Pre-broken arm and pre-pandemic I was deeply passionate about via ferrata and I went up every single weekend in summer. Since my broken arm, and since the pandemic I have lost almost all desire to do via ferrata. It’s a sport that I loved because I loved finding new places. The issue, and this is something I said before I broke my arm, is that I have done almost all local via ferrata several times each.
Every year the Moléson tourism board and related teams provide people with the oppotunity to do the Face, and the Pillar by night. I have wanted to experience this multiple times in the past but because either of work, or weather, I had to cancel the plan to experience this.
The idea is simple. Sunset is at 20:25. People start climbing the VF from 1900 onwards with the option of doing the “easy” Pillar or the hard “Face”. As I did The Face a few weeks ago in daylight I did The Pillar instead. My decision was based on two things. The first is that I had organised to go with a group, and I felt a sense of responsibility to help those with less experience should they require it.
Normally I like to do things in the morning because I wake naturally between 0600-0800. Today was no exception. I could easily have got ready to do the hike, and then do the via ferrata but the thing that really blocked me is the one hour twenty drive from Le Pont to Moléson-Sur-Gruyère and the one hour drive home late at night. I could have been fine with doing both things but I want to be a hundred percent for this evening. I want to have the choice of the easy, or hard option. I also want the drive to be relaxing, not a challenge.