ISSUE 168 Crocs and waterfalls on the Herbet A Swiss via ferrata adventure Crossing the Patagonia ice shelf Hiking Bogong High Plains Apsley Gorge canyoning Riding the Red Centre Umbrawarra Track Notes: Mount Barney And loads more...

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WILD THE ABYSS November-December 2018 Issue # 168 Adventures beyond the comfort zone

NOV- DEC 2018, NO 168 $9.90* INC GST

WILD.COM.AU HIKE PADDLE CLIMB RIDE | VIA FERRATA |

CLIMBING THE IRON PATH Roland Handel sets out to conquer a fear of heights in the best way possible: by climbing a mountain.

Words and Photos: ROLAND HANDEL

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Successfully over the first ladder climb, I’m confident enough to remove one hand from the cable (Photo: Adolf Schlunegger)

November/December 2018. WILD | VIA FERRATA | | |

t was not the hidden summit of Schwarzhorn that sucked the mois- ture from my mouth, leaving my tongue and lips dry. Rather, it was Ithe sight of the ladders. Even this far away, they induced mild panic. There was a string of them reaching improb- ably skyward, and their aluminium contrasted, distinct and sharp, against the drab but sheer rock wall they were bolted against. Up they rose, disap- pearing into the swirling mists, to a summit I hoped I would soon be standing on. But it would not be climbing the ladders alone that induced my profound fear of vertigo. That would come far earlier. Ahead lay a boulder field—broken, shattered, snow-cov- ered—through which meandered the trail to come, and then, beyond that, running to the base of the cliff, a spine of solid stone. Strung along the ridge was a steel cable. And it would be here, clipping into this, that the first real jolts of panic began. Perhaps I shouldn’t have pan- 25 icked. It wasn’t just that the 2928m Schwarzhorn, lying deep in the Alps of central Switzerland, was dwarfed by its close siblings: Schreckhorn (4078m); Mönch (4107m); Jungfrau (4158m); and the most famous of them all, The Eiger (3970m). No, it was that unlike those other moun- tains, (which require not merely climbing skills but dollops of shutz- bah and sizeable cahoonas, both of which I’m generally lacking as soon as I’m three feet off the ground), the Schwarzhorn offered non-climbers a route to its summit: a via ferrata.

Via ferrata (Italian for ‘Iron Path’; and since we’re in Switzerland, the German equivalent is ‘klettersteig’) is the term given to the sequence of cables and ladders like the one before me. Via ferrata developed in the Ital- ian during the First World War, although at that time the concept had nothing to do with leisure. The

