Squamish Via Ferrata

I had a chance to climb the very new Via Ferrata in Squamish BC this summer. It was my fourth via ferrata and it was by far the easiest. It is a great one to take children on as it is quite short, it is simple to climb and there were not any sections that required a longer reach.  We did it with two 10 year old girls and they loved it.

The day started with a ride up the amazing Sea to Sky Gondola.  This ride on it’s own is quite an adventure, with amazing views of the green blue waters of the howe sound and lush green mountains all around.  Unfortunately the day we went up was foggy and cold so the views ended once we got up to the top.

We met our guide at the harnessing deck where we all got fitted with harnesses and helmets and y-shaped lanyards.  We were ready to roll.  We had a short hike down to the base of the rock that we were about to traverse and climb.  Along the way our guide taught us about the surrounding flora, the life cycle of beard lichen, identifying trees from their bark and more little tidbits.   He was certainly passionate about sharing his knowledge.

Once we got to the steel cable, he showed us how to clip in and switch our carabiners at each pin.  We had the mantra “Scooby Doo” to remind us to keep one carabiner on the cable at all times.  We all got the hang of it and off we went.  The route took us around some narrow cliff ledges, over some short bridges and then up a large rock with an easy iron ladder built into it.  This last ladder was the highlight of the tour, it was a good spot to take some beautiful pictures.

Overall, I’d say this was worth it if it is your first via ferrata or you want to take some kids that have never climbed before.  It is a bit pricey for an hour long adventure if you’ve done any sort of adventure climbing in the past especially if you also have to pay for the gondola ride as well.

oh look a foot

Jaida letting go

Michele letting go

Check out the post from my very first via ferrata in the Dolomites Italy.  That was definitely my favourite so far 🙂

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