snow of tomorrow

Snow of tomorrow | Public transport skitour crossing in a self-experiment

Travelling through the Ötztal Alps by public transport

by Irene Welebil (ÖAV) • 01/22/2024

Our ascent to the Fluchtkogel
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Irene Welebil

Teresa und Dani

I am passionate about skitour crossings. Stubai Alps, Zillertal Alps, Rätikon, Verwall, Silvretta, Hohe Tauern, Glarus, Uri, Bernese Alps. There are many skitour crossings, some of which I have already completed, some of which are still in my head. The best thing about them is that they are perfect for travelling by public transport and are therefore climate-friendly, as the start and end points are rarely the same. When travelling through valleys, things often turn out differently than planned and you may end up in a different valley than you originally thought. If you are travelling by public transport, there is no car waiting to take you home and the end point of the tour can be changed individually.

We dare to try it ourselves ...

A period of fine weather is just around the corner. The snow line is already very high, but there is still plenty of snow above it. Ski tours already require a high starting altitude if you're not into carrying your skis. The ski tour database in my head provides a clear result for the current conditions: perfect conditions for a traverse of the Ötztal Alps with a high start in the Kaunertal at 2,750 m, a detour into the rear Ötztal and ending at the Pitztal Glacier, the ski trail could still be covered in snow far into the valley and both valleys are well connected by public transport. What is still missing for a perfect skitour crossing are friends who are still motivated for skiing adventures in mid-June and who are not afraid of public transport, but fortunately I rarely lack that. Teresa and Dani were immediately enthusiastic about my idea. The rough route was quickly planned, the detailed planning will be postponed until the train journey, as there is still plenty of time for that. One of the things I like about public transport tours is that you can start your adventure in a very relaxed way.

Let's go ...

As a team, we are perfectly coordinated so that the packing list and the distribution of equipment and food are quickly organised. Our different arrival routes converge at Innsbruck railway station. As experienced public transport riders, we've already attached our poles to our skis using the ski strap and stowed our boots and helmets in our rucksacks so that we're as compact as possible when travelling. When travelling through the mountains, you try to pack as light as possible. The argument of heavy luggage is therefore invalid. We earn surprised looks, presumably because of our ski equipment in the early summer temperatures, although it is at its most beautiful now and the chances of solitude on the mountain are high.

During the trip, we finalise the tour planning and think about possible variants in case the avalanche or snow situation on site turns out to be different than expected. It is essential to save the bus timetables offline for all variants, as internet reception can be scarce on the mountain. Having a battery pack in your rucksack isn't a mistake on tours lasting several days anyway. We are still worried about the thunderstorm forecast for the afternoon, but we should already be at the hut by then.

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At Innsbruck station: the poles are strapped to the skis and the boots and helmet are stowed firmly on the backpack to be as compact as possible.

Irene Welebil

By train and bus to the Kaunertal valley

In Landeck we change from the train to bus, and have to change again in Prutz and then it's all the way to the back of the Kaunertal valley, up to the closed glacier railway. Not all train and bus connections are as well coordinated as this one. If you want to go on public ski tours, it's worth having connections to the most important starting/ending points in your head. Just because a route planner does not show a connection to the desired starting point on Sunday does not mean that there is no bus service on Saturday. Some valleys are great to get into early in the morning, but not to get out of, if you start in the neighbouring valley or turn the tour around, the problem may already be solved.

The car park at the Kaunertal glacier ski area is deserted. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the last lockdown, not a soul in sight, just three crazy girls who still haven't had enough of winter.

We start our tour on the deserted ski piste and head for the Nörderschartl. From there, we first cross a ridge and then the glacier to the Weißseespitze. We only make slow progress because we sink up to our bellies in snow on the ridge - it's already June after all. To our surprise, black clouds are already gathering in the morning. Fortunately, we make faster progress after the ridge, even though we are now in thick fog. We can only find the summit cross using GPS and are only able to see a few metres in front of us. On the descent, due to the poor visibility, we decide to descend on a rope to avoid unexpectedly disappearing into a crevasse. The situation in the thick fog reminds me of the accident on the Haute Route in 2018, in which seven people died of frostbite because they couldn't find the refuge. It now pays off that we have saved the necessary GPS tracks on our mobile phones. Without them, we would never have found today's destination, the Brandenburger Haus. The winter room is very cosy and shortly afterwards the stove is already slowly spreading a pleasant warmth and there is already a wonderful fragrant meal on the table: couscous pan with fresh vegetables: delicious! Shortly before sunset, the fog lifts and we can see our lonely tracks on the glacier, which criss-cross and take several detours. It's worrying how much the lack of visibility can restrict our ability to orientate ourselves. The panorama and the evening atmosphere are indescribable. These are moments that will stay with you for a long time.

