Tour description
You start from the summit station of the Drei-Seen-Bahn chairlift and climb first flat and then quite steeply with skins to the east to the Gaiskogelscharte. There you usually have to put your skis on your backpack and head north-east on foot to the summit of the Gaiskogel. If the snow is hard, crampons are advisable on the ridge.
The summit is usually reached quickly. The descent also starts almost directly from the summit cross through a fairly steep and narrow gully to the north-east. After the end of the gully, you follow the large and increasingly flatter cirque, with the slope direction changing more and more to the east. Finally, a steeper east-facing slope awaits directly above Haggen, which you can ski down almost as far as the road. With a bit of pushing, you can get to Haggen if there is enough snow, from where you can either hitch a lift or take the bus back to Kühtai.
Timing is crucial on this tour, especially in spring. Not only for safety reasons, but also due to the quality of the snow. It usually makes sense to start with the first lift, especially as the last, east-facing steep slope gets much more sun early in the morning than the rest of the descent and there are always wet snow slides. You should therefore always ski down in good time, even if the snow in the north-east exposed initial section of the descent is still hard. If you're lucky, however, you'll catch the shady gully at the start of the descent with powder snow and the rest with firn snow and sit happily in the sun with a well-earned cold drink at lunchtime.
Information about the freeride tour on the Geiskogel
Difficulty: (5-level scale): ****
Special dangers: Depending on the snow, difficult ascent, descent through relatively steep, narrow gully
Average steepness/Maximum steepness: 35°/45°
Exposure: W/NE
Altitude start and finish: 2420m | 1700m
Altitude metres uphill and downhill: 400 m | 1120 m
Duration: 2-3 hours
Best time of year: February - April
Accommodation: Various accommodation options in Kühtai, e.g. Dortmunder Hütte or one of the numerous hotels
Addresses: Bergbahnen, Tel: +43 (0)523 952 84), Tourismusverband, Tel.: +43 (0)523 02 44)
How to get there: From the Inntal motorway exit Zirl-Ost, from there first to Kematen, then via Sellrain, Gries and St. Sigmund to Kühtai. Free ski buses from Innsbruck and from Kematen (run infrequently!).
Topographical maps: Alpine Club map Stubai Alps/Sellrain, No. 31/2 with ski routes
Other tips: In Kühtai, buy a single ticket on the Drei-Seen-Bahn cable car, day ticket not necessary!
