If you’re looking to go hiking and want to complete a via ferrata, you typically think of Austria, Switzerland or maybe the Dolomites in Italy? Well that’s exactly what we thought too! But did you know the UK has four exhilarating via ferrata’s, including a Lake District via ferrata at Honister Slate Mine? Also known as ‘Via Ferrata Xtreme’! There’s also the Via Ferrata ‘Classic’, but not ones to do things lightly, we dove in at the deep end for our first ever via ferrata experience! Here’s our guide to undertaking the Lake District via ferrata at Honister.
What is a via ferrata?
First up, if you’re not too sure what we’re talking about, what is a via ferrata??
The word is Italian for “iron path”. It’s a climbing route made of steel cables, ladders and other fixed anchor points, helping climbers ascend vertical rock faces, narrow ledges, and exposed paths. With the assistance of a via ferrata, climbers can reach literal new heights and terrain otherwise inaccessible, unless using more technical climbing equipment. As a climber, you’re secured to the steel cable with a harness and two carabiners, keeping you secure and attached to the mountainside as you move along.
Tackling a via ferrata is not for everyone. A fearless energy and head for heights is definitely needed. We had never tackled anything like this before, and we must admit, there were times when we thought “what are we doing!?” But the question is, how did we get on? And what do you need to know before taking on the challenge of the Lake District’s Via Ferrata Xtreme at Honister Slate Mine?
Lake District Via Ferrata
The Lake District is a hikers paradise, boasting some of the UK’s best and most famed hiking routes. From England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike, to Grade 1 scrambles like Helvellyn via Striding Edge. To celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary (the theme of which is “iron”), we booked a trip to the Lake District! We love hiking and reaching new mountainous heights, but we are not rock climbers by any stretch of the imagination. Oli even has a fear of heights! Yet we found ourselves starting our anniversary on a ladder, scaling a sheer mountainside…
The adventure begins…
We arrived at 8:45am ready for a 9am start! Once signed-in, the team at Honister got us all kitted up, ensuring we were snug in our harnesses, helmets on and carabiners at the ready. We then had a short briefing, before hopping on the bus to take us up to the entrance of the slate mine.
The bus journey only takes about 5 minutes, but the views along the way are spectacular, overlooking old mining routes from decades ago, carved out in the mountainsides. Once off the bus, the adventure began straight away with a short trek through part of the slate mine tunnels, which was very cool!
We emerged from the tunnel slightly blurry-eyed from the dark, and gathered around our guide ready for a full safety briefing. Before starting the via ferrata, there’s a short training section, where you can practice clipping and unclipping your carabiners and moving along the course. Once that’s done, the real work begins. The starting point of the Via Ferrata Xtreme was a vertical drop, down a fixed iron ladder that disappeared from view below us. The first challenge was to cross over onto the ladder and begin our descent, clipping and unclipping from the steel cable as we went.
Conquering the Via Ferrata Xtreme at Honister Slate Mine
The photos really don’t do justice of just how high up the course is! We quickly had to acclimatise to this new setting and as we began our descent there were definitely moments when our bodies were telling us to bail out and get back onto safe ground. We pushed through though and we’re so so glad we did!
The guides don’t do all the sections with you, but they do have eyes on you at all times. If you are a bit unsure about how to navigate your way along, they can provide some help and advice. The next challenge was to brave a horizontal climb along the rockface to the next rung of ladders. After overcoming that first initial wobble, taking it one step at a time, this section quickly felt quite manageable.
The route eventually took us to Honister’s Infinity Bridge – a highwire bridge, 1000ft in the air, crossing a wide gully. For some on our group, this was the hardest obstacle to overcome, for others it was just a case of one foot in front of the other and slowly making your way across. You’re attached to a steel cable the whole way along, but as you get to the centre of the bridge, and as more hikers make their way onto the bridge behind you, it does start to wobble and sway a little.
Once on the other side, we continued to climb higher and the exposure increased with it as we got higher. Each section of the via ferrata is very carefully planned, slowly pushing you out of your comfort zone from the previous section. The last section of the course consists of a series of ladders taking you higher up the mountainside, until you finally make it onto level ground. High-fives all round! We were buzzing we’d done it!!
Hike to the summit
Our journey wasn’t over just yet though. Although the via ferrata sections were behind us, we next had a short but steep ascent up the mountainside to the summit. The route included a short climb through an old mining tunnel which was very cool! This is different from the mining tunnel at the start of the course and is in more or less complete darkness, so careful footing is needed. Once on the other side, you can see remnants of an old 1800s mining village which was super interesting to see.
At this point, we were basically at the Black Star summit, over 2000ft. Our Lake District via ferrata adventure had been exhilarating, hair-raising, but exciting. The hard work was so worth it though as we were rewarded with stunning 360-degree panoramic views of the Lake District.
There’s then a short and easy walk (about 15-20 minutes) back down to the main car park. We were absolutely buzzing on the walk down about our first via ferrata experience! As long as you have a good level of fitness, we would say that anybody can accomplish this challenge. No experience is needed – we’d never done anything like this before, and we found this physically manageable. The biggest blockers were the mental blockers! But even if you do have a fear of heights, if you’re willing to push yourself beyond your comfort zone, the rewards are totally worth it! Speaking from experience, I think you’d be surprised what you’re really capable of!
What to wear for Via Ferrata Xtreme?
- There’s no need for special equipment: The team at Honister will provide all the safety and climbing gear you need, such as your harness, helmet and carabiners.
- Gloves are optional: You can buy gloves from Honister (for £20) but in dry conditions we didn’t think these were really necessary. The wind at times was quite cold, but we soon warmed up once we got going on the course. We’d suggest gloves are probably only necessary if it’s been raining, or if you’re climbing outside of the summer months.
- Wear shoes with good grip: We wore some lightweight hiking boots which were perfect. You don’t want anything too heavy on your feet. Trail shoes with a good grip would also be fine for this.
- Make sure you have zippy pockets: If you want to bring your phone or GoPro with you, make sure you’re able to store them in a zippy pocket. Anything else definitely won’t be secure enough. There are apparently GoPro helmets available at Honister, but we personally didn’t see any of these.
- Backpacks aren’t necessary: You can bring a backpack with you if needed. There are lockers at the main visitor centre for keeping valuables / keys etc safe, but if you’d rather have your belongings / water etc with you, then bags are allowed. Although just be aware this can make navigating your way around parts of the course slightly more awkward.
- Wear layers: Wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing. We just wore a base layer, a fleece / quick-dri top, with a rainproof jacket and we were quite comfortable once we got moving.
Get in touch
The Via Ferrata Xtreme at Honister Slate Mine was an adventure we’ll never forget! Not only was it an unforgettable way to celebrate our “iron” anniversary, but loved the challenge of pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone, trying something new and that sense of accomplishment!
Whether you’re an experienced climber or a beginner looking for a new challenge, this experience is sure to leave you with lasting memories. We hope you enjoyed our post about our experience of the Lake District Via Ferrata Xtreme! If you have any questions, please pop them in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
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