soldiers through the treacherous terrain—while fighting pitched battles at high elevation—was a deadly challenge. Both sides built protected climbing routes with ladders, rungs and ropes affixed to the slopes. In Italy, each iron, wood and natural cordage route became known as a via ferrata, meaning “iron way”—a name that has since been used to describe cable-assisted routes around the globe.

After the war ended, mountaineers and residents of alpine towns replaced the steady stream of soldiers. Traditional rope and wood components were replaced with cables and metal, increasing safety and allowing less technically skilled climbers to complete the routes. By the 1990s, via ferratas were gaining popularity among dedicated alpinists and curious tourists, with hundreds of routes popping up in Switzerland, France and Germany.

Over the years, rock climbing developed into numerous styles and technical disciplines, differing in their use of safety equipment and devices that assist the climber in progressing up a rock face. Free climbing involves ascending without any assistance, but climbers can use safety equipment and ropes to limit the consequences of serious falls. Aid climbing utilizes equipment affixed to the rock face that assists in a climber’s upward progress.

Via ferratas take the safety and assistance features a step further, with climbers attached to a cable along the entire route, utilizing manmade fixtures and aids to work their way to the summit. They require that climbers bring a minimal amount of equipment of their own: a harness, carabiner set and helmet.

An aerial bridge leading to a vertical climb on the via ferrata route at the Kennedy Mountain Campus

A climber crossing an aerial bridge at the Kennedy Mountain Campus

A climber in a blue helmet ascends manmade holds at the Kennedy Mountain Campus

'BRINGING IT TO THE PEOPLE'

Via ferratas give people the thrill of climbing up or across an imposing rock wall even if they don’t have technical climbing skills—but it’s about more than that.

Ultimately, Rowley says, DU’s via ferratas exemplify the type of project he’s always been drawn to: one that “makes people feel better about themselves, brings people together, and creates an emotional response.”

Before his days building alpine routes, Rowley worked for former Colorado senator Ken Salazar and former governors Bill Ritter and John Hickenlooper on public space projects and economic development work, eventually landing a gig as the state liaison for tourism and outdoor recreation. Rowley went on to work with the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, developing their entertainment program and the Stanley Film Center.

So, when Harry Kent, an accomplished mountaineer and outdoor adventure guide based in Estes Park, needed development and operations expertise to expand his bourgeoning via ferrata building business, he knew just who to call. In 2020, that partnership turned into Via Ferrata Works, which has since built via ferratas in Ohio, New Mexico and Colorado.

A via ferrata’s location determines far more than how good the views are from the summit or how tough it is to climb.

DU and Rowley shared the vision that “building these kind of incredible outdoor recreation assets only in elite resorts around the country doesn't actually move the needle in terms of getting more people outdoors and participating in outdoor activities,” Rowley says.

In graduate school, Rowley is learning how to maximize the impact of outdoor activities and affect change across the outdoor recreation industry.

“The DU program really emphasizes that,” he says. “It's not a static thought process. It's very much finding solutions for current real-world challenges, but also thinking about he challenges that are coming 10 years from now.”

And despite the growth in popularity of via ferratas, Rowley says that the industry is still in its infancy in the U.S., with plenty of room to grow. His focus is mainly on the challenges of cost and accessibility.

“We're taking this activity that can have financial, time and transportation barriers and bringing it to the people,” he says.

The routes at KMC, Rowley says, are a massive step in making via ferratas more accessible—providing students, faculty, staff and alumni with powerful cliffside experiences.

“Having something like this brings people together to do something incredible,” Rowley says. “There's no other university out there that’s done anything like this. It's really going to put KMC on the map.”

A CANVAS MADE OF ROCK

Before climbers started ascending the routes at KMC, Rowley and Via Ferrata Works took to the terrain, exploring the cliffs and rock outcroppings to determine how to build two world-class via ferratas.

“You look at these sites as blank canvases,” Rowley says.

And after deciding on the length and difficulty, Rowley’s team used drones to scan the terrain and built detailed 3D models to map out potential routes. From there, a team of six builders—all incredible climbers in their own right—along with several consulting engineers, took to the cliffs with tools in hand, exploring the possible locations for foot holds, pins and runs before drilling into the rock.

A year later, both routes are open to the public, with discounts available for faculty, staff, students and alumni, and larger groups.

The two routes, named the Crest and Cirque, allow for beginner and expert climbers to choose their path to the summit.

“Like a ski resort, we’ve got everything from green runs to double black diamonds,” Rowley says.

Via Ferrata Works’ design approach combines traditional climbing and construction techniques with 3D modelling and modern design practices, resulting in routes that combine variable levels of challenge and unique climbing features—from aerial bridges to inverted ascents.

“It’s still rooted in climbing,” Rowley says, “but with a completely different demographic and audience to which it’s accessible.”

A Via Ferrata Works employee clearing out debris during construction

THE CREST

The Crest Via Ferrata is a 600-foot-long route with two aerial bridges—one of which requires teamwork to complete—before winding through natural terrain to the summit with views of Cliff Lake, the surrounding Roosevelt National Forest, Wyoming to the north and the Great Plains to the east.

THE CIRQUE

The Cirque Via Ferrata offers more experienced climbers several chances to put their skills to the test. Its 1,170-foot-long cabled route begins with a 200-foot, near-vertical ascent to Lunch Ledge, named after its suitability as a spot for a break before continuing up the rock face. Climbers then cross an aerial bridge before choosing between an easier route to the summit or tackling the signature Big Kahuna Headwall—a 170-foot section that will push even experienced climbers to their limits. A 25-foot stretch of the headwall is inverted, leaving climbers hanging from the rock as they make their way upwards.