Oetztal Archives - Pitztal Holiday

Sattele – Feldringalm – Faltegartenköpfl

Wednesday 7 February 2018

1. Background of the Feldringalm

The Feldringalm is situated at 1,888 meters above sea level in the Stubai alps, near Kühtai – Ochsengarten. In the summer, in the beautiful surroundings, on different hiking trails, you can reach the extremely scenic hut, which is also suitable as a stopover after the very popular and simple trip to the mountain Faltegartenköpfl.

The Feldringalm
© www.outdooractive.com

2. The hiking trail

The trail starts from the (paid) parking lot Sattele in Ochsengarten. There is a large public parking lot near the valley station of the Ochsengartenbahn (5 minutes drive). First you walk over the forest road, in about 45 minutes you reach the Feldringalm hut. The trail continues with a climb up to the mountain Faltegartenköpfl. At a height of 2184 meters, you have a wonderful panoramic view of the alpine world in Austria. The descent takes over the Bettlersteig (climb) above the Faltegartenalm, back to the hut on the Feldringalm and over the same way back to the parking lot in Sattele.

The duration of this hiking trail is 4,15 hours, it will take more time if you take a break at the hut or if you stop to enjoy the beuatiful panoramic views.

Another route: A wonderful round trip results when in Sattele, you walk on the way no. 10a, to the inn Marlstein, this is a road without significant gain in altitude. From the inn, turn sharply to the left and follow trail no. 151 uphill to the mountain Grünwaslkreuz (at 2027 meters) and from here to the northwest direction, slightly downhill to the hut on the Feldringalm. The length of this variant trip is 6,5 kilometers, duration about 2-2.5 hours, with a height difference of 380 meters. It is also nice to go this round trip in the opposite direction!

20180323 Grunwaslkreuz DSC_0189 (Peter Polman)

Grunwaslkreuz
© https://www.google.nl/maps

2.2 Starting point

The trail starts from the (paid) parking lot Sattele in Ochsengarten. Cost for the whole day € 3. (Coördinates 47°13’52.44″N, 10°55’40.55″O). There is a large public parking lot near the valley station of the Ochsengartenbahn (5 minutes drive).

How to get there:

By car: From Wenns, drive out of the Pitztal valley to Imst, take the B171 to Oetztal Bahnhof and Haiming, turn right to the L309 Haiminger Landestraβe to the parking lot in Sattele (30 km, 35 minutes).

By public transports: From Wenns, there is a bus connection via Imst and Oetztaler Höhe to Gasthof Burkert in Ochsengarten. From there, walk to the starting point parking lot Sattele (35 minutes). Total driving and walking time 2,5 hours.

2.3 Turn-by-turn directions

From the parking lot “Sattele”, you follow the yellow signposts to the Feldringalm. This hut can be reached in about 45 minutes. After a short break at the hut, follow the signpost to the Faltegartenköpfl.

First it goes up steeple through a thin forest, until you reach a crossing, here keep left. At the top of the ridge, you keep left, along the edge of the forest. After about 30 minutes, you already see the summit cross of the mountain Faltegartenköpfl, on the left. There are several ways to climb to the summit, in this trail is chosen for the lighter one, you don’t have to climb. We go to the right, under the summit, up to the ridge, where you can see the next signposts.

You follow the signpost to the Faltegartenköpfl, this mountain top can be reached in a few minutes. Up here, you have a beautiful panoramic view at the Mieming Range (in German: Mieminger Kette), the alps of the Lechtal valley, the Stubai valley and the Ötztal valley, as well as in the deep Inn valley below.Over the same way, you walk back to the ridge, then follow the signpost Bettlersteig/Feldringalm.

Natural beauty at the Bettlersteig (beggar’s climb)
© www.outdooractive.com

First you descend in an easterly direction on the ridge, you cross the brook and then you pass the next road signs. Now it’s westwards on the Bettlersteig (climb), which leads on the northern slope of the mountain Faltegartenköpfl. From here, you walk steadily up and down, back to the hut on the Feldringalm. The last part of the trail is the already known way back to the parking lot in Sattele.

2.4 Duration

The total time of the round trip is 4,15 hours, (for people used to heights). When enjoying the scenery more relaxed, taking photos, or taking a break at the hut etc. it will take around 5 -5,5 hours. The total time of the variant trip is 2 – 2,5 hours (for people used to heights and without stops).