In the thick fog on the way to Brandenburger Haus

Irene Welebil

Teresa and Dani

Will the peace and quiet last much longer here?

The area around the hut with Gepatschferner and Kesselwandferner is part of the largest continuous glacier area in Austria. In my opinion, this is one of the only areas of ice in the Eastern Alps that is reminiscent of the large glaciers in the Western Alps. It's hard to believe that this previously untouched natural landscape could soon be cut up by ski pistes and ski lifts. The Kaunertal glacier lifts are planning to open up this secluded natural paradise with new lifts. Benjamin Stern reports on this in his Powder-Guide article.

Good planning is half the battle, public transport makes it possible

The Fluchtkogel and Vernagtspitze are planned for the next day. The weather and snow conditions were in our favour and we were rewarded with sunshine and perfect firn. Arriving at our destination for the day, the Vernagthütte, we can't believe our eyes when we see two other ski tourers walking up from Vent who have already been carrying their skis for three hours due to the lack of snow. It's a good thing that our tour leads up again the next day, because the snow stops right in front of the hut.

Rewarding view from the Brandenburger Haus.

Teresa Kallsperger

Brandenburg House

Helpful tips

A sticker from POW (Protect our Winters), an environmental NGO that campaigns for sustainable winter sports and climate protection, is stuck to the skis of the two ski tourers. I often ask myself whether its members, of which I am one, are concerned about climate-friendly mobility and try to engage in dialogue. When asked about the form of travel, "public" is rarely the answer. I often hear that many starting points for various tours are not accessible by public transport and the journey takes too long. Of course, this is partly true, but there are often hiking taxis or similar means of transport that help to cover the last mile. Finding the so-called micro public transport services is not quite so easy. The website bedarfsverkehr.at, for example, provides an overview of services throughout Austria. Ski buses are often not included in the route planners, but are often an alternative for tours close to ski resorts, as they increase the density and frequency of the network.

Our attitude as a key factor

Public transport tour planning can be made easier using public transport ski tour guides or tour portals that emphasise public accessibility, e.g. alpenvereinaktiv.com has a filter function for tours with bus and train travel. The search engine zuugle.at links various tour portals with timetables. The argument about the long journey time is partly true, but can be reduced or invalidated by, for example, a longer journey time. In addition, the time on public transport can be used consciously, e.g. with tour planning, a breakfast or after-tour drink, a short nap or exchanging photos, which would take up time at home or in the guesthouse. "Long" is relative and, like so many things, is defined exclusively in our heads: if we are honest with ourselves, it all depends on our attitude: as soon as we are convinced of climate-friendly mobility, a positive argument is suddenly found for every negative one, a rethink begins first and foremost in our heads and this needs to be controlled.

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The weather and snow conditions mean well with us and we are rewarded with sunshine and perfect firn on the descent.

Irene Welebil

A perfect finish

Day three is already upon us, with the Wildspitze as our next summit. There is no mass rush to the highest mountain in Tyrol today and we arrive at the summit alone. Shortly after us, two more ski tourers join us, who else could it be than the snow and avalanche expert Lukas Ruetz and his companions. It's probably the last tour of the year for us, but for Lukas it's probably not for a long time to come. The two friends from the previous evening's winter room have a long descent ahead of them today, as they have to return to the hut and walk back to the car in Vent. They look after us wistfully as we swing towards Pitztal in a good mood, across the once again deserted pistes down to the ski trail, which has unfortunately been cleared. But an hour of carrying skis is okay for this time of year. We can hardly believe our eyes when, shortly before the end, a catered hut unexpectedly awaits us. Our thirst was hard to quench and we had been looking forward to changing from ski trousers and boots to shorts and trainers for a long time. After a long rest, we arrive on time at the bus stop at the Pitztal glacier ski area, where the bus arrives a few minutes later. This time everything went perfectly. On the leisurely journey home, we use the time to sort out and share photos. And new ideas for new adventures immediately come to mind. But one thing is clear, the skis are now going to be put in the cellar for a few months.

Perfect conditions for the ascent to the Wildspitze.

Lukas Ruetz

Wildspitze

Irene, Teresa und Dani

Useful links:

Overview of transportations for the last bit of travel offers bedarfsverkehr.at
An overview of the worldwide public transport network öpnvkarte.de
Naturally with public transport! The best ski tours, trips and ski safaris from Munich by Rother Bergverlag
Öffi Skitouren Nordtirol, Kompass Verlag
Public transport touring tips on alpenvereinaktiv.com
Search engine for public transport tours at zuugle.at

Waiting for the train back. Now in shorts and sneakers.

Irene Welebil

Photo gallery

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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