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What to wear and pack for Via Ferrata Piva

· 4 min read

A young climber in a blue helmet, white long-sleeved top and khaki shorts holds the cable with a gloved hand on a mossy wall above the clear turquoise Piva.

The helmet, harness, gloves and via ferrata set come with every climb on Via Ferrata Piva, and your guide fits them at the bridge before you start. You bring your own shoes and clothes, some water and a few small things. The climb takes one to two hours and finishes back at the bridge where it began, so anything you won’t need on the rock can stay in the car.

Shoes

On the way down to the river you walk on earth, roots and rock. On the traverse and the wall you stand on iron pegs and rungs most of the time. You need closed shoes with a firm sole and a tread that grips, and trainers with a good tread, trail-running shoes, approach shoes and light hiking boots all do the job. Lace them tightly so your heel stays put when you step up to the next rung. Sandals, slip-ons and smooth-soled street trainers slide on wet iron and polished rock, so leave them at home.

Clothes

The harness goes round your waist and both thighs, on top of your clothes. Wear shorts, leggings or trousers rather than a dress or a skirt. On the wall you lift your knees high to reach the next rung and stretch your arms above your head, so choose clothes that move with you. Long trousers protect your knees and shins from the rock, and shorts are cooler in summer. Either is fine.

The forest path runs under trees, and parts of the traverse lie in the shade of the canyon wall. The wall at the end can be in full sun around the middle of the day, and the 80 m up it is the hardest work of the climb, so that’s where you get warm. On most days a thin layer you can take off and pack away is more use than one thick jacket.

Through the year

We climb all year round when the weather allows, so what you wear depends on the month. The temperatures below are rough figures for Plužine, 20 km up the road, from weather models and the nearest weather station, and any single day can be well above or below them.

In July and August, afternoons in Plužine are usually in the mid-20s °C and can reach 30 °C. A T-shirt with shorts or light trousers is fine, and bring sun cream. Start times run from 08:00 to 18:00, and an early start gets you up the wall before the hottest part of the day.

A woman in an orange helmet, sunglasses, a light zip-up jacket and black shorts holds the cable on the traverse, with fast clear water below her and green canyon walls under a blue sky.

Spring warms up quickly. Daytime highs are around 8 to 12 °C in March, in the mid-teens in April and 18 to 20 °C in May. Autumn goes the other way, from about 20 °C in September down to about 11 °C in November. In both seasons wear long trousers and bring a fleece or a light jacket, which you can take off before the wall if you get warm.

Climbers in orange and blue helmets, one in a patterned wool jumper, move along the cable on the traverse under yellow autumn leaves, above clear blue pools and a rocky stretch of river.
Early October on the traverse.

Winter highs in Plužine are around 5 °C, and snow is common from December to March. Wear warm layers and a thin hat that fits under the helmet. The gloves we provide are half-finger, so on a cold day your fingertips are bare; if you have thin full-finger gloves of your own, bring them. If snow, ice or a storm makes the climb unsafe on your date, we move it to another day, and you can cancel for free up to 24 hours before your climb.

A climber in a blue helmet, a dark jacket and long blue trousers, with a small backpack, holds the cable on a rock beside fast blue rapids, with bare trees and the bridge high above.
Mid-November, beside the rapids below the bridge.

What’s provided

Your guide brings a helmet, a sit harness, a via ferrata set and a pair of black half-finger gloves for each climber. The booking form asks for everyone’s height and weight so your guide can bring the right harness sizes. You don’t need a camera, because the photos your guide takes are included in the price. What each piece of equipment does is in via ferrata safety equipment explained.

What to bring

  • Closed shoes with a grippy sole
  • Shorts, leggings or trousers you can move in
  • A thin layer, and a light waterproof jacket except in high summer
  • Water
  • Sun cream and sunglasses
  • A small backpack that sits close to your back, if you’re carrying anything
  • In winter, a thin hat and thin full-finger gloves

If you want photos of your own, keep your phone in a pocket that zips shut or on a lanyard attached to you. Anything dropped on the traverse or the wall falls into the river or onto the rocks below it. Glasses stay on better with a strap, because on the wall you look down at your feet a lot.

What to leave in the car

Leave behind anything that hangs loose, such as scarves, long bag straps and a camera swinging on a cord. Loose things can catch on the cable, the brackets and the rungs, or get in the way when you move a carabiner. A large backpack pulls you back from the rock on the wall, so bring a small one or none. Alcohol isn’t allowed before or during the climb.

If you’re bringing children, Via Ferrata Piva with kids covers ages, prices and what they find hard, and the best time to visit Piva Canyon goes through the canyon season by season.