3. Recommended maps for this region:

4. Photos

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5. Useful links

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Miner’s trail Knappenweg Hochoetz

Sunday 9 July 2017

Wilma

1. Background / History

Background or history of the destination, including a link to it’s website if available.

Optional:

a map with icons
photos

If section is long split it into subsections using paragraph style H4

2. The hiking trail

In this post, we describe the details of tour 1 of the Knappenweg. On this website, you can find 7 more routes, with different starting points and different lenghts and heights, all in the region Hochoetz. All routes pass the Knappenhaus, a restored miner’s house with the crushing mill (a sort of stone mill in which the ore was broken up).

The Knappenhaus
© www.knappenweg.at

Trail 1 starts at the top mountain station of the Acherkogelbahn in Hochoetz (height 2020 meters). From there, follow the road to the Bielefelder Hütte (2150 m) and the Wetterkreuz (2572 m). Through the Wörgetal you pass the Knappenhaus (2002 m), the Obere Iss (1932 m), over the Balbachalm (1957 m) back to the top mountain station of the Acherkogelbahn. Total length of the trail is 6 hours.

2.2 Starting point

The trail starts at the top mountain station of the Acherkogelbahn in Hochoetz. There is a free parking lot at the valley station of the Acherkogelbahn.

How to get there:

By car: From Wenns, drive out of the Pitztal valley to Imst, take the B171 (direction Roppen) and the B186 to Hochoetz. The ride of 36 km takes almost 52 minutes.

By public transport: There is a bus connection between Wenns via Imst to Oetz, duration 1 hour and 45 minutes.

2.3 Turn-by-turn directions

Describe the route. Do it briefly; just to guide people to the destination. Assume they have a GPX or map. Give guidance with for example photos to prevent mistakes going the wrong way.

2.4 Duration

For people used to heights it takes x-y hours to reach the destination. For others it will take zz minutes more. When enjoying the scenery more relaxed, taking photos etc. it will take around xx hours. Going down to the village yy goes much faster; around xx hours including zz minutes break for people not used to heights.

3. Recommended maps for this region:

Pitztal/Kaunertal – Mayr Verlag Ötztaler Alpen – Kompass Wanderkarte Blatt 43

4. Photos

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From Vent to the Rofen farmhouses

Tuesday 1 March 2016

Wilma

1. Background/History

1.1 The Rofen farmhouses

Already in the 13^th century, the area around Rofen, in Austria, was colonized over the Niederjoch by the people from the Schnalstal valley (Senales valley), near Bozen, in Italy. According to tradition, in the autumn, shepherds were surprised in an early fall of heavy snow, so a return over the 3010 meters high mountains of the Niederjoch was no longer possible.

Thus a first settlement was established at the place of the Rofen farmhouses (in German Rofenhöfe), by sheep-shepherds, who had to build simple huts for wintering. For the first time, in 1280, the existing evidence of these farmhouses in Rofen was documented.

The Counts of Tyrol, headquartered in Merano, established the property boundaries firmly. From 1348 to 1803, the Rofen farmhouses had their own rights by a protection letter from Ludwig of Brandenburg, an opponent of Ulrich von Lenzburg, in that time Bishop of Chur. These rights included not only tax exemption, but also home jurisdiction in a special court that belonged to Bolzano.

Nowadays, the legend is still told, that in the first half of the 15th century, the farmhouses in Rofen became a significant place in the history of Tyrol. The Tyrolean Duke Frederick IV here had found one of its sanctuaries, where he had to hide after he was banned by the Council of Konstanz from the King Sigismund. Historically correct is, that “Friedl with his empty pocket” fled over the Reschenpass to Merano as he reported itself in a letter to the pastor Johann in Tirol.

Today the farms are primarily accommodation in the summer for mountaineers. This area also has international significance, because of the breeding of Haflinger horses. The farms are owned by the Klotz family. In 1848, one of their ancestors, Leander Klotz, succeeded to climb, as one of the first, the Wildspitze (the highest mountain of the Oetztal Alps).