WILD November/December 2018. | VIA FERRATA |

Italians, fighting the Austrians, the Germans, and each other, (specialised via ferrata) lanyard, designed to arrest your fall, installed a series of fixed ropes, cables and ladders through- is another couple of metres. That could be a long fall.” out the Dolomites, allowing their troops to move more safely “So, it is really dangerous?” I asked. Would I have to among the high altitude. While several of the routes were work out a good excuse to pull out of this adventure? converted to via ferrata routes post war, via ferrata really “Put it this way. You’re not going to die. But take a bad only gained popularity as a leisure activity during the 1970s fall, and you’re not going to be walking out of there either.” and 80s. However, it was during the 1990s and 2000s that the activity really took off, as via ferrata became more commer- cial, with routes developed throughout , , and Switzerland. Today, climbing via ferrata has become rec- Back in Switzerland, climbing through the scree, ognised as its own mountain activity, with websites, guide- this conversation is still swirling through my head. books, grading systems and its own specialised equipment. Some people get short of breath when nervous, My proposed route up Schwarzhorn was graded a 2 (on a others shake and tremble, or break out in hot sweats. I get 5-point grading system – 5 the sudden urge to relieve being the most difficult), and myself, and not the conve- considered moderately diffi- nient Number Ones behind cult, classified as ‘some steep the nearest tree. Not the terrain, smaller footholds, most convenient of nervous but climbing aids provid- traits at the best of times. I’d ed. Longer ladders possible already taken one ner- (emphasis added). Essentially vous poo behind a boulder, protected but some exposed and I’d still need anoth- . Some use of arms’. er before attaching to the Google via ferrata, and cable. you’ll find dozens of imag- Fortunately, I was at least es depicting shabby looking in safe hands. My guide Adolf cables bolted to a stone wall, had more than 20 years’ ex- with vast distances between perience climbing all the big each hold, and iron footholds peaks of the Alps (including 26 that look as though they were the Eiger – twice – in win- bashed into the rock during ter). This jaunt up a Grade 2 the first world war. However, mountain, attached to a ca- the reality in Switzerland (with ble, would be a stroll in the the Swiss being, well, Swiss) is park for my seasoned moun- that most of these older via fer- tain guide. Joining us would rata have been replaced. Now- be Daniela, a Swiss girl now adays, most of the cables and living in nearby Interlak- aluminium ladders are brand en, and who compounded new, and the steel cables are my imminent doom by tell- fixed to the rock every couple ing me that she’d never once of metres. The Swiss have gone been scared of heights. She to great lengths to ensure this took great pride in telling activity is as safe as possible. me of her adventures jump- Even so, I’d still reached ing out of planes, off bridges, out to one of my climbing bud- and the numerous other via dies Matt, prior to my depar- ferrata in the region she had ture, just to be sure. climbed. The more she spoke, Daniela takes a photo as I ascend the first ladder climb. “Via ferrata. That’s crazy,” Note every body part available is pressed against the ladder the more my eyes darted was my first real piece of ad- for purchase (Photo: Daniela Küffer) around looking for my next vice from Matt. “When you are emergency rest stop. It was rock climbing, you are always apparent I’d be dealing with held pretty tight. If you fall, you never really fall very far. The the impending heights alone. ropes are pretty dynamic and you’re not really falling onto So, a couple of hours after leaving the relative safe- anything.” ty of a gondola that had deposited us most of the way up a “However, when you climb via ferrata you’re climbing nearby peak, our trudge up the rock-strewn scree end- with a bunch of people who don’t normally climb. If you fall, ed as we reached the base of the rock that signalled the you’re likely to fall onto one of them, or worse still, one of start of the actual climbing. I stared up at the ridge them will fall onto you. Depending on the last time the ca- above. The steel cable snaked its way upward before dis- ble was fixed to the wall, you might fall ten metres. And the appearing behind the boulders ahead. We each climbed

November/December 2018. WILD | VIA FERRATA | | SWITZERLAND |

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While waiting for me to peel myself off the ladder, Daniela took this photo down between her legs, revealing the exposure far below us (Photo: Daniela Küffer)

WILD November/December 2018. Once above the second ladder climbing became much easier (Photo: Daniela Küffer)

Painted markers on the rocks not only A photo of our route taken the identify the trail ahead, but are also following day. Of course the weather used to indicate the type of trail (blue would clear up once off the mountain & white indicates climbing, while red & white indicates a hiking trail)

