Important - this IS NOT a Via Ferrata and it IS NOT possible to do with a Via ferrata lanyard.
What is a Via Corda - this is a cross between via ferrata and traditional mountaineering, so you climb the rock and rungs of a VF but there is no safety cable, you protect yourselves by using a climbing rope and moving together like easy alpine routes.
Only do in good weather, rain can bring down loose rocks.
In your group you must have 6 meters of rope between each person max 4 on one rope, and the rope is used on a mix of pigtails for the rope to slot in and sports climbing bolts so you need at least 10 extenders, a helmet is 100% necessary on the traverse start. There is a lot of loose rock and at time's the leader may be above the second. You must be happy with the technique of moving together.
It's in the Névache valley, you park at the far northern end of the col de l'Echelle just before it starts to drop down steeper (if you go through a tunnel you have gone too far). The parking is at a little wiggle in the road, and there is the poster for the Via Corda. From the parking head north on an obvious footpath, it goes through the woods and then starts to climb up steeply towards the big red rock face. It then traverses under the red rock face and passes two old bunkers built in to the rock. After these the route splits turn right and it traverses and you will see a big red rock spire it goes to the left of this and then climbs to the start.
There is a short vertical section then traverses rightwards, the route moves up and down as it traverses, route finding is not always obvious. You should always have clips in between party members, so if you find yourself at the risk of having no clips in-between you then you have missed a bolt or heading the wrong way.
After the long traverse, you start to climb on the rungs of the old via ferrata and new ones, it follows a nice ridge to a flatter section at the top, where an easy path leads to the summit cross.
Descent - you follow the path away from the route down to a grassy shoulder then turn left (east) on a smaller path (this can be seen for the summit) this path joins the walk-in path just near the bunkers.