The Rofen farmhouses are situated at a height of 2009 meters above sealevel, about one kilometer west of and 114 meters higher than Vent in the Ötztaler Alps, in Tyrol, in Austria. As well as Vent itself, Rofen forms part of the municipality Sölden in the Ötztal. The Rofen farms are the highest permanently inhabited mountain farms in Austria.

1.2 The Rofen valley

The Rofen valley near the village of Vent is about 10 km long and is a side valley of the Venter Valley, (which is a side valley of the Ötztal valley). The creek in the Rofen valley originates at the Hintereisferner (glacier), from the mountain Weißkugel (3739 meters above sea level, on the national border to Italy).

20170427 Rofen valley uit outdooractive (vent_landschaft_01_03)

The Rofen valley
© www.outdooractive.com

During the Summer, parts of the Rofental valley are inhabited by sheep from the south of Tyrol (in Italy). These sheep are driven over the Ötztaler alp main ridge. In October 2011, the tradition of this transhumance, was taken up by the Austrian Commission for UNESCO in the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

2. The hiking trail

Get fascinated on this walk along the Rofner creek, among the blossoming Alpine meadows and the eternal ice of the surrounding glaciers.

Along the Rofner creek and its spectacular gorge you will not only find messengers from long past times, as the hunters’ camp or the “hollow stone”, it will present itself to you again and again smaller works of art from the present who tell you their own stories.

Along the countless meadows with Haflinger horses, you also can find some small pools, they reflect clear as a mirror in calm countryside. On this trail you can also prove your courage, while crossing the suspension bridge, which crosses the Rofner gorge.

The suspension bridge
© www.oetztal-online.at

On the way back to Vent, you can take a break at the restaurant Berggasthaus Rofenhof.

2.1 Summary about the trail.

Follow the road to Rofenhöfe farms. The way back to Vent leads past the suspension bridge and through beautiful mountain pastures with a unique flora.

2.2 Starting point

The trail starts from the parking lot, at the beginning of Vent, parking fee € 4 per day (Coordinates: 46.863330 N 10.917000 E). But in the centre of Vent, there is a free parking lot near the valley station of the Stablein lift. (Section P8 is a free parking lot for hiking people, situated near the chapel).

How to get there:

By car: From Wenns, drive out of the Pitztal valley to Arzl, then follow the B171 to Oetz. Here, follow the B186 into the Oetztal valley, via Umhausen and Sölden. In Zwieselstein, follow the L240 to Vent (Venter Landesstraße). Duration 1.15 hours.

By public transport: From Wenns, take the bus to Imst. Change to Zwieselstein. There is no bus connection between Zwieselstein and Vent.

2.3 Turn-by-turn directions

2.4 Duration

For people used to heights it takes 40 minutes to reach the Rofen farms. When enjoying the scenery more relaxed, taking photos etc. it will take around 1 hour.

4. Photos

Transhumanz at the Schnalstal valley
© https://www.european-hiking-villages.com/

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Hiking trail – Gries – Amberger Hütte

Saturday 20 February 2016

Wilma

1. History of the Amberger hütte

The Amberger hütte is situated at the end of the Sulztal, at a height of 2135 meters, almost surrounded by the Stubai Alps. The hut was built in 1888, rebuilt in 1936, 1974, 1999 and 2014. The hut is owned by the section Amberg of the DAV (Deutsche Alpen Verein, in english German Alpine Associaton).

Directly at the hut there is a sulfur lake (about 18 degrees warm).

Around the Amberger hütte
© www.alpenvereinaktiv.com

Cozy room for the hut visitors
© www.alpenvereinaktiv.com

2. The hiking trail

The family friendly trail starts in Gries. First you walk about two kilometers along the Fischbach creek over an asphaltic road, the rest of the trail is a gravel road.

After crossing the Vögelasbrücke (bridge), the trail to the Nisslalm branches off. The trail to the Ambergerhütte leads into the narrower valley. At 1,900 meters, it is the temptation to resist having dinner already in the nice Sulztalalm.

But the onward journey along the rushing Fischbach creek is worth it! The peculiar high valley is increasingly arid, the Amberger Hütte, at a hight of 2136 meters now is in sight. With the mountains Hinteren Daunkopf, Windacher Daunkogl and Schrankogel, it offers fantastic views of the Stubai Alps.

The trail length is 6,1 kilometer, it takes one and a half hour. The way back to the starting point goes over the same trail. So the total distance is 12,2 kilometer.

