Via ferrata Tour d'Aï | Via ferrata | Swiss Alpine Club SAC
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Via ferrata Tour d'Aï Tour d'Aï 2330 m

  • Difficulty
    K4, T3+
  • Ascent
    1:10 h, 130 m
  • Mountain Experience
    3 / 4
  • Power
    2 / 4
  • Endurance
    2 / 4
  • Psyche
    2 / 4

In 1963, the American John Harlin founded the International School of Mountaineering (ISM) in Leysin, engaging well-known Anglo-American climbers such as Royal Robbins and Dougal Haston as teachers. They left their mark on the towers of Leysin. Above all, Haston, who after Harlin's death in the Eiger North Face in 1966 became head of the ISM, systematically explored the cliffs above Leysin. In February 1977, he died on his home mountain La Riondaz on a snowboard - in his first posthumously published, heavily biographically coloured novel "Calculated Risk", he let his hero die in the very same area. A morbid prediction, or a cruel twist of fate? On top of routes put up by Harlin and his friends, the sport climbers; Claude and Yves Remy, Michel Piola and other Swiss accessors have systematically expanded the network of routes above Lake Geneva. In June 1997, an 'iron way' was built through the west wall of the Tour d'Aï (2331 m). If you are looking for dramatic views and a bit of adrenalin , you should follow it. If you want to climb the steepest possible way, choose Via ferrata de Planpraz on the outskirts of Leysin.

Route description

Approach
Via ferrata Tour d'Ai
The via ferrata follows the Voie des Vires on ledges diagonally up to the right, climbs through a chimney, overcomes a vertical to overhanging wall, follows a grass band to the left before following an ridge to the summit of the Tour d'Aï (2331 m).
Descent

Additional information

Character

K4 for the via ferrata on the Tour d'Aï: difficult, exposed, slightly overhanging but well protected. The via ferrata material can be rented from Hefti Sports in Leysin.

Time

Total time: 3½ hours.

Approach: 1 hr.

Via ferrata: 1 hr 10 min.

Descent to Chalets d'Aï: 1 hr.

Ascent to Berneuse: 20 min. (Further descent to Leysin-Feydey 1 hr.)

Signalisation

Well marked

Descent

When descending the normal route, you will encounter a ladder and places with chains and railings; in the upper part, the path is in shade, T3 +.

Author

Daniel Anker

Daniel Anker is a Bernese author and photographer. The historian has written around 40 ski tour, hiking, via ferrata and mountain bike guide books as well as detailed monographs on individual peaks in Switzerland.

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