Is my via ferrata heroic or stupid?

A tiny fragment of a big trip around Mexico in February 2021

Do you often find yourself hanging over an abyss? I also usually prefer other entertainment. But the upper edge of the cliff from where you descended has almost disappeared; and the ground below had not yet appeared. The perfect moment to finally think about why the hell you got here.

Via ferrata sounded beautiful and romantic, promising bright emotions and adventures. The guys from our group were jumping with anticipation of participating in it. They didn't let us in! There weren't enough places for those interested! Only 3 sessions per day! Our local guide Roy intervened and a miracle happened: we are Participants!

For some reason it didn’t occur to me to translate the name (iron trail) and take a closer look at the photos on the advertising brochure... What’s wrong with that? I can handle it, of course! After 7 ziplines this day, nothing is scary.

It remains to add that I didn’t have the slightest idea, much less experience. Blessed is he who believes! We were given instructions on how to use the hardware attached to us. Maybe they said a lot of smart and useful things in Spanish, I don’t know. Friends translated what they could. And most importantly, they required us to wear masks. It's so damn important here!

One by one, the guys stood on the edge of a sheer cliff, leaned back, pushed off with their feet and disappeared into the abyss. There was no way to see what they were doing there. We must pay tribute to the organizers - security at the highest level! They won’t let you die or be seriously injured. Two belts with carabiners, a shock absorber to weaken the jerk if you suddenly fall (without it, neither the cable nor the human body can withstand the load), a helmet, gloves, a bunch of other pieces of hardware I don’t even know what they’re for. And be kind - stomp down.

Hanging from a cliff was not scary: the brain generally refused to analyze the actions taken by the body. All work is done with your feet, your hands should slide smoothly along the ropes. The footwells were insufficient and shallow; It’s completely impossible to see where to step. Having placed my foot poorly, I fell and hung in the air. Scary!

Having overcome my panic, I began to try to feel the rock with my feet. Alas, she was out of reach. Kostya, my friend from the group, who was below, shouted at me to just go down the rope on my hands; Below there was a ledge, which I grabbed onto. Loooong time. Scary.

Finally I stepped on solid ground. Hoping that the worst is behind us. Then it was necessary to climb the vertically fixed ladder, which swayed mercilessly, and climb to the next platform.

And there! Mommy dear, you need to climb the brackets along the rock, periodically unfastening and securing the carabiners. His hands were shaking godlessly, his mouth was spewing out such idiomatic expressions that would make a loader blush! And there’s nowhere to go! There is no turning back.

Who can I tell that I was staring into the abyss only to distract myself from what was happening. The views are simply amazing! The Copper Canyon in Mexico is definitely worth a visit. At the very least she crawled, climbed the rocks, swearing at herself for her idiocy and arrogance. When will this all end? Everything was just beginning!

I don’t remember the whole journey in detail. We constantly climbed up in one way or another: along wooden planks, along brackets fixed in the rock, sometimes simply along a cable.

There were handrails almost everywhere for support and interception; in fact, it was possible to fly into the abyss only in a few places. Honestly, falling and hanging on the belay was the worst thing of all. I imagined how I was flailing around in the middle of the rocks and they were getting me for a long time and painfully. Brrr...

I remember the moment in the rock excavation, where it was necessary to rise sharply. They threw you a rope with a loop at the end, into which you had to hook both carabiners and crawl up the ladder from the brackets. And the steps in the middle of the path turned out to be on the opposite side, where they also had to somehow get there. I didn’t understand the instructor’s words, and even if I knew Spanish, I was in a panic. Well, the guys told me how to go. Came out into the light, yay!

And there it is! There!!!! You were hooked to a rope and you just had to jump into the abyss and fly to the other edge, hooking your feet to a narrow plank on which the instructor stood. He must catch you. How many meters are there below me?! She asked to be allowed to crawl over the rock (she saw another road there), but where is it! An indescribable feeling when you yourself, of your own free will, simply jump into the abyss. Yes, insurance; yes, there are people around; but does it really calm you down? It flew over and successfully caught; Kirill caught me. My heart just flew out of my chest.

Oh, I forgot, before the jump they forced me to put on the mask again, which I took off. Moving along the hanging swaying bridge was simply a thrill: compared to other attractions, it was easy.

The final touch of the odyssey was the task of walking 30 meters along a thin steel rope.

What can I say? On the one hand, it is better to go to such an event consciously, fully understanding the route and the tasks at hand. It is ideal to have climbing skills and experience. I admit that in this case it is possible to enjoy the process and the adrenaline going off scale. Naturally, don't be afraid of heights. A complete idiot like me is also quite capable of completing the route, just on stupidity and having no alternative, because the road is only forward.

What I liked

• I tried something new, it was interesting to go down the rock; back then there was no overkill in sensations.
• Beautiful views of the canyon around you: from the side, under and above you, everywhere in general.
• In the process, experience was gained, an understanding of where and how to place your feet, and the skill of automatic work with carbines was developed.
• Feeling proud of myself that I didn’t fall anywhere, overcame panic, and was able to complete the entire route.
• Help and support from the guys.

Would I recommend participation to others? Why not? Everyone has their own method of getting high or dealing with fears. An adrenaline rush is guaranteed here. And the unparalleled beauty of the area will add zest to a walk among the rocks. In general, go for it!

Evgeniya Yatsychenko, Kyiv