2.1 Starting point

The trail starts at the end of Gries. There is a free parking lot for hikers to the Amberger Hütte. Walk back towards the bridge over the Starkenbach, the trail starts at the other side of the river.

How to get there:

By car: From Wenns, drive out of the Pitztal to Imst. Take the B171 to Telfs. At Ötztal Bahnhof take the B186 into the Ötztal valley. Follow this road untill Längenfeld. From there, take the L239 to Gries in the Sulztal. This road is 5,81 kilometers long, at the start are a few hairpins, the road climbs 400 meters. To protect the road against avalanches during the winter, there were built 3 tunnel galleries (with a length of 488, 150 and 95 meters). There is a free parking lot at the end of Gries. Total driving is about 50 minutes.

By public transport: From Wenns, you can take the bus to Längenfeld, duration 1,5 hours. There is no bus to Gries.

2.2 Turn-by-turn directions

From Gries, you walk along the Fischbach creek, first over the asphaltic road, then it becomes a gravel road. You cross the Vögelasbrücke (bridge), here the trail to the Nisslalm branches off. Now the trail leads into the narrower valley. At a height of 1.900 meters, you pass the Sulztalalm.

20170414 Sulztalm-laengenfeld2_e97557d25a (from Oetztal.at tourismus)

The Sulztalalm
© www.oetztal.at

The peculiar high valley is increasingly arid, the Amberger Hütte, at a hight of 2136 meters now is in sight. With the mountains Hinteren Daunkopf, Windacher Daunkogl and Schrankogel, it offers fantastic views of the Stubai Alps.

2.3 Duration

For people used to heights it takes 1,5 hours to reach the Amberger Hütte. When enjoying the scenery more relaxed, taking photos etc. it will take around 2 hours.

3. Photos

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Hiking trail – Rotmoostal – Rotmoos glacier

Friday 29 January 2016

Wilma

1. Background/History

The Rotmoosferner (ferner is the German word for glacier) is situated near Obergurgl, at the end of the Ötztal, in Tyrol in Austria. The glacier at the end of the Rotmoostal valley extends in a height of about 3400 to 2400 meters and covers an area of about 3 square kilometers.

Like most glaciers in the Alps, the Rotmoosferner has been affected by the glacier melt since the middle of the 19th century. In 1858, the maximum extension of the glacier end moraine was measured at a height of approximately 2300 m. Since then, the glacier has retreated and lost massively and surfacely (interrupted by short advances between 1916 and 1922, as well as in the 1980s). Between 1850 and 2006, the length went back by about 2 km, and the ice thickness in the area of the tongue around 150 m. In 2005, the existing connection with the Rotmoos waterfall glacier was demolished.

In its retreat, the glacier leaves moraine and gravel surfaces, on which gradually pioneer vegetation settles. One of the first plants to be found in this area is the feldspar, quarry stone crust and alpine lemming. After 20 years of ice-freeness, the first lawn plants such as the Poa Alpina (alpine meadow grass) occur. The first representatives of soil fauna are jumping tails, mites and enchyroses as well as butterflies and beetle larvae.

Up to 28% of the Rotmoos glacier is covered by cryoconite, a powdery windblown dust with organic components. As a result, the albedo of the glacier is altered, the darker places are heated more strongly by the solar irradiation, melting more rapidly than the surroundings and leaving depressions in the ice, so-called cryokonite holes. In the cryokonite of the Rotmoosferners the Hypsibius klebelsbergi Mihelčič was found, which can survive times without oxygen as well as extremely low temperatures in cryobiose.

There are fascinatingly different stones at the Rotmoos valley. The darker rocks often contain not only the shiny mica red garnets and dark hornblende, the bright rocks are marbles from the Schneeberger. Near the Schönwieshütte is a several thousand year old peat bog.

2. The hiking trail

There should be a certain degree of certainty. Also on this section you can observe marmots. The rest of the way is easy. On the Schönwieshütte you can then take a rest before it goes back to Obergurgl.

In Obergurgl, you take the cable car Hohe Mut Bahn (in two steps, travel time not included), with a little luck you can see some alp marmots underneath you. The panoramic view from the Hohe Mut is overwhelming, with high mountains, framed by glaciers. From here, at a height of 2600 meters, walk over the flat ridge to the south. A beautiful trail will lead you on high moorland with a view at the Rotmoos glacier. Take the slightly ascending path towards the glacier. Then you descend the slope to the foot of the glacier. Take care of your steps in this part of the trail!

