On my walk along the Berliner Höhenweg I had a via ferrata set from Salewa with me. It is not strictly necessary on that route, but if you simply cannot get comfortable on the cable-secured sections, it does take the edge off. In bad weather in particular, there are certainly worse things to have in your pack on your next high-mountain trip than a via ferrata set.
What is in the Salewa Via Ferrata complete set
The Salewa set brings everything you need to finish a via ferrata safely. It includes a harness, a helmet to protect you from falling rock or an awkward fall, and of course the lanyard itself, without which the harness would be nothing but a fashion accessory.
The harness
The set comes with the “CIVETTA II” full body harness, a combination of chest and sit harness weighing in at around 620 g. It adjusts at the legs and at both shoulders to fit your own build. There is a gear loop on each side. On trips with a backpack in particular, a full body harness is not a bad idea, as otherwise a fall can leave you hanging in a fairly uncomfortable position.
The lanyard
The “G4 CLASSIC” lanyard consists of a rope brake and two G4 karabiners. Both karabiners open easily so you can clip them onto the cable. For extra safety the rope ends are stitched. So that the lanyard does not get in your way while walking, it can be fastened to the harness with the supplied Velcro strap.
The helmet
The helmet included is the Toxo model. I did not actually use it on my trip, so I cannot share any real long-term experience with you. After trying it on briefly, though, I find it sits well and adjusts comfortably to your head size with a dial at the back. It weighs around 380 g and fits head sizes from 53 to 61 cm. A headlamp mount is of course included too.
There is now a revised version of the Toxo, which Salewa describes as a more technical take on the classic model. The revision has changed the look of the helmet somewhat. I do not know any more than that.
Photos of the via ferrata set
Experience with the Salewa Via Ferrata complete set
I am sorry, but I cannot tell you how safe the whole system is, because I have not taken a fall so far — and I did not particularly want to test that on your behalf. 😉
I cannot say much about the helmet either, since as mentioned above I did not use it. What I did not like about the harness is that it always took me a very long time to put on. Perhaps that comes down to my lack of experience with climbing gear, or to packing it away carelessly. But once I had pulled it out of my pack, it took quite a while to puzzle it back into a usable shape.
