Banff Mount Norquay Guided Via Ferrata Climb

Climb the Mt Norquay via ferrata with a guide,
no experience needed

Arrive at Mt Norquay, about 10 minutes from Banff, check in and meet your guide. Put on a harness, lanyard and helmet, then ride the sightseeing chairlift up to where the adventure begins. After an equipment check and training, walk about 5 minutes to the first via ferrata buttress and start climbing.

A via ferrata is a climbing route where you stay clipped to steel cables fixed to the rock and use steel rungs and handholds to ascend. No previous experience is required, and there is 1 guide for every 8 participants. Choose between the 2.5-hour Explorer route and the 4-hour Ridgewalker route.

Explorer route: get a taste of via ferrata and cross a suspension bridge

This route suits those with limited time or who want to try via ferrata for the first time. After learning the gear with your guide, climb a few pitches and cross a 30 m suspension bridge to reach 2,235 m (7,332 ft) above sea level. The climb lasts 2 to 2.5 hours, covering 1 km (3,280 ft) with 145 m (475 ft) of elevation change.

Ridgewalker route: climb to the Norquay summit ridge

Experience the full via ferrata at higher altitude. Get familiar with your gear on a practice wall, then continue along the Norquay cliffs to climb the Memorial, Sunrise and Vista buttresses and cross the suspension bridge. Enjoy the view of Banff National Park and take photos at the Ridgewalker Summit at 2,300 m (7,545 ft) before descending to the start. The climb lasts 3.5 to 4 hours, covering 1.4 km (4,593 ft) with 260 m (853 ft) of elevation change.

※ Summit views may vary with the weather.