Take It To The Tyrol

Low cloud and torrential rain. It could have been Snowdonia or Borrowdale rather than Austria’s Tannheimertal. It was one of those mornings for peering into the swirling grey murk and optimistically observing ‘it’s definitely getting brighter over there’ . Past experience suggested that this statement would lead to an ever intensifying downpour. However, for once the meteorological gods were kind, and by early afternoon we could set out to explore.

With the sun breaking through we set off up through the forest on the edge of the village. The path zig-zagged upwards, for much of its way turned into a stream, parallelling the torrent descending from the Rosalpe above. Climbing out of a hanging valley, we were met on the Feldalm by two delights. Firstly a panoramic view of the area , peaks and airy ridges stretching away, the valley down below. Any doubts about the choice of this area for a holiday were immediately dispelled to be replaced by worries about how on earth we could take full advantage of all the possibilities that we could see .

Secondly as we crossed the saddle to descend the Alpele valley , we met a dozen chamois, less than twenty metres away .Now I have seen chamois before but generally as distant dots through the binoculars. Hardly daring to breathe we edged closer. They seemed remarkedly unconcerned , perhaps secure in the knowledge that their times for the hundred metres vertical downhill were just a little faster than ours. Then , suddenly, they were away, moving out of sight in a series of graceful bounds.

Only wishing we had time to climb the inviting-looking Gaishorn we returned to Tannheim , the only disappointment on the way down being at the Apele Hut where it was Ruhetag. No coffee and cakes there then ! The Tannheimertal is in North Western Austria , a valley surrounded on three sides by Germany. If you have seen pictures of Ludwig II of Bavaria’s fairytale castles , then you will have seen the mountains that border the northern side of this beautiful valley, forming the backdrop to the scene.

It is an area that is little known as far as the majority of British visitors to Austria are concerned , but after staying there I believe that it is one of Austria’s hidden gems.There are half a dozen attractive villages in the the valley and we were staying in the largest of these –Tannheim. A major attraction of the valley is that there is plenty of walking for all abilities. The mountains range from 1800 –2200 metres in height , and with the valley at 1100 metres , this makes the walking easily accessible. Also , there are four lifts , with the Tirol-Allgau Wandercard giving access to these and eight others in the surrounding area..

The valley itself is wide and open, crisscrossed by paths and minor roads that are little used by cars , though you do have to keep an eye out for cyclists as there are series of designated cycle routes in the area. It is possible to follow the Tannheimer Rundwanderweg - a walkers’ route that circles the full valley. It undulates up and down the sides of the valley , through woods , villages , the valley floor and along the shore of the main lake of Haldensee. We only covered small sections of this but it gave ever-changing views of the area.

At a higher level there were walks or climbs to suit everyone. We bought the local walking map (1 :25,000) and an excellent guidebook (in German) , which had over 35 walks graded blue , red or black. The map was very useful though some of the contour lines should have had ‘artist’s impression’ added to them. On the ground , paths are well marked , both with splashes of red paint and with signposts at crucial points showing how far places are in time rather than distance.

We set off from the Fussener Jochl to the Aggenstein. Now this is where some purists might be critical . The Fussener Jochl at 1818 metres can be reached in two ways , by walking up or by getting there in a super new gondola. We chose the second. My wife always feels that this is cheating but in my opinion lifts such as these give you the time and opportunity to reach places that you would otherwise be unable to do so , unless bivouacing or staying in a hut.

The ridge provided superbly contrasting views.To the south the view extended towards the heartlands of the Austrian Alps, whilst to the north were the great plains of Southern Germany , dotted with lakes. The final section up the Aggenstein from the Bad Kissinger Hut was labelled black in the guide , and the path worked its way steadily up and across a steep slope.Towards the top there was an area of rock but this provided very easy scrambling , of a standard that even the venerable A.Wainwright could have scaled with equanimity , though a series of chains had been fixed here for the less confident. On all the walks that we tackled areas of rock or great exposure were protected in this way. On descents in poor conditions chains would be very useful , as falls in these areas would be very serious.

Reaching the summit the ground fell away vertically, but with black clouds coming in from the west , and the cross on the top wired up as a lightning conductor, it was not a place to linger. On the descent the heavens opened , but as often with mountain weather by the time we reached the valley the sun was shining strongly again .

Accommodation in the Tannheim was , as always in Austria , of a high standard and far, far cheaper than somewhere of a comparable level in the Lake District in August. We booked our apartment in advance through the internet, as we were travelling to the area by public transport and wanted somewhere definite to stay , but there were plenty of Zimmer frei signs about and it would have been a simple matter to have booked somewhere on spec. The local tourist office was very helpful about sending us information in advance of our visit , and when we went in , a lady there spoke excellent American. However not many of the locals we met spoke English ,doubtless due to the rarity of visitors from the UK.Still all those hours I had put in listening to a Deutch Direkt tape droning away in our kitchen meant I was able to get by (just). Two miles south of Tannheim village is one of the valley’s jewels-Vilsalpsee. This lake is part of a designated nature reserve and access in or out by car is not allowed between 10.00 and 17.00. You could walk in along a pleasant woodland path, or use a cheap, regular bus service.(An excellent idea which could be widely used in some parts of the UK.)

