West Virginia’s Via Ferrata

Words by Christine Van Dyk

The climbers work their way along the western fin of the notch, scrambling up a trail in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains. While this is challenging, it’s just the warm-up.

“Suddenly, you wrap around the corner of the fin, between the two rocks,” Bryan Williams of NROCKS Outdoor Adventures, says, “and the mountain opens up before you. It stares you in the face and the ground seems to fall beneath you, leaving you exposed.”

Just when you think, I can’t do this, that fear changes into something a bit like fun.

This trail in the knobs of West Virginia is known as a via ferrata. In Italian, it means “iron way.” Climbers scale the rock with the help of metal rungs, steel cables, and ladders drilled into the mountainside. They provide footings and handholds for climbers to secure themselves using carabiner clips. It’s more challenging than a hill climb, but not quite as technical as rock climbing or mountaineering. 

Via ferratas were used during the first World War to help soldiers navigate the Dolomite Mountains. Most popular in Italy, they were also scattered throughout Europe. The earliest routes date back to the 1840s in Austria where they were known as klettersteig.

Of the handful of via ferratas in America, one of the earliest is Nelson Rocks, or NROCKS, in West Virginia.

“What makes it special are the rock formations themselves,” Bryan says. “They’re very tall for this region, and because there are two razor-sharp ridges running side by side, they create a corridor where an impressive cable bridge is strung between.”

This via ferrata is the brainchild of Stu and LaVonne Hammett, climbers from DC who bought this mountain range in 2002. They hired a group of local guides, affectionately known as “dirtbag climbers,” to scale the rock and drive more than 100 steel rungs into the mountain and string 1,750 feet of steel cable to create the climbing routes.

Standing on top of the peak, overlooking the forest floor, you can hear the sounds of ravens cawing. Apart from the birds and the creek rushing below, the earth is silent. 

“First-time climbers can actually hear the pounding of their heart and the exhaling of their breath,” Bryan said. “For many, it’s the most exciting thing they’ve ever done.”

And maybe that’s the point.

“It’s empowering,” he says. “It lets you try something challenging and scary and come out on the other side having achieved something you thought impossible. It teaches you to push yourself and try new things—even if you’re afraid.”

About three-quarters of the way up the route, the Headwall gives climbers the option to push themselves the furthest.

“The Top-out is an extremely narrow fin of rock with a sheer drop of 300 feet on the other side,” Bryan says. “The climb up is difficult, but the climb down is even scarier—especially the first step over the edge.”

Even though it sounds harrowing, climbers don’t need to be professionals; anyone with a moderate fitness level can participate. You’ll need gloves, closed-toe shoes with rubber soles, and a backpack with water. The instructors explain what to expect, how to stay safe, and provide helmets, harnesses, and carabiners.

While it’s not necessary to prepare for the climb, newbies can prep with a steep hike, easy routes at a climbing gym, and a high ropes course to test their fear of heights. 

After the climb, visitors can explore Seneca Rocks for traditional rock climbing, hiking, and horseback riding. Then it’s off to the sister towns of Thomas and Davis for shopping, dining, and a step back in time at Harper’s Old Country Store.