Gourmet ski tour in Kleinwalsertal valley
The Kleinwalsertal in the border area between Germany and Austria convinces ski tourers with a variety of beautiful touring possibilities and good snow safety. In our tour tip we present you this time a relaxed ski tour: from Baad, the highest village of the valley, it goes up to the almost 2000m high summit of the Gamsfuß. Great views and refreshment stops are waiting for you!
A tour tip from Fabian from the Sport Bittl online marketing team.
What makes the tour attractive?
- Suitable for beginners and connoisseurs: With just under 900 meters in altitude, the tour is not overly demanding, but still offers everything that characterizes a great ski tour.
- Refreshment stop: The rustic Bärgunthütte (1408m) is also open in winter and invites you to rest with regional delicacies.
- Spectacular mountain world: High above the valley, the Großer Widderstein and other rocky peaks rise imposingly and create a unique mountain experience.
- Attractive winter sports region: Kleinwalsertal is a great winter sports region and with a valley location of already over 1000m offers a good snow guarantee - here you can perfectly combine cross-country skiing, ski tours and days on the slopes in the ski area!
The most important facts
- Season: December to March, depending on snow conditions.
- Route: From Baad (1221m), head south out of the village and initially relatively flat via the Mittelberg Bärguntweg to the Bärgunthütte (1408m). After the hut, it goes much steeper uphill past the Stierlochalpe to the Gamsfuß at 1992m.
- Difficulty: With a good 10km total length there and back and just under 900 meters in altitude, the tour is also suitable for beginners. It starts quite relaxed and initially leads along the valley, only after the Bärgunthütte more tricky steep sections await.
- Overnight accommodations: In Baad, as in the entire Kleinwalsertal valley, there are numerous guesthouses and hotels that offer an ideal starting point for ski tours.
- Hazards: The avalanche danger is described as low to medium. On the valley path, the danger is low, but further up, especially in steep sections and after a lot of fresh snow, avalanches can definitely occur. Be sure to check the avalanche report beforehand and take avalanche equipment such as an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel with you.
Relaxed entry
The start of the ski tour is in the idyllic village of Baad, the highest village in Kleinwalsertal at an altitude of 1221m. It is also located at the very end of the valley, where the road also ends and it is therefore anyway only with muscle power, if you want to go further up. So we strap on our skis on a sunny morning in February and start the tour quite relaxed on the Mittelberger Bärguntweg.
Slowly, the village disappears from view, revealing the imposing mountain world ahead and the numerous peaks that surround us. The path leads relatively flat along the valley, only slowly gaining altitude and is perfectly groomed. It is also popular with winter hikers and tobogganers, who we meet from time to time.
Light and shadow
Finally, at the end of the valley, we reach the Bärgunthütte, which we leave on the left for the time being and continue the ascent - up to the hut, only about 200 meters of altitude have been climbed, so the real challenges are still waiting. In high winter, especially in the months of December and January, the ascent is largely in the shadow of the Widderstein, which towers high above everything at a good 2,500m. This ensures that the snow remains grippy and hard for a long time, but on the other hand it is shady and cool in many areas even on sunny days.
If you are a sun lover, you should go on the tour in February or March, when the valley and also the slopes are again shone on for several hours a day.
Through the forest
After leaving the hut behind us, the sun finally reaches us, rewarding us for the strenuous steep sections that have to be overcome. With deliberate steps we go uphill through the sparse coniferous forest, which lies frozen in wintry white before us. The silence is only interrupted by our steady breathing and the odd bird, whose chirping reminds us that spring is now not too far away in mid-February. We pass the Stierlochalpe and soon leave the forest behind us. In front of us rise the peaks of the Kleinwalsertal and the snow-covered slopes can now be seen almost all the way to our destination. The tracks of other tourers reveal that we are not the first ones on the road here. But they make navigation very easy and lead unerringly in the direction of the Gamsfuß.
On to the summit!
The terrain up here is relatively steep and without vegetation, so with a lot of fresh snow or uncertain weather conditions, you definitely have to keep an eye on the avalanche danger. Finally we have reached the Gamsfuß and thus our tour destination at 1992m altitude. This is the end for tourers, even though the peak of the Älpelekopf at 2170m is right next to us, which can only be reached with climbing equipment.
But also from the Gamsfuß there is an impressive panorama. Deep below us, we can see the individual villages of the Kleinwalsertal valley lined up next to each other. To the east, the Große Widderstein and other rocky peaks tower majestically, giving one a high alpine flair.
The departure
On the other side of the summit, we look out over the spectacular mountains in the Austrian Vorarlberg , and so the sunny summit plateau invites us to have a snack while we let our gaze wander into the distance. Finally, it's time to take off the skins and plunge into the downhill run. This convinces with the many different lines and variations that can be chosen. As if in flight, it goes down, first over the free slopes in the upper part and then through the forest, where you can prove your slalom skills. Arriving at the Bärgunthütte we take another rest, enjoy a well-deserved drink in the sunny outdoor area of the h ut and review the tour. After the hut rest we glide down the winter hiking trail, here it is of course important to be considerate of hikers and tobogganers so that everyone has a good time in the mountains.