|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Via Ferrata on Mt. Kinabalu, starting at 3800m ASL is the highest in the world. This "drag the carabiners" walk, pick yourself along the granite cliff face of Panar Laban. From a point above Sayat-Sayat at KM7, a series of high tensile steel cable about 4km in length, is lined and bolted to a series of open pins on the rock face.
This steel open pin or commonly called Pig Tail is drilled and cemented deep into the granite rock every 3 or 4m along the iron "trail". Each pin could hold down a load of 2 tonnes, way above the total sum of say, 6 WWF pro wrestlers plus their's ferrata guide even if they are dangling down along the cable. The regulated number of person between two pins is 6 ferrata climbers plus 1 ferrata trainer/guide. Normally the Via Ferrata on Mt. Kinabalu, its 3 to 4 persons per guide.
Each climber, with his safety harness (coiled like line in red in the photo) is twin clipped to the cable using two carabiners on a double slings. The climber would drag the carabiners along the cable as he "walks" to the next pin. At the next pin, he would unclip his carabiners and clip them to the cable on the other side of the pin, before slipping his safety line through the pig tail or open pin. The safety harness could also hold down 2 tonnes deadweight.
A group or section of ferrata climbers are connected on a single safety line at 3 to 4m apart. You can see the safety line which is green in color in the photo. This safety line is always passed through a pig tail.
In the very unlikely event a climber slips and disengage his safety harness, the other standing ferrata climbers and pins they are passing through, would hold him from slipping further. |
Roly, infinitium has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekEarth members may rate photo notes. |
|
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1333 W: 1 N: 3182]](http://i1.trekearth.com/misc/g-n-g.gif){kind=small}