05/22/2026
Most people who climb the via ferrata at Palisades have never thought of themselves as climbers. That goes back further than you might expect.
The term means "iron road" in Italian. The format dates to World War I, when Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies drove iron rungs, cables, and ladders into the rock of the Dolomites to move troops through terrain that would otherwise have been impassable. The routes were built so people without climbing skills could navigate vertical terrain.
After the war, the iron stayed in the rock. Hikers and climbers began moving through the same corridors the armies had used. By mid-century, via ferrata had developed into its own recreational discipline across Europe, then spread to mountain regions worldwide over the last two decades.
The format is consistent everywhere: fixed iron rungs, steel cables or rope anchored into the rock, a harness and lanyard system that keeps you clipped in throughout.
The 2026 season on the Tahoe Via Ferrata is open, come climb with us and experience a piece of climbing history!
