Climb a "via ferrata" in the Dolomites

Dolomite Mountains, an adventure-travel company based in the province of Belluno, Italy, is offering a unique mountaineering experience for anyone in good shape who has a head for heights: Clients can climb a "via ferrata," or "iron road," in the rugged Dolomites of Northern Italy.

Here's more information, courtesy of Dolomite Mountains:

 "A via ferrata is a mountain route which is equipped with fixed cables, ladders, and bridges. The use of these allows otherwise isolated routes to be joined to create longer routes which are accessible to people with a wide range of climbing abilities. It is a different way of enjoying the sheer magnificence of the awesome Dolomite environment--travelers will be stopped in their tracks by amazing views and mountain situations.

"Many via ferratas were originally built to aid movements of alpine military units during the First World War, and now (although they also exist in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland) they represent one of the major attractions in the Dolomites. They are, in effect, a range of protected routes, comprised of fixed cables, ladders and even gorge-spanning bridges, which aid ascent to places normally reserved for expert rock climbers. Routes are graded according to difficulty. 

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