This Might Be The Scariest Trail In The World. But You’ll NEVER Guess Where It Leads.

RoySwkr said:

3. There used to be a couple pegs on Longs Peak, but they were removed I think

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DougPaul said:

If you are referring to the cable route on the north face, the cables have been removed, but the 4 eye-bolts (cable anchors) are still in place.

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Creag Nan Drochaid said:

I have seen photos from the Alps of cables or chains as handholds ringbolted onto the trailside cliff. A cable and rented harness with two leads each with a 'biner seems safe enough IF all systems get inspected regularly. But no way would I try that airy plank walk at Hua Shan as shown. And the poured concrete slabs on old railroad iron at Caminito del Rey is just way too unsafe. Better to use wood, you can see its condition long enough before failure that you can replace it before it does fail, after using only Select grade to build the path in the first place.

I have seen such fixed paths in one of my trail manuals, this one on military mountaineering, where any slope not subject to enemy observation and fire may be useful to reach friendly positions. BUT the need for careful design and construction using the best materials, then the need for frequent inspection and repair, makes these techniques inadvisable for most trail-tending land stewards.

We have used bog bridges on a rock at each end to cross wet hillsides, and to cross small ravines on sidehill trails etc. But having to support the trail on metal posts in holes drilled into ledge... doable with specialized tools, but still requiring frequent inspection. I am glad most of our trails don't have such fixtures even though a case can be made that some trails might be safer with them, like the Holt Trail on Mt. Cardigan, or the loop on Welch and Dickey.

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Mike P. said:

The cabled trails like the one up most of the Hollental I believe is known as via ferrata, (Iron Road). Many years ago, Petzl had an promo on why these were not safe. on a level area, the fall would be okay but if on the ladder portions you could fall 20 or 30 feet with a 4-6" piece of rope and carabiners are not designed to fall many feet & then stop dead at a steel pin. The six foot piece of rope is not long enough to absorb the force or the fall. Even if all the gear works, the harness and your body absorb the effect of the fall with far less rope than you would have in a real climbing fall of the same.

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Mike P. said:

The cabled trails like the one up most of the Hollental I believe is known as via ferrata, (Iron Road). Many years ago, Petzl had an promo on why these were not safe. on a level area, the fall would be okay but if on the ladder portions you could fall 20 or 30 feet with a 4-6" piece of rope and carabiners are not designed to fall many feet & then stop dead at a steel pin. The six foot piece of rope is not long enough to absorb the force or the fall. Even if all the gear works, the harness and your body absorb the effect of the fall with far less rope than you would have in a real climbing fall of the same.

Add: Since when I read that in the 1990's they have updated gear: Regular biners and equipment is not really suitable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_ferrata

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