State via ferrata to someone who shivers even walking along a canopy walkway, chances are he or she will give you a blank look. Mountaineering enthusiasts, on the other hand, will glow with excitement, with lots of experiences to share. Many Malaysians are probably clueless about what a via ferrata is because the one on Mount Kinabalu is the first in not just Malaysia but also Asia.

Located at Mount Kinabalu’s Panar Laban rock face, Mountain Torq’s via ferrata begins at 3,411 metres and ends at 3,776 metres; making it the world’s highest, certified by Guinness World Records. It’s a four to six hours hike from Mt. Kinabalu Park Headquarters.

Opened in December 2007, it is an alternative track to the top of Mount Kinabalu at 4,095m above sea level. The world’s second highest via ferrata, at 3,343 metres, is found halfway across the globe in the Italian Dolomites on the Marmolada West ridge.

On hand to give us an idea of this thrilling attraction was I-Gek, the Sales & Marketing Director of Mountain Torq Sdn Bhd, the company responsible for bringing via ferrata to Mount Kinabalu.

Sporting a tank top and knee-length pants, with a robust figure and not an inch of extra fat in sight, I-Gek certainly has the word mountain climber written all over her face. She definitely looked the part though she wasn’t doing an actual climb.

She spoke with conviction and passion on the thrill of experiencing the via ferrata. So did the founder of the company, Wilfred Tok, as well as the rest of his team, reputedly made up of South-East Asia’s most polished mountain climbers, instructors and educators who shared a strong passion for the outdoors.

Even my buddy, Suzie, a dainty young lady, who taught me the right way to wear the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), told me she has scaled the via ferrata twice.

“Cool,” I exclaimed!

The via ferrata, or ‘iron road’ in Italian, is a mountain path that consists of a series of steel rungs, rails and cables embedded into the rock face, opening up routes to the average hiker that were previously only accessible to expert rock climbers and mountaineers with specialised equipment.

This leisure mountaineering sport had its roots in World War I. The first via ferrata was fashioned and used by the Italian military to move men and equipment in the Italian Dolomites across to Austria. Today, there are about 500 via ferrate in the world, predominantly in Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Spain and a few places in the United States and Canada.

With the availability of Mountain Torq’s via ferrata, Asians in particular would be able to experience this exhilarating sport which previously could only be done at a place far away, not to mention involving an exorbitant cost.

This article is provided by www.Malaysia-Travel-Info.com. An up-to-date guide to Malaysia and Malaysia. Providing current and relevant information about visa, airlines, hotels, resorts, Kinabalu via ferrata, scuba diving, travel, health and wellness.

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