Thanks to the consistent presence of solid equipment, the via ferrata allows more people to easily access vertical terrain. However, the risks present in vertical activities, particularly the risk of falling, remain. The use of energy-absorbing lanyards allows fall arrest and limits impact force on the user.

The fall is made up of two phases:

• sliding along the cable, with the lanyard inactive

• the impact on the first anchor reached, activating the energy absorber

The fall has risks that the lanyard cannot prevent: the user can hit a bar, the rock, or other users.

Using a rope

Using a rope along with energy absorbers limits the length of the fall and its potential consequences.

Using a rope is strongly recommended in the following situations :

• difficult passages with elevated risk of falling
• situations where the user risks hitting an obstacle before the fall is arrested by the energy absorber

Using a rope is required in the following situations:

• progression with children or climbers weighing under 45 kg or over 100 kg
• old or poorly installed equipment in place (cable overly taut or anchors more than 3 m apart)

To use a rope, the party must get organized the same as for climbing, with a leader who knows how to manage belaying the seconds.

Belaying while moving is an option reserved for less steep and/or easier sections. Belaying from intermediate anchors is recommended for all tricky sections.

Simultaneous progression when traversing

The rope is passed through the pigtails while progressing. The two team members must always have at least one pigtail active between them.

Lanyards are essential for limiting the risk of a pendulum in case of a fall.

Alternating progression when descending

The beginner must always be below the leader and so goes first when descending.

Author and source

This Petzl technical documentation is shared on http://www.camptocamp.org in partnership with the Petzl Foundation. Petzl Foundation aims to conduct educational and risk prevention actions related to the practice of vertical activities. This documentation is available under the Creative Commons CC-by-nc-nd licence.

Auteur : Petzl
Source : petzl.com
Version : v1