Via Ferrata Videmanette 3: Sportive Rougemont

Features

Extremely vertiginous with some technical sections.

Holds directly on the rock, big distances between the fixed points of the lifeline.

Enough vertigo to last you a lifetime!

ViaFerrata Tips and Tricks

Take your MTB for the way down to Rougemont. It's a bit steep at the beginning, but very nice in the end.

Don't go alone, this one is quite impressive. The void is ever present!

Grade

Information

Office Tourisme Rougemont-Château d'Oex

Lifts: remontées mécaniques de la Videmanette

Length and Altitude

Start  2'100 m
Finish 2'284 m
Length: 400 m

 GPS Coordinates

N.46'27.666
E 007 12.444

Time of Year

When the lifts are open. (June to September usually).
Careful, the operating times of the lifts change depending on what day of the week it is.

Timing

Approach from the top of the lifts: 3 min.
Via Ferrata : 45 minutes
Way back: 15 minutes

By Car

Highway Geneva-Lausanne: exit at Aigle-> towards Château-d'Oex.
From Fribourg: exit the highway at Bulle,  towards Château-d'Oex.

Once you are in Château-d'Oex go towards Gstaad, Saanen. Once you are in Rougemont, go right at the roundabout and go down towards the river where there are some lifts.

By Train

The train leaves from Montreux and stops in Rougemont. Contact the SBB, for schedules and fares.

Access

Take the lifts to the top of the Videmanette, here is the start of the via,
For the super athletic, it is possible to walk up from Rougemont. Good luck!

20 meters before the start of the other via ferratas, go left into the talus that is on the same side as the lifts. You should see the ladder that starts the via. The way down is a bit difficult, be careful...

The presence of the void is sensational.

Via Ferrata

It starts off really hard with a chimney where you have to place your feet on either side of the walls. At the top, you will have to think a bit to figure out how to get out. Void with a big V.

One wonders how Santa Claus can manage this!!! I'll attempt to describe the situation for you... you have three steps... and then nothing at all. The void seems to exaggerate his presence here.

If you have trouble with this first part, turn back. The rest is even more difficult, and what's more, up above with the void, it's a whole other story.

You then continue with a nice traverse...and there... there, there... like us you will have a hard time finding words. This last part starts immediately with a huge sensation of void. There are more than 200m under your little feet! The steps are quite far from each other, as are the cable's fixed points. Once you arrive to the ladder of the void, you'll be greeted by an overhang that will use up what's left of your arms.

Next, you exit the via, through a fairly tricky section. Make sure you don't kick any rocks onto the heads of your friends climbing beneath you.

At the summit, you find the easy sections of the other via ferrats.

Way Back

Take the path that leads to the restaurant and the top of the lifts.

Where to Spend the Night

Camping with a pool in Chateau d'Oex.

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