Your Ultimate Guide To The Telluride Via Ferrata

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Stepping out over the 200ft of exposure, my stomach felt somewhere in my chest. I carefully made my way onto the metal rung and tried not to look down. After a few minutes of traversing across the cliff I finally mustered enough courage to look around me.

WOW. Where even am I? Across from me was a giant roaring waterfall, below me a sharp drop off into a beautiful forest and behind me, the quaint mountain town of Telluride.

The Telluride Via Ferrata was an adventure unlike anything I had ever experienced, and now I am going to share everything you need to know so you can experience it too!

Table Of Contents: 

1. Telluride Via Ferrata Introduction: What, Who, Why

2. Climbing The Telluride Via Ferrata: Difficulty, Map, Stats

3. How To Do The Telluride Via Ferrata: Guided vs Unguided

4. Telluride Via Ferrata Trail Overview

5. What To Bring For The Telluride Via Ferrata

6. What To Wear On The Telluride Via Ferrata

7. Where To Stay In Telluride

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Telluride Via Ferrata Introduction

What Is A Via Ferrata?

A Via Ferrata is a great way to introduce yourself to the world of climbing. There is not much technical skill involved and yet you can put yourself in some amazing places!

In Italian a Via Ferrata means “Iron Road”- it is a protected climbing route with steel cables, rungs, and ladders fixed to rock faces that run along a rock wall.

The key features of a via ferrata include:

– Steel Cables– These cables run along the route and climbers secure themselves to them using a harness & lanyard with two sets of carabiners.

– Metal Rungs or Steps embedded in the rock.

– Bridges or walkways across exposed sections.

– Ladders for vertical ascents.

Climbers secure themselves to the cables with a harness and 2 sets of carabiners, this protects you from any nasty falls or slips and allows you to experience a little bit of what rock climbing is like.

Why Climb The Telluride Via Ferrata?

Climbing the Telluride Via Ferrata is a stunning and exciting adventure in the Telluride area!

Telluride, CO sits in a valley between mountains and this via ferrata allows you to get up on those cliffs and see the town and surrounding areas from an amazing vantage point. 

The Telluride Via Ferrata gives you gorgeous views, an exciting and challenging adventure and great photography opportunities!

Who Should Climb The Telluride Via Ferrata?

If you are an adventurous and outdoorsy type of traveler then the Telluride Via Ferrata may be right up your alley!

You will want to make sure you are in good physical shape and not terrified of heights to be able to conquer this route.

It is best suited for:

– Adventurous Climbers

– Intermediate & Experienced Hikers/ Climbers

– Fit Beginners who are confident with heights

– Thrill seekers.

What Is The Difference Between The Telluride Via Ferrata and Ouray? 

Are you looking at both the Ouray and Telluride Via Ferrata and wondering which one would be the best option for you?

To simplify it, the Ouray via ferrata is:

– Easier, more beginner-friendly.

– Follows a traditional European style with more metal rungs and continuous cables.

– Located in the Ouray Ice Park which offers a dramatic and narrow canyon experience with views of waterfalls.

In contrast, the Telluride via ferrata is:

– More challenging

– Has exposed sections, fewer rungs, and a greater reliance on natural rock holds, offering a more adventurous experience!

– The Location has sweeping views of the town and the gorgeous Bridal Veil Falls with more exposure to open air and expansive views.

Climbing The Telluride Via Ferrata

Telluride Via Ferrata Map

Telluride Via Ferrata Statistics

Telluride Trail Hike Length: 4.8 Mile Loop

Trail Hike Elevation Gain: 859ft of ascent

Telluride Via Ferrata Elevation: 10,094 Max Elevation

Via Ferrata Difficulty Level: Experts Only- Guide Recommended.

Telluride Via Ferrata Time: 4-5+ Hours

Via Ferrata Cost: $209

Telluride Via Ferrata Difficulty

The Telluride Via Ferrata is considered moderately difficult due to its exposure, technical sections, and the need for upper body strength.

Key difficulty factors include:

– Exposed traverses: In the beginning of the via ferrata you will be crossing long sections of sheer rock faces with significant drop-offs below and for much of it will not be attached to any cables.

– Fewer metal rungs: Unlike easier via ferratas, this via ferrata, relies more on natural rock holds and requires you to use your hands and feet to balance.

– Physical fitness: A good level of fitness, especially upper body strength, is needed to safely navigate the route. A good question to ask yourself is if you can climb a ladder comfortably.

While not overly technical, the route can be challenging, especially for those new to via ferratas or uncomfortable with heights!

It is difficult if not impossible to turn around once you start so I would look up videos and photos before heading out and make sure it looks like something you can handle.

How Long Is The Hike To The Telluride Via Ferrata?

The hike to the Telluride Via Ferrata treads mostly the same terrain as the hike to Bridal Veil Falls which is 1.2 miles each way.

From there you add a bit more of a hike up to the start of the via ferrata so total I would estimate your hiking around 1.5 miles before reaching the start of the climb.

When Should You Do The Telluride Via Ferrata?

The best time to tackle the Telluride Via Ferrata is late May through October when the weather is still moderate!

READ MORE: Climb the Trolltunga Via Ferrata!

How To Do The Telluride Via Ferrata

Guided vs Unguided

You can technically do the Telluride Via Ferrata unguided if you rent or have your own via feratta gear. It is considered a public route and is open to individuals to climb it if they so wish. In saying that I would recommend going with a guided tour.

