A via ferrata is not growing from the bottom up, as might have guessed, but arises from the top down. First, there is a rough line in the mind of the builder, which is in Ramsau am Dachstein mountain guide Hans Prugger. The “Irg” is already his 18th Klettersteig. Then the rock is inspected. “This is done by going down and then I climb up again,” explains Prugger. Only then the exact route is determined. Hans Prugger takes care for rockfall, but also on good ascents and descents. Bolt, kicks, anchors, cable lengths etc. are measured and ordered. Then the material flight takes place. At a distance of 50 meters material deposits are applied. Why 50 meters? “Because the cable of the drill is no longer,” explains Hans Prugger, who are full-time guide. The Mountain Climbing ropes are cut to 30 meters and weigh, depending on their thickness, around 50 kilos.
After the flight of the material ( “The pilot and me are a team, otherwise errors would be fatal.”) a fixed rope over the entire rock height is stretched. This fixed rope serves to ensure that Hans Prugger can climb up or down quickly. “The weather changes in the mountains rapidly” explains Hans Prugger “so you have to be fast.
With a 50 kilo genny, drill, anchor bolt and fixing mass the klettersteig is growing on the rock. On the question of where these metal ropes originate, Prugger says with a smile: “We recycle. All ropes are old and formerly used as lift and gondola parts of Planai and Dachstein. And the bolts are Ramsauer Blacksmithing. ” Today, 18 Klettersteige are acessible form Ramsau am Dachstein. And all made from Hans Prugger.

Quelle: Der Dachsteiner

Hans Prugger beim Bau des Skywalk Klettersteigs