The mention of via ferrata helps you identify real mountaineering enthusiasts. If you receive a blank look, they’ve probably never progressed beyond the climbing wall at the gym. If their faces glow with excitement, you know you are talking to the real deal. A via ferrata, or ‘iron road’ in Italian, is a mountain path that consists of a series of steel rungs, rails and cables embedded in the rock face, opening up routes to the average hiker that were previously only accessible to experienced rock climbers and mountaineers with specialised equipment. This leisure mountaineering sport had its roots in World War I. The first was constructed and used by the Italian military to move men and equipment in the Italian Dolomites across to Austria. Today, there are about 500 via ferrate in the world, predominantly in Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Spain and a few places in the United States and Canada.


In Asia, there is only one via ferrata, but it is right here on the tallest mountain in Malaysia; Mount Kinabalu. Located on the mountain’s Panar Laban rock face (a fourto six-hour hike from the Mt. Kinabalu Park Headquarters), the via ferrata begins at 3,411 metres and ends at 3,776 metres; putting it in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s highest. Barely 3 years old, it is an alternative route to the top of Mount Kinabalu at 4,095m above sea level. The world’s second highest, at 3,343 metres, is found halfway across the globe in the Italian Dolomites on the Marmolada West ridge.


MOUNTAIN TORQ’S VIA FERRATA

Mountain Torq Sdn Bhd is the company responsible for setting up the via ferrata on Mount Kinabalu. Approximately 1.2 kilometres long, it traverses routes of varying difficulties, thus catering to all levels of experience. Mountain Torq’s Sales and Marketing Director, I-Gek, says, “The via ferrata is devised to give people with little or no climbing experience the excitement of being above the clouds. You don’t even need to be a seasoned or experienced rock climber or mountaineer.” She adds that it can also be enjoyed by people of all ages, from under 10 to over 70 years old. “As long as you know how to climb a ladder and are still able to do so, you will be able to negotiate the via ferrata. All that is needed is a spirit of adventure, the average fitness level of a normal mountain hiker and no fear of heights”


Beginners, families with children and people of average fitness level are particularly fond of the ‘Walk The Torq.’ Covering a distance of less than half a kilometer, participants can witness the beautiful scenery of Borneo and capture breathtaking shots during the two- to three-hour walk.


Those who crave something that pumps a bit more adrenalin into their blood often opt instead for the hike up to Mount Kinabalu’s highest point, Low’s Peak at a height of 4,095m. This is a four- to five-hour programme, 763m in length, designed more for bodies with more muscle and stamina.


On the way down from Low’s Peak, climbers take a detour known as ‘Low’s Peak Circuit’ for stunning views and to explore hidden corners of the mountain plateau.


While Sabah’s coast and islands have always been popular with divers, Mountain Torq’s via ferrata has now also put Mount Kinabalu on the travel list of sports and adventure tourists from around the world.


SAFETY

Climbing via ferrata is the safest of all mountaineering sports, including scrambling, abseiling, rock climbing, alpine mountaineering and even hiking. Mountain Torq’s via ferrata was constructed by a team of preeminent via ferrata builders from Europe and conforms to the highest international safety standards. Safety practices developed and prescribed by UIAA (the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) for mountaineering sports are strictly adhered.


All equipment used in the sport is UIAA certified and participants are guided at all times by trainers who have undergone rigorous training. Besides, a continuous belay system is employed throughout the via ferrata route where climbers are hooked up to a guideline, making any deviation from the route virtually impossible.


MOUNTAINEERING, ETC.

Mountain Torq is South East Asia’s first mountaineering training centre, offering other mountaineering activities like sports climbing, rappelling and alpine rock climbing. Mountain Torq’s alpine-style accommodation at Pendant Hut, located at 3,270m above sea level on Mount Kinabalu Laban Rata rock slab, offers its guests a cozy, eco-friendly hut with a combination of dormitory, VIP and private rooms a mere 15-minute walk to the start of the via ferrata.

For more information, visit www.mountaintorq.com or e-mail enquiry@mountaintorq.com