At the stamping point, you can have a short break and make some pictures. After a walk through the Rotmoos valley, you can take a longer break at the Schönwieshütte. The rest of the trail is easy.

Stamping point
© www.komoot.de

The Schönwieshütte
© www.tripadvisor.at

On the way back towards Obergurgl the trail leads through a 300 year-old pine forest, the GPS trail in this post ends at Vitalhotel Mühle in Untergurgl.

Pine trees in Obergurgl
© www.naturpark-oetztal.at

2.2 Starting point

The trail starts at the (top) mountain station of the Hohe Mut Bahn. In 2017, this cable car is open from June 24 until September 17, daily from 9 am until 4 pm.

Hohe Mut Bahn, top mountain station
© www.obergurgl.com

There is a free parking lot at the Festkogelbahn, at the beginning of Obergurgl.

How to get there:

By car: From Wenns, drive out of the Pitztal to Imst. Follow the B171, follow the signs to the B186 (Ötztal), from Zwieselstein follow the L15 to Obergurgl.

By bus: From Wenns, to Obergurgl (bus change in Imst), duration 2 hours, 15 minutes.

2.3 Turn-by-turn directions

From the (top) mountain station of the Hohe Mut Bahn, you walk over the ridge until you reach the Rotmoos glacier. You walk back through the Rotmoos valley, you can take a break at the Schönwieshütte. Back to Obergurgl, you walk the Alpine Interactive Trail through the Obergurgler zirbenwald, this is a 300 year old pine forest.

2.4 Duration

The length of the trail is 9,9 kilometers, without stops the duration is 5 hours (the Hohe Mut Bahn is not included). On the website www.outdooractive.com you can find some other trails that pass the Rotmoos glacier and/or the Schönwieshütte, also starting point Hohe Mut Bahn and end point in Obergurgl.

4. Photos

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Hiking trail – Martin Busch hütte from Vent

Thursday 21 January 2016

Wilma

1. History of the Martin-Busch-hutte

The location of the Martin-Busch-hütte has a long tradition. Already, in 1877, its predecessor, a small shelter with the name “Samoarhütte” was built here. This cottage was purchased in 1911 by the former Deutsche Alpen Verein (DAV), the German Alpine Association, section Mark Brandenburg. However, this hut was soon proved to be too small.

Therefore, the section began in 1938 with the construction of a new house, which was called the “Hermann Göring House”. The Second World War prevented the completion of the interior design.

View from the mountain Marzellkamm
© dav-berlin.de

Martin Busch Hütte
© de.wikipedia.org

After 1945, the not quite finished hut, now used under the name New-Samoar hut, was used by the Austrian customs authorities. However, only in 1952, the completion was succeeded by the provisional administration of the ÖAV (Österreichischer Alpenverein, in english Austrian Alpine Association), headed by Councilor Martin Busch.

In 1961, the “Samoarhütte” was found destroyed by an avalanche. Today, the remains of this originally build hut can still be seen slightly above the Martin-Busch hut.

1.1 The iceman “Ötzi”

On September 19, 1991, the tourists Helmut and Erika Simon were walking off the path between the mountain passes Hauslabjoch and Tisenjoch, in the Ötztal Alps, when they found a body. They believed that the body was of a recently deceased mountaineer. It was transported to the office of the medical examiner in Innsbrück, together with other objects found. On September 24, 1991 the find was examined there by the archaeologist Konrad Spindler of the University of Innsbrück. He dated the find to be “about four thousand years old”, based on the typology of an axe among the retrieved objects. The mummy with the nickname Ötzi is Europe’s oldest known natural human mummy.

Ötzi, photographed by Helmut Simon
© en.wikipedia.org

Nowadays, his body and belongings are displayed in the South Tyrol Museum of Archaelogy in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy. An Ötzi memorial is made near Tisenjoch. Ötzi was found ca. 70 m north-east of here, a place indicated with a red mark. The mountain in the background is the Fineilspitze. From the Martin Busch Hütte, this memorial can be reached as a comfortable day hike.

