A ‘unique high-wire challenge’. Something different for the day’. ‘More than just an adrenaline rush’. ‘A great way to build confidence and have fun at the same time’. Via Ferrata Cornwall is many things to many people but we say it’s a challenge that just needs to be experienced if you want to try your hands and feet out at a unique activity in the heart of the Cornish countryside.
But what is a ‘via ferrata’? It actually means ‘iron path’ in Italian and refers to the metal rungs and wire bridges that give climbers a safe crossing across otherwise tricky and steep rocky terrain. It originated in the Alps and is now used as the centrepiece activity at a handful of attractions across the world that invite people of all ages and abilities to have a go at a unique challenge, engage in teamwork and marvel at stunning views along the way. A special harness is attached to each climber as safety is always paramount.
Via Ferrata Cornwall is in a beautiful granite quarry on a 60-acre site near Penryn and Falmouth. Here, you ascend cliff faces, cross high-wire bridges, scramble over rocks, tackle high challenges and ‘zip’ back down to ground level at the end. There are two courses to take part in – the Adventure Zone and the Full Classic. The Adventure Zone is for anyone aged eight and over and under 18 stones in weight who wants to try out via ferrata over a one to one-and-a-half hour course that includes the ‘Iron Stairway’ and high wire bridge, as well as some ace scrambles over rock faces.
The big challenge, however, is the two-to-three hour Full Classic that sits 20m above the water level in the quarry. This involves all sorts of incredible challenges across the rock faces and ends with a zip wire that’s the ‘finale to an amazing adventure’. You do need to be 10 years old and over and under 18 stones in weight to take part and it’s recommended that anyone taking this course should have a ‘medium fitness level’ but you don’t need any previous climbing experience and don’t worry if you have a fear of heights either. The team at the attraction says this is a ‘feelgood thing’ that will leave you ‘with a sense of achievement once you’ve overcome it’.
So, the big facts: Via Ferrata Cornwall, which opened in July 2020, is the first and only via ferrata in Cornwall, plus it’s the only full course in the South of England and one of only five in the UK. It was, say the organisers, created after they found a ‘growing appetite for outdoor adventures’ and they say it’s ‘more than just an adrenaline rush’. They say it can ‘build confidence’ and that there’s ‘something for everyone’ here as you can spend the whole day at the attraction.
As well as the challenges, there’s a ‘mud kitchen’ and wild play areas for the under-10s, plenty of viewing areas to see others taking on the cliffs, a series of nature trails around the site and a cracking on-site café run by The Cornish Barista. And then there are other activities like Stand Up Paddleboarding, archery and a host of watersports up for grabs too.
Via Ferrata Cornwall is actually a social enterprise. All of the profits from the attraction are pumped into the site’s affiliate charity, BF Adventure, which supports more than 4,000 young people every year, many who have learning or physical disabilities, or who are exposed to rurality and poverty disadvantages.
The attraction is open from the start of April to the end of October, often seven days a week, although check the website ahead of your visit as availability varies. The team behind it says that many visitors from across the UK and beyond come along between June and August but there’s a ‘good local following of families, couples and groups of friends and even some daredevil grandparents’ who come along between April and June, and at the end of the summer. So, what are you waiting for? Reach new heights at the most unique rocky challenge attraction in the South West. You won’t want to come down.