Vilsalpsee attracts people who want to admire it either from the shoreline restaurant or by spending an hour or two circumnavigating the lake An ideal target for an afternoon excursion was to extend this walk to the Bargacht waterfall . This gentle two mile stroll included a head-high bank of snow in a forgotten corner , a vanishing river , and over fifty varieties of wild flowers including roses , primulas , orchids and gentians.

Visalpsee was also the starting point for a variety of longer walks of all standards .We chose to climb up to the two lakes high up in a side valley. At first sight the route looked very steep , but the path worked its way up in an ingenious and delightful way. It was the sort of route that had you looking back down and wondering how you managed to gain height so quickly.We firstly reached the Traualpsee and then made the final haul up a rocky staircase to the Landsburger Hut .This was perched above little Lachensee with the cliffs of the Larchenspitze towering beyond. It was an enchanting spot.

The hut offered an excellent menu - Gulaschsuppe and Bratwurst were our favorites.At this point , assuming you haven’t eaten too much , there are many choices , amongst them the highest peak in the area , the Leilachspitze at 2274 metres , or a return to Tannheim over the Sultzspitz to the Neunerkopfle. We chose the latter, as the first thing that had attracted me to the area was a photograph I saw taken from this walk.To my great annoyance the mist now descended. The fact that my wife announced that it made everything look mysterious hardly helped the frustration that I felt. She was happy as long as there were plenty of appealing cows to photograph (and by the way how on earth do they put up with all that clanging ?) Meanwhile I tried to imagine the view that had first attracted me here.

On reaching the Neunerkopfle we emerged from the gloom.This is the main point for launching yourself into space in the Tannheim but as we did not have parachutes with us, and nobody offered us a lift , we decided to descend by the more sedate chairlift. Sedate is being kind : the Sessellifte Neunerkopfle should be consigned to that great chairlift graveyard in the sky where all antiquated ,slow lifts eventually go. I dread to think what it is like for skiers ascending by it in winter.

Other walks included the circular tour of the Krinnenspitz above Nesslewangle, and the Wannenjoch to Iseler ridge above Schattwald from where it was possible to see Bodensee.Each of these was immensely enjoyable. A word of advice though, do not save the walk that you most want to do until your last day. The soaring,craggy peak that dominated views in the valley was the Rote Fluh. One side of this was strictly for expert rock climbers, but there was an alternative route for lesser mortals. My son and I planned a final expedition, to include various peaks , finishing with the Rote Fluh. He was keen to get the 6.00am bus down the valley, I suggested walking across the valley to get the first gondola up to the Fussenerjoch at 9.00am. We compromised. I would get up and look at the weather for the 7.00am bus. Well the best laid plans etc. There was no need to get out of bed . I could hear the rain beating down.

Oh well, there’s always next time. I am captivated by this part of Austria. We promised our landlady that we would return , but for our next visit I am going to check that the tourist office can provide the sun that is in all its brochures !

Dave Hanson

Some practical information

How to get there:

Direct flights with various airlines from UK airports to Munich. Train from Munich Airport to Reutte in Tyrol (Change at Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen). Bus from Reutte to Tannheim

Public Transport at destination:

Good local bus service –though more restricted on Sundays. It is possible to buy a Regional Week’s Pass for bus and train .This includes the Lechtal and Ehrwald areas as well and costs 280 AS. Tirol Allgau Wandercard allows use of 12 lifts in Tannheim and surrounding area plus access to some swimming pools. Adult 590 AS for one week with reductions for under 25s, students & children. A car would be useful if you wanted to explore southern Germany and wider area.

Where to stay:

All the villages in the valley have plentiful accomodation mostly in the form of apartments or private rooms with breakfast, though there are hotels offering half board. It is also possible to stay in some of the mountain huts.

Maps /Guidebooks:

Wanderkarte 352 ‘Ehrwald-Lermoos-Reutte-Tannheimer Tal’ 1 :50,000
Tannheimertal Wanderkarte 1:25,000
Bergwanderungen im Tannheimertal by Dieter Seibert
All available in local shops (Map 80 AS, Guidebook 150 AS).

Off the beaten track – Austria (Moorland 1989) by Brian Spencer has an interesting chapter on the Tannheim with detailed background & suggestions for walks.

Tourist Information:

Tannheim tourist office were very helpful.
http://www.tiscover.com/tannheimertal
E Mail: tannheimertal@netway.at
Telephone: 5675 62200
Address: Tourismusgemeinschaft, Tannheimer Tal, A-6675, Tannheim 110, Tirol, Austria.

Austrian Tourist Office in London