Looking to experience the mountains up close and personal? It doesn’t get any closer than the Kicking Horse Via Ferrata. In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the attraction at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (KHMR), I decided it was the perfect opportunity for me (and my supportive husband) to try the experience out for ourselves. Since opening the attraction on July 1st, 2015, thousands of people have made the trek across the face of Terminator Peak.
Kicking Horse Via Ferrata – Some History
Italian for “Iron Road, is a unique and exhilarating experience that allows visitors to scale the north face of Terminator Peak at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. It is a protected climbing route with a steel cable running along the route that is fixed to the rock. Using a Via Ferrata Harness, climbers can secure themselves to the cable, creating a completely safe climbing environment. The activity originated in Europe in the 1800s and was implemented during the world war to provide troops with safe passage through the Alps. There are more than 1,000 recreational Via Ferratas around the world, most notably in Italy and Austria.
Back in June 2015, Prisme, a Quebec-based company, made the trip to plan out the Kicking Horse Via Ferrata route. The crew was distracted by the views KHMR had to offer! They started out by rock scaling and then got right to installing the Iron Road. In the meantime, the Via Ferrata guides were busy training and preparing for KHMR’s newest attraction. There were lots of intricate and finicky processes to the installation with lots of testing to follow, plus a whole lot of drilling holes into the mountain for the hardware. Five weeks later, the attraction was ready to open to the public!
Making the Trek to the Kicking Horse Via Ferrata
Upon arriving at the top of the gondola, we were greeted by staff who directed us to make our way towards T1, where our climb would begin. It was hard not to get distracted on the walk over by the scenery that surrounded us. The ridge between the Eagle’s Eye Restaurant and the start of T1 offers views that even as a local left me speechless.
We came prepared in our hiking wear, hiking boots and a small backpack with water and snacks. I was a bit nervous with a little rain starting when we first arrived at the base, but it was all sunshine at the T1 peak! I kept my fingers crossed that it would last the entirety of our time climbing.
Once we made it to the Via Ferrata starting point, we were greeted by Lisa Roddick, the Kicking Horse Via Ferrata Team Lead. I appreciated her calm and straightforward demeanour, I wasn’t scared but I knew what I was about to do was much more extreme than sitting at the Eagle’s Eye enjoying a beverage and the mountain views. Roddick explained the process and then we put our gear on to start our climbing adventure.
Trying out the Pioneer Route on the Kicking Horse Via Ferrata
We set out to start the Pioneer route, a great introduction to the Via Ferrata. While there is no experience required for the activity, it’s not for everyone. There are two other routes, Discovery and Ascension, that kick it up a couple of notches, which both start on the Pioneer route, so climbers have the option to change their mind after trying the first portion.
I knew what to expect, so I shouldn’t have been surprised when we got right into it. Once secured in the carabiner system, the mountain climbing begins. The Kicking Horse Via Ferrata uses a unique “Aeroline” carabiner system. This allows you to stay securely connected to the steel cable at all times! Roddick showed us how to slide the carabiner through the plates located at each anchor point, which means you never have to worry about clipping and unclipping the carabiners like a traditional system would use.
The first leg of the route starts with the Glory Suspension Bridge. I remember when we were riding up the gondola, my husband pointed out the suspension bridge we would be crossing. I immediately thought to myself; “I’ve done the Golden Skybridge suspension bridges a handful of times, this will be a piece of cake!”. Just kidding, this was a very different experience. The Glory Suspension Bridge is about a foot wide, single file, with cable on either side to hang onto.
While I was very aware of the situation I was in, I wasn’t scared. Even though the bridge was smaller than I had initially pictured, I felt safe the entire time. Part of crossing the bridge was sliding the carabiner through the anchor points, so I think that was keeping me focused so I couldn’t think too much about how I was 197ft in the air, not to mention the amazing views! When we were halfway across, Roddick gave everyone the opportunity to try hanging off the bridge, I was very happy to stay planted on the bridge.
I was surprised to learn that they take the bridge down every winter, which means it has to get re-installed every summer for the Via Ferrata adventures! The actual building of the bridge was no easy feat either, each board was laid out one at a time and then had to be levelled and balanced, which is no easy task.
Next came the actual “climbing” portion of the trip, our ascent up the mountain. I felt a part of my brain switch on, analyzing the terrain and where the iron rungs were placed, occasionally using natural mountain steps to boost myself up to the next rung. I occasionally glanced around, taking in the views around me and appreciating the fact that I was climbing a mountain, not something I ever thought I would do!
Before I knew it, we were at the splitting point, to the left were the Discovery and Ascension routes, and to the right was the trail back to the starting point. We clipped out of the carabiner system and made our way down. I honestly was a bit more nervous in this section, we weren’t clipped in anymore and I can be a real klutz sometimes! We made it down to the starting point in one piece though, then I could breathe easy. We thanked Roddick for the tour and made our way back to the gondola.
Even though there were moments we were hanging off the mountain, I can’t say I was ever terrified or fearing for my life. I was very confident in trusting the carabiner system and Roddick’s guidance. “The Via Ferrata at Kicking Horse can get people into really cool, vertical terrain, and no experience is required. All you need is a good attitude, an adventurous spirit and a moderate level of fitness.” said Roddick. I have to say, being a very basic-level adventurer, I felt pretty cool scaling a mountain!
Try the Kicking Horse Via Ferrata for Yourself
Roddick also pointed out that visitors don’t usually know the full value of their tickets. “The Ascension and Discover Tours include an Adventure Pass, which means you have access to the alpine hiking trails, the interpretive tour at the Grizzly Bear Refuge and use of the 18-hole disc golf course.” What a great way to spend a day in the mountains!
If you’re interested in learning more and booking your own Kicking Horse Via Ferrata adventure, visit www.kickinghorseresort.com or visit Guest Services at KHMR.
