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JeromePuckman
It was my first experience of Via Ferrata and it was nice. The views are gorgeous, the guide was easy going and the trail was good. I've done the Intermédiaire, and it was very easy for me cause of my climbing background. So, if you already done climbing, go directly to the advanced one. Just be in good shape and you should be alright.
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LauraJ458
I highly recommend this activity if you are visiting the Mont Tremblant area during the summer. Located just inside the national park of Mont Tremblant, it's a 30 minute drive from the ski village. It doesn't seem to be a very well-known attraction, but it's an incredible experience and offers stunning views of the mountains and Diable river. You really don't need any rock climbing experience and it's not too phsyically demanding as long as you're of average fitness. My friend and I did the L'intermédiaire, which was the perfect length for our first time doing a via ferrata. You climb about 200 metres in a couple hours, using the handles and steps built in to the cliff. It's amazing how well the route is designed - as soon as you feel you need another step or handle, there's one right where you need it to be. Once you reach the summit, you hike down. It's exhilerating to hang on the edge of the rock face and look at the valley below - as long as you're not afraid of heights!You can bring a backpack with water and snacks, and there are spots where you can rest and take your camera out to capture the views (I brought my DSLR in my backpack and was easily able to take it out at several points).
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niagara_chris
I did the 5 hour advanced course with my 15 year old son and 16 year old daughter. We have hiked in the rockies and spent a day canyoneering in Zion national park, but have never rock climbed or done a Via Ferrata. We are all in reasonable physical condition. Both my son and daughter are more comfortable with heights than I am, but my 'respect' for heights didn't stop us from booking.So glad we did!This was a very, very challenging activity for us and I'm confident none of us will ever forget our excellent day on the side of the mountain.Our guide, Mark, was superb. Friendly, bilingual, helpful, encouraging, funny, safe, energetic, very positive and relaxed - he was a genuine pleasure. We were with a group of 8 in total, including two other couples plus ourselves and Mark.Our event started on time and finished 6 hours later, in part due to a 1/2 hour period where we hunkered down under a tarp due to a brief summer storm. It was definitely exciting and more than a little fearful as the skies opened up while we were tethered and snaking ourselves across the rock face, but it's also a memory that we will never, ever... ever forget.Technically, the course is excellent.I can't imagine a better introduction to a Via Ferrata. Each of us learned a bit more about ourselves, about climbing and about each other.It was the highlight of our 10 day trip to Montreal, Quebec City and Mont Tremblant.Advice: - If you are an active Trip Advisor user and only see a dozen or so reviews instead of 100s, don't worry about it. The experience is amazing.- Wear rigid sole shoes like outdoor hiking shoes or hiking boots.- I wore light, loose long pants and was glad because I tended to lean into the rock face more than some.- The 5 hour course is a guideline, I think. Ours was 6 hours. It depends on weather, conditions, people involved and the guide, I'm sure.- Bring a small, easily accessible camera. Don't pack heavy. Bring a rain jacket.- Bring plenty of water and 2-3 of your favourite snack bars that you will actually eat because you like them. - And... this might sound a bit different than most tripadvisor.com reviews, but our family found great strength and comfort in prayer. (Every little bit counts!)I can't recommend this activity enough. It is not easy. You will probably be challenged, and, if you are considering this then getting challenged is exactly one of the key parts of this outing. Thanks again, Mark, and if you do end up biking across Canada after this season is over, I recommend Mnt. Bourgeau in Banff National Park, as we talked about. 4-5 hours gets you on top of a magnificent peak. Go early and enjoy the solitude. Thanks!
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PatrickJ729
Very friendly guide, wonderful views, great experience. Can only recommend it to anyone visiting Mont Tremblant.
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JoD619
It was very fun, I mean very fun. We did the beginner run, but I recommend to do the intermediate, the run is a little bit longer in term of time. Try to book a whole group with family/friend or with people who are at the same level as you, because you do not want to be stuck behind somebody who is scared, the day can be long. It worth the price and the effort, because you'll work hard!
