Honister's Via Ferrata Xtreme in the Lake District - review

Forget the flat streets of London, head for the hills and test yourself on Britain’s highest novice-friendly climb. The views are worth the fear…
James Anthony30 March 2016

Someone once commented that the tragedy of modern man (or woman) is that they never get to test themselves in truly frightening circumstances. Standing in the Lake District’s Honister Pass looking up at the “Via Ferrata” partially addresses this so-called tragedy.

Via Ferrata is Italian for “iron road”. These iron roads – it’s a series of ladder steps more than an actual road - have their routes in mining and were subsequently used for the swift movement of troops across mountainous terrain.

Honister’s two routes (the classic and the more demanding “xtreme”) start off unnervingly with a walk through the slate mine’s headstone display. Punters are then equipped with hard hats, harness, carabiners and energy absorbing lines. The idea being that should you fall off the side of the mountain, you don’t plummet very far and you don’t hurt your head, much.

Adam, one of the route’s guides, gives a cheery lecture as to how no one has every died while attempting the climb and then it’s a quick bus journey and a short walk through a disused mine tunnel before clipping on to the steel wire that follows the metal steps and handrails around the entire route. Anyone familiar with Go Ape will have no problem with the constant clipping/ unclipping of the safety carabiner and a novice’s mind will soon be focused by looking at the road hundreds of feet below. The few cars there are look like ants and any people are nearly invisible.

You'll be rewarded with stunning views

It’s challenging but nothing that anyone with a decent level of fitness will struggle with. Tip, if you book a few weeks in advance, start pushing out a few press-ups every day so you’re not the weak, red-faced member of the group huffing and puffing your way around the mountain.

The views are stunning. So much so that’s it’s very easy to forget your private pledge not to look down. Holding on to the side of Fleetwith Pike is exhilarating. Monday to Friday it’s possible to look down at the pilots as RAF jets scream through the valley on training flights – at the weekend, the locals are given a rest from the noise (it’s known as the “sound of freedom") so there are no passing planes.

The Burma Bridge – a tight rope walk with handrails and the cargo net are among the most challenging aspects of Honister’s Via Ferrata Xtreme but, again, you’re clipped on throughout.

Honister Slate Mine

One last low crouch, dark walk through a disused mine tunnel and the climbers reach the top of the pike. At 648 metres it’s more than double the height of the Shard and is a hundred times more spectacular. Three lakes, a range of mountains, including Scafell Pike; England’s highest peak and even Scotland in the distance combine to make this the rooftop of England.

A 20-minute walk back down to the car park sees the conquering party feeling rightly chuffed, their inner Edmund Hillary sated. Even the ominous thud-thud of a rescue helicopter winching someone off the adjacent mountainside couldn’t remove our smiles.

More info at honister.com

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