Antics in a Van
A via ferrata (Italian for "iron path") is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and other locations.
It provides an amazing rock climbing experience with exposure to huge drops, massive overhangs, steel cables & metal ladders pinned to cliff faces, monkey bridges (a wire for your feet and a wire for your hands), suspended plank bridges and good old fashioned logs across insane drops.
All you need is a climbing harness, a decent via ferrata lanyard (with large carabiners & rip-stitch shock absorber fall protection such as the Petzl Scorpio Vertigo), a helmet, boots/trainers and you're good to go. I'd highly recommend a pair of fingerless gloves (such as padded cycling gloves) as opening and closing the carabiners 100s of times and gripping steel cables takes it's toll on your hands.
The routes vary in length and difficulty with some designed for children. The routes are usually one way as it'd be very tricky to pass people on the ladders so once you start you're committed.
While it is much safer than traditional or sport rock climbing there is still a considerable risk of injury from falling rocks or falling off the rock face or ladder. If you consider the lanyard is 1m long and you've climbed vertically 1.5m above the last point you attached the carabiner you could fall 3.5m in total (includes the 1m you fall past the attachment point until the lanyard goes tight) and hitting heads/arms/feet on the rock from that height is not recommended!
