Klettersteig, Inverted flying fox

The Königsjodler is one of the longest Klettersteigs in Austria, ascending a beautiful jagged ridge to the Hochkönig at 2941 meters, a bit south of Salzburg. The route is well documented (in German, click on the icons underneath the photo for more pics) at http://bergsteigen.at/de/touren.aspx?ID=121 with a beautiful video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vOsw86f8XE

Klettersteig (via ferrata in Italian) has no direct English translation, perhaps closest is 'secured route', and they don't exist in America. The idea is that you wear a helmet and climbing harness, and to your harness are affixed two short ropes with carabiners (called a klettersteigset), which carabiners you clip into the protection that has been built into the mountain. This protection is typically a steel cable that is anchored into the route every few meters. Via ferratas are especially common in the Dolomites where many were erected during the World Wars. Though Italy has a moritorium on building them, Austria has built many in the last few decades and continues to add a few each year.

Before I tried it (coming from a mountain climbing background), I thought it was a ridiculous kind of sport, a bastardization between hiking and climbing. But now I have a blast going up these, and they are graded from A (easiest, just a walk, no equipment necessary) to E (daunting) so you can choose something that is appropriate for you. And they are quite popular, too. This video was made on Sunday, Aug 31, 2008, and on the day before there were ballpark 170 people who ascended (well, that's how many stayed overnight at the Matrashaus lodging at the top of the Hochkonig, whose capacity is 130, and they don't take reservations!)

A flying fox is a crossing of a rope or cable by means of a pulley. For example, Petzl makes the 'Tandem Speed Pulley' that is visible on all the Konigsjodler videos. Petzl makes other versions - this one is top of the line. Most crossings have two or more cables and are usually walked, so this crossing on the Konigsjodler is rare since it is longer than usual (about 25 to 30 meters) with only a single cable (it can be bypassed by means of a downclimb and then upclimb, but who would want to?)

Though it is not easy to see (probably easiest to see at the end of the video), there is a red rope attached to the pulley that is exactly the length of the crossing so that your feet will alight onto the far side, but the rest of you does not go *splat*. In addition, it allows the next person to pull the pulley back to the starting side.

Judit, going first, demonstrates the proper way to go across. One stays upright by means of grasping just below the pulley or by grasping the rope below the trailing klettersteigset's carabiners. I do not recommend trying the inverted flying fox which I show, but man was it fun. Because men tend to wear heavier packs and have a higher center of gravity, many of them go across by grasping the cable hand over hand the entire way.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Klettersteig
• Inverted
• flying
• fox
• Königsjodler
• Konigsjodler
• Austria
• Climbing
• Hochkonig
• Hochkönig
• Via
• ferrata

[Quadrillerator]

Detailed info on the Konigsjodler, flying foxes, and klettersteiging is available by pressing the 'more info' link to the right of the video.

[rarbiart]

Why does nobody put a prussik on the rope for breaking? I would not risk an even slightly inrued foot due to a crushed landing.

[ytpoppyyt]

nice one sigh