About ViaFerrata.tech
A project born from a passion for the mountains and a concrete need for reliable information.
Project genesis
Start of data collection on Swiss via ferrata. The observation is simple: information is vague, scattered, often incomplete, and no tool offers a modern interactive map providing more than just points.
First public version as an interactive web map via MyMaps. Simple and quick to set up, but not very intuitive for users, with very limited personalisation and feature development possibilities. Regular updates based on feedback from just over 40,000 users.
Birth of ViaFerrata.tech: a dedicated web application, developed from scratch. It offers automatically generated detailed fact sheets from the database, a personalised interactive map based on MapLibre, and multilingual support.
Creation of the Association Via Ferrata Suisse (AVFS), a non-profit association under Swiss civil law (Art. 60), based in the canton of Neuchâtel. The AVFS gives the project a legal structure and guarantees transparent and sustainable management of the platform.
The project
ViaFerrata.tech is a reference catalogue of via ferrata in Switzerland. Each fact sheet brings together many useful pieces of information as well as photos. The goal: to have in one place all the information needed to plan an outing with complete peace of mind.
Why this project?
We always had difficulty finding reliable and complete information to prepare a via ferrata. Existing sites provided few details, interactive maps were sorely lacking in data, and no tool offered complete routes from a car park or public transport stop. We therefore began centralising our own information. What was meant to stay a private tool quickly became a real project, driven by the desire to share it.
The Association Via Ferrata Suisse (AVFS)
ViaFerrata.tech is backed by the Association Via Ferrata Suisse (AVFS), a non-profit association founded in spring 2026 and governed by Swiss civil law (Art. 60), based in the canton of Neuchâtel.
- Promote the practice of via ferrata in Switzerland
- Compile and share reliable, up-to-date information
- Raise awareness among practitioners about mountain safety
- Maintain and develop the ViaFerrata.tech platform
Donations made via the platform are paid directly to the AVFS and used exclusively to improve the platform and contribute to IT infrastructure costs. No profits are redistributed.
Technical data calculation
Each via ferrata route is manually traced across Swiss territory, then draped over the swissALTI3D digital terrain model from the Federal Office of Topography (Swisstopo). This model, derived from LiDAR surveys (airborne laser scanning that precisely measures the distance between an aircraft and the ground), describes the Swiss terrain with a grid precision of 2 metres.
From the altimetric profile thus calculated, the data needed to compute our technical figures are automatically extracted.
Verified data
Some fact sheets display a green «Verified» badge. This means the information has been checked on-site or confirmed by an official source (site manager, tourism office, climbing federation). Unverified fact sheets may contain inaccuracies - feel free to report them via the contact form.
Today
The project continues to evolve. Photo gallery, enriched interactive map, new fact sheets. ViaFerrata.tech grows with the community. If you want to contribute, support the project or suggest ideas, head to the Donate or Contact.