The Ötzi memorial
© en.wikipedia.org

1.2 The sheep drive

The sheep drive across the Ötztal alps main ridge enables sheep farmers from Schnals and Passeier in South Tyrol, in Italy, to use their grazing rights in the back of the Ötztal valley, in Austria. In early June, these sheep are driven from the Martin Busch hütte, by three different, partially glaciated pass routes, in the north. In mid-September, the sheep are driven in the opposite direction, back to South Tyrol. Since October 2011, this so called Transhumanz was placed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the UNESCO.

Sheep drive
© wikipedia.org

2. The hiking trail

The trail to the Martin Busch hut is a popular hiking trail in the Ötztal in Tyrol in Austria. It is a trail full of cultural and historical highlights, because it runs through the special protected areas of the Vogelschutzgebiet Ötztaler Alpen and the Naturpark Ötztal.

The trail starts in Vent. You walk along a hillside near the Niederjoch creek on a wide country lane. The “hardest” of this trail is that you always see the long-drawn way up in front of you. Due to the overwhelming panorama, the ascent is very entertaining and in this way you really enjoy to gain height.

As European bird sanctuary or in English “Special Protection Area” (SPA) is called the protected areas, which have been designated on the basis of Art. 4 (1) of the Birds Directive. Together with the protected areas under the Fauna Flora Habitat Directive (1992), the FFH areas, the special bird protection areas make up the European network of protected areas Natura 2000. The size of the SPA in the Ötztal alps is 396.84 km².

The Martin Busch hut also is a base for the 6th stage of the long-distance trail E5 Oberstdorf-Meran, and waymark of the Ötztal Trek/Route 3.

2.2 Starting point

Parking lot: In Vent after the valley station of the Stablein lifts, section P 8 is for hiking people (free parking lot, near the church). Note: You have to pay for the parking lot near the lift!

Starting point of the trail: Turn left at the small church over a wooden bridge and up to the village. At Hotel Vent right slightly downhill to Venter Ache, over the bridge and along the small drag lift upwards. Keep to the left, along the driveway, then to the south in the Niedertal.

After the first steep 20 minutes, you can take a look at the remains of a hunters camp from 800 – 400 years before Christ. At the signpost, over a narrow path, in about 2 minutes up to the hunters’ camp “Hohlenstein”.

How to get there:

By car: From Wenns, drive out of the Pitztal valley, take the B171 to Oetz, take the Ötztal exit, drive through the Ötztal (B186) via Sölden to Zwieselstein. Turn to the right through the Ventertal valley into the mountain village of Vent.

By public transport: From Wenns, take the bus to Imst. Change to Zwieselstein. There is no bus connection between Zwieselstein and Vent.

2.4 Duration

For people used to heights it takes 3 hours from to reach the Martin-Busch-hütte. When enjoying the scenery more relaxed, taking pictures etc. it will take 3.5 to 4 hours.

4 Photo’s

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Hiking trail – Winnebachseehütte from Gries

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Wilma

1. The Winnebachseehütte

The Winnebachseehütte is located in the west Stubai Alps. The start of the trail is in the Ötztal, in Gries (near Längenfeld). A crystal clear mountain lake is nestled next to the hut.

At a height of 2362 meters you can enjoy the views of the magnificent mountains and a majestic waterfall. The hut is finishing point of the famous long distance trails “Adler-weg” (Ealgle-walk), etappe 48 and The Ötztal Trek route 1, etappe 3. In a ten minutes walk, you find a litlle climbing park, with 25 routes, named “Kleinkanada”.

In the summer, the hut is open from the end of June until mid October. During the winter, the hut is open from the end of February until the beginning of May. It is possible to transport your luggage by the ropeway.

During the spring of 2015, the hut was completely rebuilt and renovated, by the DAV section Hof (DAV = Deutsche Alpen Verein, in English German Alpine Association). Also due to regularly requirements, the conversion and extension had become urgently necessary. Of course, the section tried to keep, as far as possible, the original and very popular character of the cottage.

2. The trail

In the summer, from the parking place, walk along the driveway, between the houses of Winnebach, follow the marked path (no. 141) in switchbacks up into the forest. First, you follow a somewhat broader way, then the trail follows over a narrow mountain road, northwest of the Winnebach creek, on the lateral slopes into the valley.