I would especially recommend going with a guide if you have never done a via ferrata before. These people are here to keep you safe, guide you through the difficult sections and make sure you feel comfortable navigating something which can be dangerous.

If you have done via ferratas before and want to do this one on your own it is definitely doable I would just make sure to do a lot of research of the route before hand and be prepared.

Which Guided Group To Go With:

I can only recommend the group that I went with, for our tour we booked with Telluride Mountain Guides. They were wonderful and I really enjoyed my experience!

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Climbing The Telluride Via Ferrata Overview

Starting The Day: Meeting Your Guides

Your day will start bright and early in the parking lot of the Bridal Veil Falls hike, here you will meet your guides who will pass out Via Ferrata Gear and helmets. They will give a quick debriefing and then you are off!

Hiking The Trail To The Via Ferrata

The trail to the Via Ferrata starts at the end of Idarado Mine parking area (at the settling ponds) where the trailhead to the Bridal Veil Falls hike is. From here you begin the 1.2 mile hike to Bridal Veil Falls.

After a quick stop to enjoy the falls you continue past the waterfall about half a mile or so, zig zagging your way up the mountain until you reach a turn off point and head to your left.

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Starting The Telluride Via Ferrata

You have now turned off the small trail and onto the ledge where you will begin the Via Ferrata. The Via Ferrata actually begins long before you attach yourself to any cables or metal rungs.

This first portion of the climb is made up of long horizontal traverses with steep drop offs and looseish rock. Here you are not attached to anything and are slowly making your way towards the start of the metal rungs.

Eventually as the path thins, you connect to your first cable and continue your horizontal traverse along the cliffs edge. You continue this traverse until you come to the main event!

Telluride Via Ferrata Main Event

The main event of the Telluride Via Ferrata is about half way through the entire course and is the first time that you begin to use metal rungs for your feet.

Here you step out above a large drop off (around 200ft!) and use the metal runs to traverse horizontally along the cliff. This continues for about 200ft before you come back to a gravel ledge on the other side.

In my personal experience this was the most exciting and beautiful portion of the route. You can also get some stunning shots of you on the edge of a cliff with a waterfall in the background- it’s gorgeous!

Final Portion of the Telluride Via Ferrata

After the main event you continue your horizontal traverse, making your way around the walls of the cliff. There are some fun sections and tricky sections- I loved this part of the route!

At the end you pop out and have a bit more hiking to do on a gravel road back down to the cars.

Congratulations- you just successfully completed the Telluride Via Ferrata! You deserve a nice cold drink and lunch in town 🙂

What To Bring For The Telluride Via Ferrata

– Backpack

I would highly recommend bringing along a hiking daypack to throw your water, snacks and extra layers in.

– Water Bottle

Definitely a must! Bring along a nalgene or water bladder to stay hydrated. You can also bring a water filter and filter at the waterfalls if you want, after that there is no access to water.

– Snacks

Depending on your group your guide may bring snacks or you may be tasked with bringing your own. Just know you will be out there for up to 5 hours so you will want to have some type of food to hold you over.

– Via Ferrata Gear: Harness & Kinetic Lanyard

If you go with a guided group you will be given a harness and caribiner clips. Otherwise you can rent or buy your own!

– Helmet

Just like rock climbing you will want to have a helmet! Your guide will give you one or you can bring your own.

– Camera

This is a gorgeous route! I brought along my Nikon Z6II with a 24-70mm lens and 70-200mm lens for the main shot. I think it was worth it! A Go Pro would also be a perfect video camera for this.

What To Wear On The Telluride Via Ferrata

– Base Layer

Depending on the weather it will make sense to either wear a t-shirt, tank top or long sleeve! I love using either polyester workout tanks or merino wool shirts. These will both help you wick sweat and keep you warm and cool.

– Mid Layer

Since you will be traversing an exposed cliff you will want to make sure you have some form of warmth. I like bringing a lightweight fleece with me to keep warm!

– Rain Jacket

Better safe than sorry! Having a rain jacket is great to help protect you from the wind and the rain, all which can roll in in an instant in the mountains.

– Leggings/ Hiking Pants

Even when it’s quite warm out, I would recommend wearing pants on this route! They protect your legs from any scraping on rock as well as keep you warm up in the exposed mountain air.

– Gloves

I always keep a pair of gloves in my backpack- these will come in handy in the cool mornings and if you get some with a little grip, can help you hold on to the metal rungs!

– Beanie

If you are doing the trip in early May or late September/ October I would definitely recommend bringing a beanie along. Keeping your head covered can keep you from releasing excess heat.

– Sneakers or Hiking Boots

This is the kind of terrain and experience where you will want to make sure you have shoes with great grip and support! Hiking boots are my personal go to but you can also get away with trail runners or nice sneakers.

– Hiking Socks

My personal favorites are the merino wool socks- they are comfy and don’t smell.

Climbing The Telluride Via Ferrata Conclusion

Climbing the Telluride Via Ferrata is an awesome achievement! It is a great introduction into the world of Via Ferrata’s.

I hope this blog post gave you all the information you could need on making sure you are prepared to tackle your adventure climbing in Telluride.

If you are interested in doing more- I have another blog post on my experience climbing the Trolltunga Via Ferrata in Norway!

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