I have never done vie ferrate before, but knew about them and have been itching to do them. Hikes in the mountain and skipping and yodeling in big malga open fields will always be fun, but after a while one starts to want another view of the mountains. In this case, the view from the rock faces one can only gape at when hiking. Finally, me and my friends decided to "try-out" this via ferrata, to "prepare" ourselves for the bigger vie ferrate in Marmolata in the Dolomiti or the Via Alta in Pasubio. Although the trek itself is short--no more than 90 minutes--it was tough going, especially for beginners. The biggest draw for vie ferrate is that it is essentially an inanimate guide walking you through a well-marked path through the mountain, but in this case, at times that's where the "draw" ends. In parts, the trail is just like mountain climbing, where one has to muscle one's way through vertical climbs with little to no footholds. It was a great trek nevertheless, and I'm looking forward to tackling the bigger trails in the Dolomiti
