Description
There are four main types of alpine trails:
- mountain trails– these are signposted paths that run through mountainous areas and connect valleys or the slopes of a valley, mountain pastures with alpine pastures, mountain villages and their surrounding areas, as well as leading to mountain huts, bivouacs, peaks, passes or saddles, or to places of mountaineering, natural and environmental interest;
- equipped alpine paths– these are alpine paths that include equipment (mainly handrails and steps) to facilitate safe passage along certain short sections;
- via ferrata routes– these are signposted routes of mountaineering interest that run mainly over rock or rough terrain, and whose passability is ensured by the presence of fixed equipment (ropes, metal ladders, rungs, anchors, etc.);
- finally,mountaineering routes– these are itineraries that may require climbing, marked only by trail markers or cairns, and equipped solely with anchors to facilitate belaying and the progress of mountaineers.
Treking on via ferrata routes requires good preparation and the use of specific mountaineering equipment (helmet, harness and via ferrata kit).
To tackle mountaineering routes, mountaineering experience is required, along with the use of mountaineering equipment (helmet, harness, rope) and a good command of the main rope manoeuvres.