Belgium has 8 main via ferratas, from Marche-les-Dames to Landelies, via Pont-à-Lesse, Villers-le-Gambon, Grands-Malades, Les Awirs, Le Fond des Cris and Adventure Valley Durbuy. Seven are run by the Club Alpin Belge (members or day invitation), one is private (Durbuy, gear provided). Grades from F (beginner) to ED (Fond des Cris, 2nd part).
From Marche-les-Dames to Landelies, via Pont-à-Lesse or Les Awirs, I walk you through each via ferrata with its grade, mandatory gear, manager and access details. Bonus: videos, technical tips, and info on the temporary insurance if you are not a federation member.
We have few via ferratas in Belgium, but we make up for it with the difficulty, some are graded TD or ED, which is to say they easily match their French equivalents in muscular commitment.
All official via ferratas in Belgium, sorted by rising difficulty. Detailed sheets for the routes I have tested are linked in the right column.
| Route | Region | Grade | Duration | Sheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pont-à-Lesse (Castel / Steba) | Namur province | F to TD | 1-2h | Read → |
| Adventure Valley Durbuy | Luxembourg province | F to D | 2-4h (4 routes) | Read → |
| Le Fond des Cris | Namur province | TD to ED | 2-3h | Read → |
| Marche-les-Dames | Namur province | AD to D | 3-4h | Soon |
| Landelies | Hainaut province | D to TD | 2-3h | Soon |
| Villers-le-Gambon | Namur province | TD | 3-4h | Soon |
| Grands-Malades | Namur province (Namur) | D to TD | 2-3h | Soon |
| Les Awirs | Liège province | AD | 2h | Soon |
3 detailed sheets out of 8 routes. The others come as I get to them.
Via ferrata privée à rejoindre via Adventure Valley (Durbuy) : quatre parcours de 35 m, du débutant à l'aérien. Accrobranche, kayak, zipline et plus vous attendent dans un parc d'aventure complet.
article in French
Une via ferrata ED (extrêmement difficile) dans sa seconde partie. On compte peu de via ferratas en Belgique, mais on compense par la difficulté. Ici, on peut dire que l'on en a pour son argent, ou plutôt pour ses muscles.
article in French
Une via ferrata en Belgique, très facile et accessible aux débutants. Le décor est splendide, nous sommes dans le domaine de l'hôtel Castel, entourés de 25 hectares de nature. Idéale pour une initiation et une progression le long de l'arête.
article in FrenchEven if Belgian routes are often shorter than alpine ones, they remain technical and committed. Here is everything to know so you do not head out unprepared.
Not yet a Club Alpin Belge member? You can request a day invitation, which covers you via an insurance.
I also invite you to check the forum and site of my friend Victor Laurent, a true goldmine for anything via ferrata in France. Sheets, trip reports, discussions among climbers, in short: a fine community worth discovering.
Get informed on via ferrata, franceviaferrata.frIt depends what you are after. For a sporty challenge: Grands-Malades or Villers-le-Gambon. For a varied, accessible route: Marche-les-Dames. For kids and beginners: head to Pont-à-Lesse (Castel). For the setting: Adventure Valley Durbuy with its 4 routes and its big zipline.
Yes, two options. Ask a Club Alpin Belge member for a day invitation (it covers you through the club's insurance). Otherwise, Adventure Valley Durbuy is a private via with direct booking, no CAB needed.
No. Pont-à-Lesse (Steba) and the easy routes at Adventure Valley Durbuy are perfect for starting out. At the other end, Le Fond des Cris has a second part graded ED (extremely difficult), reserved for confirmed climbers with good core strength.
For CAB routes (Marche-les-Dames, Landelies, Pont-à-Lesse...), group booking above 10 people, sometimes solo at Villers-le-Gambon. For Le Fond des Cris: booking mandatory via Abyss Spéléo Club. For Adventure Valley Durbuy: online booking on their site.
Always: helmet, well-fitted harness, via ferrata lanyard with shock absorber. Often useful: tandem pulley for ziplines (Landelies, Villers-le-Gambon), rope and descender for rappels (Marche-les-Dames, Grands-Malades), full-body harness for children. At Adventure Valley Durbuy gear is provided, yours is not accepted for insurance reasons.
April to October, prefer dry weather. A wet cable is treacherous. Some routes close in winter or during raptor nesting (check the official CAB site before leaving). Absolutely avoid if a thunderstorm is forecast, metal gear + height = bad idea.
Technically yes if you have the gear, but not recommended. Go your first few times with someone experienced or take a guided trip (CAB clubs, via ferrata guides). Between lanyard handling, correct clipping and route reading, better to learn under a trained eye.
The Club Alpin Belge site lists the routes it manages with technical sheets and conditions. Private via (Adventure Valley) has its own communication. For France, my friend Victor Laurent maintains franceviaferrata.fr with an interactive map, far more complete than anything I could do.