06/15/2026
1. "Via ferrata" is Italian for "iron way." The first ones were cut into the Alps during the World Wars, when troops needed to cross high peaks and passes on fixed steel rungs and cables. After the fighting stopped, nobody pulled the hardware out, and climbers started doing the old routes for fun.
2. The Tahoe Via is bolted onto the Tram Face at Palisades, the granite wall under the aerial tram, sitting between 7,000 and 8,000 feet.
3. The route you climb depends on how long you go. The 2-hour tour climbs The Great Escape, the 3-hour follows The Loophole, and the 4-hour tours take on the Sundial Arête or the Skyline Traverse to the top of the face.
4. The Loophole tops out at the Olympic Valley Overlook, one of the best viewpoints in the valley. The 4-hour routes finish at Tram Tower 1 and descend through Broken Arrow Bowl to a vehicle pickup.
5. A steel cable runs the entire route as a continuous lifeline, so you stay clipped to the rock 100% of the time.
6. The climb is built for almost everyone. No experience is required, and anyone taller than 3'11" can do it with the effort of a short hike.
7. Every climb is guided. We run it through AMGA-certified guides, the same standard behind our expeditions around the world.
The season is open from now until it snows again, come climb with us!
