via ferrata

noun

via fer·​ra·​ta ˌvē-ə-fə-ˈrä-tə 

variants or less commonly Via Ferrata

plural via ferratas also Via Ferratas or via ferrata

: a climbing route on steep mountainous terrain equipped with cables, ladders, hooks, bridges, etc. to aid climbers and reduce the risk of falls

The 'Stairway to Heaven' route is a world-famous via ferrata, with routes of this nature involving the use of metal rungs and cables to make crossing terrain that wouldn't typically be safe to hike possible.

—Spencer McKee

The cavern features 11 zip lines, a via ferrata, rope bridges and monkey bars.

—Zara Whelan

We walked to the start of the Via Ferrata, which is a sheer rock wall with steps and handholds going all the way up. The safety cable system is held in place by pitons or bolts in the rock face.

—Georg Paffrath

As far back as World War I, soldiers used via ferratas to traverse Europe's Alpine terrain.

—Christine Ricciardi

With … the rough rock face at your cheek and the world mapped out hundreds of metres below your feet, via ferrata are not for the faint hearted.

—David Walsh

—often used before another noun

a via ferrata trail/climb/tour

A traverse of a via ferrata route is less technical than vertical climbing, making it popular with tourists …

—Jason Blevins

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, literally, "iron path"

First Known Use

1997, in the meaning defined above