Via ferrate — 'iron ways' of cables, ladders and rungs bolted across Dolomite rock faces, many dating from the First World War — let ordinary walkers cross terrain otherwise reserved for climbers. Clipped in with a lanyard kit at every step, you traverse ledges with several hundred metres of air below your heels. Start on a grade-one route near Cortina, and hire a mountain guide for your first day out. July to September is the season; helmets always.
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