Long popular in Europe, via ferratas are catching on—and fast—in North America. Italian for “iron way,” a via ferrata is a protected climbing route with fixed steel cables, metal rungs, and ladders.

Via ferrata, which is Italian for "iron path," is one of the best ways to experience the high alpine terrain of a ski area in the summer. These unique climbing routes are equipped with iron rungs and ...

My knees shake and my fingertips cling to the rock. I can’t bear to move my laser-focused gaze anywhere beyond the metal rung that’s just out of reach. A moment before, I was climbing up a ladder, but ...