November/December 2018. WILD | SWITZERLAND |

into our specialised climbing gear, consisting a normal both feet) at all times was proving difficult. Removing any of rock , with two lanyards and the aforementioned body parts, would reduce my gripping attached. I fastened my helmet and then we were ready. power by at least…one, and put me in mortal danger. Trying to reach down and fumble for a , unclip it, clip it back onto the cable and then do it over again with the second carabiner, was proving even more difficult. I huffed, puffed, Climbing via ferrata involves sliding a pair of carabiners grunted and cursed as I slowly climbed. up the cable until you reach an anchor point. You then remove When I reached the top of the first ladder, I paused, con- one carabiner, attach it to the cable on the other side of the an- templating the insanity of having to step across the void and chor point and then repeat with the remaining carabiner. This onto the second ladder. I dared not look down, instead star- process means that you are always attached with at least one ing at the rock in front of me, blindly fumbling with hands carabiner to the cable, and any fall would only result in your to transfer the carabiners from one ladder to the other. But I tumbling down the rock until you reached the last anchor did it. I manoeuvered myself across and continued upward. point below. However, once I got moving, the process feels Finally, I climbed up and over the final rung, where upon quite safe. The Swiss climbers who lay the via ferrata obvious- Adolf beamed a grin and congratulated me on reaching this ly work out which sections are more dangerous and in those first milestone. “You’ve almost completed the hardest part” areas attach anchors much closer together. In fact, unclipping he said. Almost, I thought. Yep, the next ‘three-ladder’ climb and clipping carabiners started to get a bit tedious every 30 was still to come. centimetres or so, during some of the steeper sections. And so, a short while later, we reached the crux of this Our path followed the ridgeline and an old rock climb- via ferrata. This time three ladders stretching up and away. I ing route, with climbing anchor points still visible, bolted couldn’t even see the top of the third ladder. It simply disap- into the rock. A constant reminder that at some point this peared into the heavens above. Rather than spend too much route had been much more demanding. Even so, other than time thinking about it, I grabbed the first rung and stepped the approaching ladder climbs, much of the rock climbing onto the ladder. I began the slow trudge upward. Lift hand wouldn’t have been much more than a challenging, although up, lift foot up, fumble with carabiner, fumble with other seriously exposed scramble. carabiner. Repeat. Stare at rock. Don’t look down. Try not to Nevertheless, for me, the climbing was at the same time think about anything. Slowly but surely I climbed upward. both thrilling and ball tingling terrifying. The rock was damp To my dismay, I caught a glimpse of Daniela climbing below, from the mist and still blanketed much of the surrounding leaning out and away from the ladder, one hand gripping the 29 terrain. We climbed slowly, traversing steep sloping slabs of ladder, the other her phone, as she casually snapped away rock. Below us, the rock fell away sharply, eventually cascad- taking photos and video, all the while climbing upward. I ing into the scree now far below. But just beyond the ridge, was afraid my jacket (no, my socks) would somehow fall off, no more than an arms length away, the ridge simply dropped let alone waving a mobile phone around twenty or more me- away altogether, plummeting thirty or more metres before tres off the ground. disappearing into the mist. We worked our way along ridge, Adolf leading the way, me in the middle and Daniela bringing up the rear. The more It’s not uncommon for those who have survived a near- I climbed, the more comfortable I became with the heights. death experience (as I had just done) to feel that the entire Funny thing really. Our phobias really are all in the head. experience seemed like hours, when in reality, it’s usual- Once the brain works out that death (or even serious inju- ly much shorter. And so it was for me. After what felt like ry) are an unlikely occurrence, it suddenly lets the rest of hours, although was probably only minutes, I climbed over the body enjoy itself. And this is exactly how I felt, even as I the final ladder rung and back onto the safety of more hori- climbed a near vertical wall toward the base of the first lad- zontal terrain. I’d conquered the worst of it. It was now just a der. However, in spite of my growing confidence, the ladder slow and steady slog to reach the summit. and its unsurprising verticalness still got the better of me. Still covered in cloud, our actual summit photos, taken How long’s a ladder? Six, seven metres maybe? Like I a couple hours later, reveal nothing of what I’d imagine were said earlier, anything more than about a metre is enough for spectacular views. It was cold and drizzling, and after a short me. And here, not one, but two ladders, extended to their rest, we started back down. Fortunately, Schwarzhorn offers maximum length, were bolted to the wall. I’d have to climb another escape. We now followed a trail used by hikers that the full length of the first ladder, which was already perched zigzagged back down the mountain. The snow-covered trail on a small platform of rock, jutting out into the emptiness. I’d eventually became slush, then mud, and finally we were back then have to step away from at least the semblance of securi- on the grass and heading toward the gondola. ty this first ladder provided and cross the void to the second Roughly six hours since planting my first step on ladder. And this second ladder just hung there, suspended in Schwarzhorn, I was back off again. However, those six hours the air. Surrounded by nothing. I stared upward and gulped. had been both incredibly exhilarating and memorable. I’d With little choice, and Daniela at the ready with her conquered my fear of heights, or at least the type where I mobile phone filming me, I clipped in and started up the was connected to a steel cable, climbing with a world-class bottom rungs. Trying to maintain at least nine connection climbing guide. But it was a start. And every great adventure points (forehead, both elbows, both hands, both knees, and begins with a single step. W

WILD November/December 2018. | VIA FERRATA |

Fearing I wouldn’t will myself to continue much further, I took this nervous photo, with the two ladder climbs clearly visible in the background

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Before reaching the first Triumphantly standing ladder climb, I would have to on the summit scale this steep rock wall

Photo: Daniela Küffer

November/December 2018. WILD | VIA FERRATA |