After the tree line, a few meters down and along the Winnebach alp, further along the valley. Traverse underneath the climbing park “Kleinkanada”. In the end, the trail goes steep up to the now already visible hut.

In the winter, you take the same trail on touring skis or snowshoes, don’t take the small rising path to the left but remain on the wider path. For use of the winterroom, no key is needed.

2.1 Map

2.2 Starting point

From Gries, follow the road to Winnebach. In the second turn, there is a small parking area for the visitors of the hut. Attention: in spring snow chains are necessary. If you are using a GPS, the coördinates of the parking place are 47.072553N, 11.024842E. There is also a large parking place at the end of Gries, for the hikers to the Amberger Hütte (coördinates 47.069590N, 11.026656E).

How to get there:

By car: From Wenns, drive out of the Pitztal. In Imst, take the B171 to Roppen and Ötztal Bahnhof. Follow the B186 into the Ötztal. In Längenfeld, drive left to Gries, after the village is the parking lot.

By public transport: From Wenns, there is a bus connection to Längenfeld (change in Imst). Duration 1 hour 30 minutes. There is no bus connection between Längenfeld and Gries.

2.3 Turn-by-turn directions

From the parking place, walk along the driveway, between the houses of Winnebach, follow the marked path (no. 141) in switchbacks up into the forest.

2.4 Duration

The trail is a round trail, the hut is on the highest point. The total distance is 7,3 kilometers, the duration is 4 hours. This is only an indication, it takes longer when you stop to take pictures or if you take a break at the hut.

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Obergurgler Zirbenwald

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Wilma

1. Background

The Ötztal Nature Park consists mainly of alpine and high alpine terrain. Its landscape is dominated by the intense glaciation. Due to the large vertical height difference of almost 3,000 meters, almost all elevations of the Central Alps can be found in the Ötztal Nature Park, each with its characteristic plants, animals and habitats.

The Natural Monument Obergurler Zirbenwald (at a height between 1950 and 2100 meters), is a closed nature sanctuary. It is situated in the Ötztal Nature park, it is covering an area of over 20 hectares. In addition to partially far over 300 year old pine trees, there is a raised bog, alpine rose fields and an impressive waterfall to explore. During a hike on the adventure road, 13 panels explain more about the flora and fauna in this region. And the incomparable odor of pine trees is omnipresent! Relax with a stop at the Hohe Mut Alm on the comfortable deck chair terrace at a height of 2670 meters and enjoy the vast views of the surrounding mountains with 21 three-thousanders. The Alm is also the starting point for a variety of hikes.

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A forest fire in the 1880s almost destroyed this jewel. Only than, already old pines have survived. Because of fresh young growth, today there arises a two-stage forest. Since 1977, on the Austrian side of the central part of the Gurgler Kamm, from the Seelenkogel to Schwenzerspitze, is recognized by the UNESCO as a biosphere reserve and as a biogenetic reserve. However, since May 2014, this area no longer maintains this status, because this area would no longer meet the complex requirements of UNESCO.

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2. The trail

The hike is a round trip, with beautiful views, a lot of cultural, historical, geological and botanical highlights. The tour runs through the protected area of the Biosphärenreservat Gurgler Kamm. This biosphere reserve exemplifies sustainable development in environmental, economic and social terms. In this area, please respect the local instructions for the protection of nature.

2.1 Map

2.2 Starting point

The trail starts at Hotel Alpenaussicht, Schlossweg 1,6456 Obergurgl, Austria. There is a free parking lot at the Festkogelbahn, at the beginning of Obergurgl.

How to get there:

By car: From the Autobahn A12 (Bregenz – Innsbrück), take the exit 123 (Haiming/Ötztal), follow the B186 to Obergurgl.

By public transport: From Oetztal Bahnhof you can take the bus 4194 to Obergurgl, duration 1.30 hours.

2.3 Turn-by-turn directions

The trail starts at Hotel Alpenaussicht, Schlossweg 1,6456 Obergurgl, Austria.

2.4 Duration

For people used to heights it takes x-y hours to reach the destination. For others it will take zz minutes more. When enjoying the scenery more relaxed, taking photos etc. it will take around xx hours. Going down to the village yy goes much faster; around xx hours including zz minutes break for people not used to heights.

4. Photos

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