Adventure Magazine December 2019/January 2020

Left: Our platform for the Cliffnic / Right: Climbing the Via Ferrata
We were there to experience both the Via Ferrata and
Cliffnicking… I’ll explain….
Via Ferrata is an Italian phrase that means “iron way”
and it basically means a fixed climbing route has been
established enabling you to experience what it’s like to rock
climb, without needing to have any technical climbing ability.
The KMAC website describes the experience as, “somewhere
between scrambling and technical rock climbing, something
like a rope course up a cliff.”
Cliffnicking is lunch or dinner on a portaledge attached
to a sheer rock face hundreds of feet above the ground. Now
this does not appeal to everyone but if you have any sense
of adventure (which we did) this is one of those must do
activities.
Our day began with a 45-minute hike before securing
our harness and helmet to begin the Via Ferrata. After a brief
demonstration and practise we clipped into the first of the
anchored steel cables and began our ascent.
The Via Ferrata climbs roughly 600 vertical feet and
traverses across the middle of a steep cliff which is really
exposed, so it gives you a mental challenge as well as a
physical one.
The views from the climb are spectacular and we
managed plenty of stops to enjoy the sights and snap
photos (or suck on an oxygen bottle). Although the climb is
assisted in the way of ladders and steel rungs, it was great
to challenge yourself to use more of the natural features,
that way you could get a feel of really climbing. Regardless
of the path you choose it is still physically demanding so you
need to have a relatively good level of fitness. You know when
you’ve reached the top of the Via Ferrata as the scene is
somewhat similar to the prayer flags at the top of Everest.
After a brief stop, we walked down to the start of the
rappel for our portaledge lunch. Usually going down is the
easy part, but strangely that was not the case. Although
clipped into the rappel line, tipping yourself backwards off
the edge of a cliff is simply not a natural sensation. You are
putting all your faith in the line, with only your feet securing
you to the sheer cliff face.
As we inched our way down, the portaledge offered only
the tiniest of safe havens between us and the hundred of
feet sheer drop to the bottom.
It’s a strange sensation, to say the least, to perch on a
ledge held onto the side of a cliff by a few harnesses. Despite
being reassured that the safety holds were exactly that,
“safe” it was hard to really relax. It just goes against all logic
and took every ounce of mind over matter to simply trust
that we were indeed safe, when all instincts screamed the
opposite.
I focused on watching Kalley as she gave off a sense of
calm and reassurance and I put my trust in her enough to
actually relax and enjoy the experience. I’m not sure I can
say the same for Steve. Despite his best attempt to “chill” he
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