UKH

Hi all,

We're off to Saas Fee in a few weeks with the kids and I was hoping to plant the seed by introducing the eldest (8) to some easier VF.  I was thinking of the Mittaghorn VF which I've done a few times in the past, as from memory it is quite gentle with lots of spots to stop and have a sarnie/water etc.  

Do any of you have experience of taking youngish kids on VF?  Anything to be mindful of?  I would take our harnesses and helmets and rent the lanyards from the gear-shops there.  I think there may have been some discussions in the past about the potential for greater fall-factors given the much lower weights, but couldn't find much in the search history.  I imagine it is probably quite dependent on the lanyards themselves...

Thanks in advance for any insights.

I would also take some confidence rope and possibly maybe a couple of carabiners and quickdraws to belay them if they're out of their comfort zone. 

I remember doing some VF in the Dolomites on a fairly popular route and we came up behind a family with a youngish child (probably similar age to yours) who was struggling with bigger steps/reaching but also getting generally fed up/bored and grumpy which then caused a queue and other people started getting grumpy as it wasn't particularly easy to get past them.

Just a thought that they may not enjoy it so having a VF with escape routes back down may be an idea. Or, as the other post says, having a confidence rope could be useful in case there are patches that having adult reach helps.

The Plattjen lift seems to be closed this year, so you've got to walk both ways for the Mittaghorn ferrata.

Most VF sets will have a minimum weight as well as a maximum. Follow them! But yes, also be prepped to belay up short steep sections. 

I'm intending to do the same thing with some kids in the next couple of weeks. The lanyards I've got have a min weight of 40kg (note this is all up weight, so if the kid has a backpack or whatever they'll be heavier). I got a eledrid via ferrata belay kit for the one that is under 40kg. It doesn't do anything that a short piece of rope and a belay device would tho - my understanding is that it's key to belay them on anything that isn't horizontal (i.e. ladders), not so critical on the flat walky bits as there is no fall factor if they slip.

I was taking my son and his friend on VF's regularly at around 9 or 10 - he said he preferred it to climbing because there was less standing around waiting. Two things to watch out for are minimum weights on lanyards, as others have already mentioned, and routes with widely spaced rungs/cables. We had to turn back because of those once, but guidebooks often warn you if that might be an issue.

We took ours some years ago when they were 10 and 12. I took a rope for the first outing but didn't need it so I didn't take it again. Beware of the descents that can have loose rocks and may be dangerous if other people are above you.

We started our two boys at 9 & 11, but on modern VF and starting on easier ones.  With the youngest in a kids chest harnesses.  Never used ropes (took short bit on a few of the early ones 'just in case').

When younger, we did climb very closely with them and made the clips for them if any stress; super super careful. Extra clips so they can clip direct to a rung as well.  Also consider gloves for them - we found our mountain biking gloves are great for VF.

Personally, I found I'd rather be next to them, than them be on a rope at a distance.  Once they get to 13/14, they are just away and leaving you for dust.

But don't underestimate how stressful it can be for parents (it might even get worse as they get older)!   Don't be a rush to get them on VFs, there's always next year.

 ... we've seen a few parents bite off more than they can chew with younger kids on VF and seen a whole gamut of kit (and lots of non VF kit).

And the descents need to be considered as well ...

Hi, 

I take lots of kids on Via Ferrata, it can be great fun or very stress full depending on many factors.

For the lanyards its not really about fall factors, its about them being able to deploy the shock load system on the lanyard, young kids are to light so they don't trigger the system, so can put a dangerous amount of force on their bodies like falling and a standard sling, also slam's them in to the wall with more force. 

When working its the standard practice to rope under 18's up, this is mainly to deal with the issues of clients messing the clips up, (it happens more than you think), it has a few advantages but one of the disadvantages is you are a distance in front of you kid if they get scared or need help. 

The other options is to climb behind them where you can assist them and talk to them. The issue here is it's a judgment thing based on many things, and like any judgement you see lots of people get it wrong. Its not officially recommended as it leaves a more scope for things to go wrong compared to roping. it relies on the parent being able to manage it with no slip ups. 

Every year I hear of issues on local routes, some stand out examples are.

1) Mum takes two daughters straight on harder route, the first daughter gets past the hard section the second couldn't make it, so mum and her down climb. leaving the fist on her own and out of communication. fortunately she was collected by another group and they helped her to the top.

2) Boy falls from a route after he struggled with his clips and dad tried to help, ended up being unclipped and fell, lucky to have no injuries. 

3) Dad dies after falling while unclipped with his kids, believed to have unclipped to help his kids.

I am not trying to put you off, it can be great fun taking kids on via ferrata, I really enjoy it. I took my mates little girl on one yesterday. but its tricky to advise, as its a judgment call based on quite a few factors to take in to account. The best advice I have is to start on the shortest easiest route you can find and see how they and you find it then move on to harder and longer routes, as you feel is wise.

8 is fine. Just go and do it. You’ll be fine. Taking kids or great fun and they get cheered in the huts. My son was fine in the Dolomites on VF from 7. Nothing hard up to grade 4’s. 
 

Good luck.

I'm definitely in your camp wrt to VF.

All VF need to be treated with a lot of respect. Pretty easy to screw it up with dire consequences.

And had many happy summers hols in the Ecrins! Probably our favourite.

Done quite a few of the Ecrins VFs as well.

O started my kids on VFs from about 7 and 9. I was a lot happier with them on a short rope than without - adults - let alone kids - can panic and it's very comforting to have a rope to them. On some VFs (I think in France particularly ) the cable anchors have pigtails which you can just hook the rope through, and the child can unhook it easily enough when they reach each point.

Thanks for the replies everyone.  I think I'll throw a thin 20-25m rope in the bag and see what I can hire from the rental shop in terms of kids lanyards.  I'll ask their advice too as they've been pretty helpful in the past.  Desperate to share the fun with the boys but also don't want to put them off for life with a bad experience, so might be best to leave them wanting more- as others have said, there's always next year!

Def take a "lazy" sling and carabiner so they can clip on and lean back/hang for a rest if needed. Really helps with fatigue and confidence. 

We went on a family trip to the Dolomites when my daughter was only about 9 or 10.  Very enjoyable and I took a 30m 'confidence' scrambling rope which she was connected to myself and I clipped in a few quick draws etc on the traverse sections, to make sure if she did fall, wasn't going anywhere.  She also had a lanyard so she could feel like she was doing it properly and also gave extra confidence especially on the traverse sections.  Vertical sections are actually better with just the rope !   Also, make sure the Via Ferrata isn't overly long or too many over hanging sections.

I'd be very aware of the weather. Being slow could be a real issue with the typical late afternoon thunderstorms. There's lots of shorter ones around to get a taste and then progress from there. Someone above said 'escape routes' - I'd really pay attention to that. 

I've seen young kids doing just fine on VFs - but also parents being berated by others for them being 'too young' - even though the kids were clearly doing fine. 

Have fun!

Oof, relying on the weight of a rucksack on a small body to supposedly bring deceleration to within acceptable ranges sounds quite....

...fraught with potential problems.

Kids generally on a rope not lanyard in my experience, you cant trust them to keep clipping in.  you lead and just feed rope through the spiral bolts, kids just flick it out as they pass.