Ledová stěna (Velká věž) (Via ferrata Vír), Rocks in the Svratka valley B/C

Ledová stěna is the first and the more interesting of the Vír ferratas. It climbs the Velká věž tower above the Krabička hut on the right bank of the Svratka – the same rock that gets sprayed into an artificial icefall every winter. The operator (Ledová stěna Vír, z.s.) grades it B/C.

From Krabička, stone steps take you up to the east face. The cable stays on your left the whole way: up the east face, then the north face, around the summit and onto a rope bridge about 5 m long. One more steep pull leads to a viewpoint where the cable stops for a moment and there's no railing – watch your step there. A few more metres and you're on the ridge where the route ends. Roughly 90 m of cable and 60 m of height gain; expect around 20 minutes of actual climbing.

Beginners? Yes, as long as they have the full kit and know how to use it. There are plenty of steps, both bolted and natural. The bit that unsettles people most is stepping around the corner to the rope bridge – a little airy, nothing dramatic. If it's your very first ferrata, start on the neighbouring Jezerní stěna (also B/C, no real crux) and do this one afterwards. The third Vír route, Horní vyhlídka (C), starts about 100 m past the end of Ledová stěna and finishes with a vertical wall that needs some arm strength – not one for complete novices.

Gear: the operator's rules require a helmet, harness, via ferrata set with energy absorber, sturdy shoes and gloves. You can rent all of it right below the rock at the Krabička hut, the operator's base with rental and refreshments; instructors are available too, depending on the day.

Getting there: in Vír, turn off road 388 at the bridge over the Svratka towards Hluboké and park on the left along the road after about 650 m. A footbridge takes you over to Krabička. Don't park below Jezerní stěna.

All three ferratas are linked by a waymarked loop (red circle markers, about 2.6 km and 140 m of ascent), roughly an hour and a half at an easy pace: Ledová stěna – Horní vyhlídka – Vír I dam – Jezerní stěna – back to Krabička. If you only do Ledová stěna, the descent follows the south slope of the ridge back to the hut. Want a longer day? The ferratas can be added to the loop from Vír past the dam and the power station up to the Karasín lookout tower (about 8.8 km, 354 m of ascent).

The season usually starts in early April, once the last of the winter ice has melted; Ledová stěna is closed in winter. The ferratas are off-limits when wet, in snow, ice or thunderstorms, and they're one-way (upwards only). The operator posts updates (fallen trees on the loop and the like) on the "Via Ferrata Vír" Facebook page.