A VIA FERARATA (or ‘iron road’ in Italian, plural via ferrate) is a mountain path consisting of a series of rungs, rails and cables embracing the rock face. It allows access to scenic sections of the mountains that are typically available only to rock climbers and mountaineers. The excitement, scenic beauty and personal conquest you'll experience on a via ferrata is guaranteed to give you an invigorating nostalgic experience for years to come.There are more than 300 via ferrata routes around the world predominantly in Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland and Spain, and a few places in the United States and Canada. The world's highest via ferrata, Mountain Torq - which also happens to be Asia's first - can now be found on Mt Kinabalu in the east Malaysian state of Sabah.
SUMMARY
At 3,800m, Mountain Torq is the world’s highest and Asia’s very first via ferrata.
East Asia’s first mountaineering training center.
located on Mt Kinabalu National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site renowned for its rich plant and animal diversity.
Awarded the Malaysian Book of Records for the World's highest Via Ferrata.
HISTORY OF THE first via ferrata were built in the Dolomite mountain region of northern Italy during the First World War, to aid the movement of military troops. In 1917, the Italians (as part of the alliance formed by Britain, France and Russia) were fighting a ferocious war with the Austrians in the Dolomites. Amidst harsh winter conditions and an escalating casualty toll, both sides tried to gain control of the peaks to site observation posts and field guns. To help troops move about at high altitude, permanent lines were fixed to rock faces and ladders were installed so that soldiers could ascent steep faces. These were the first via ferrate.
In 1936, the first via ferrata created for tourists was built by the Italian Alpine Club (a club that traditionally promotes mountaineering). Today the Dolomites probably still have the greatest number of via ferrate. The wartime networks of via ferrate have been restored and many new routes added. Steel cables have replaced the ropes and iron ladders and metal rungs have taken the place of flimsy wooden constructions used by the Italian troops.
http://www.mountaintorq.com/pg1_viaferrata.html