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TravelWandering
The difference between beginner, intermediate, and advanced is time on the mountain. If you are fit enough for a 6 hour elevated hike then you are fit enough for advanced. If not scale it down to intermediate or beginner. The tour provides a harness and a helmet only (you cannot wear a ball cap under the helmet but sunglasses are ok). Bring 1.5L of water and light snacks in a backpack and wear sneakers with some grip. There are multiple locations where you can take your backpack off, so a DSLR camera is fine if you are ok carrying it in a backpack. Some people wore fingerless gloves and some didn’t, both were fine. Via ferrata is FUN (even for an experienced climber). Info on this tour is hard to find (at least in English), help others by voting this review helpful if it was.
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Skisoccertrampdad
Really for the fairly adventurous and beyond. The shorter trek is labelled as Beginner, but really, its almost as hard as the advanced part, just shorter, so be advised. I asked the guide if many people turn back and was told that it was a frequent occurrence. I have done lots of clambering around on steep rock faces, but even still wasn't prepared for how high and steep these rock faces would be. Of course, you are well tethered, with lots of feet and hand holds, but it took about two hours until I could really relax and actually look down. For the first part, I just kept looking at the next hand hold, and double-checked I was always tethered. But after a while, you get into the routine, and can convince yourself that you really are safe, despite what previous experience with gravity may tell you.The guide was great, and moved us along at a steady pace that fit the group. We did the full 5 hour advanced route, and if you're there, you should do the full thing. It could be awkard if one person is really slow, which is probably more likely on the shorter route than the longer route, as the truly cautious probably avoid the Advance route. The most interesting bridges are in the final section, so its worth it to spend a little more for the full adventure. The first bridge into the Via Ferrata gives you a good idea what you will experience, and even the first really long step onto the bridge gives you pause to consider what you are doing. And it stays like that until you reach the end. And even the descent has some tricky spots, but by then you are more confident. Very clever design, with no extra foot-holds added, and when there is a small crack or ledge, there are no installed handles. At many times, we were on a sheer rock face, with at least a 100 ft. drop straight down. Total elevation gained is 600 feet, and most of it is vertical.I enjoyed the fact that the tours are spaced out enough that you feel you are the only people who are actually out on the rocks. Plus its a great tour of the ruggedness of the Canadian Shield first hand, just you and the rocks, and a few trees struggling to hold on (as I was). Often sold out, but we booked the night before, but not maybe at the time we originally wanted. However, the morning tour may be preferable, as you're right in the sun, and it would be uncomfortable on a really hot day.Bring food, water, long pants, shoes with traction, and plenty of nerve.
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KeepGoingGirl
Myself and my 11 year old son had a wonderful experience climbing the Via Ferrata. The guide was careful to explain our safety equipment. We were both excited with the climb - which was decidedly more scary than either of us anticipated. There were even sections where you had to claw your way across using tiny rock crevices as hand holds. My only complaint is that as the last person in the group -- there were many times where I couldn't see the guide nor hear his directions. Often I just kind of winged it. The climb was the highlight of our vacation.
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sheer47
This was an absolutely exciting activity! It was our first time doing the Via Ferrata and we did the Beginner excursion - it was still fun and the view was absolutely splendid once you get to the top! The climb is about 95m high. If you've done zip-lining or tree-top trekking, you'll get a hang of the harness and the clips much faster. Can't wait to try out the Intermediate one!
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140SaraS
I took my kids to this attractions, and it was far and away the best thing we did all summer. My daughters aged 17, 16, 14 and 12, along with my 10 year old son and I, all went climbing the via ferrata. At first, I was terrified. I'm not that great with heights. As soon as I climbed up onto that shaky-looking bridge, I thought I'd made a huge mistake trying this out. My kids were already way ahead of me, and I had no choice but to continue. I made it across, but I was shaking. Then we started the climb. After getting the hang of the harnesses, we followed our guide up the steep cliff. It was exhilarating, and a real challenge, but we all loved every minute of it! At the top, the views are amazing. We all really felt like we'd made it to the top of the world, like we were professional climbers, although we'd never had any kind of climbing experience before. If you only do one thing on your trip to Mont Tremblant, be sure to do the via ferrata. It's the experience of a lifetime!
