Gschnitz, Austria

Goldbichl is a small sport climbing area close to the Patscherkofel in Igls that's perfect for beginner climbers, with bolted routes ranging from grade 3 to 6a. The area is extremely easy to find. From the village of Igls, drive towards the village of Patsch (postcode 6082). At the T-junction, yo...

The Patscherkofel in Igls near Innsbruck is the perfect ski area to try ski touring for the first time in a completely safe environment. This ski area offers beginner ski tourers the opportunity to give the sport a try without having to venture out into the backcountry or tour up the crowded pist...

Take the Patscherkofelbahn cable car up to the top station to start this hike. From the top station of the lift you'll see a trail sign for the "Zirbenweg". For the first part of this hike you're going to follow this almost completely flat trail that hugs the side of the mountain.  Stay on this t...

The trail begins next to the Sportplatz in the village of Grinzens, just outside of Innsbruck. The trail begins as a gravel road, but within a few meters it splits. You can either take route 51 which follows the gravel road or route 52 which cuts through the forest. We chose to follow route 52 on...

Take the bus from Innsbruck to Grinzens or if you have a car, park in the village of Grinzens at the Sportplatz. From here already you can see signs to the Kemater Alm.  The route is really simple. Just follow the dirt road straight through the forest and deeper in to the valley. For the first ha...

The Nordkettenbahnen starts in the town center area of Innsbruck and takes you first to Alpenzoo and then to an end stop. These first two stops are on a funicular. Once you get to the end of the funicular, you will then transfer to the actual bahn (lift) which will take you up to the Seegrube sto...

The Martinswand is Innsbruck's legendary multi-pitch sport climbing wall. The route "Emmentaler" is the easiest of the multi-pitch routes on the Martinswand in the area called the "vorbau". The route is named after the cheese most likely due to the multi holes in the rock.  The Approach: The appr...

Austria’s Zillertal Valley is a spectacular region of the Alps offering a plethora of hiking options. Locals as well as tourism hosts overwhelmingly recommended Olpererhütte! From Mayrhofen, a public transit bus delivers hikers directly to the trailhead. Mayrhofen is a great village to use as hom...

The Stuibenfall waterfall is the highest waterfall in the Tirol state of Austria, situated in the Ötztal valley. Not only is it an incredible sight to see by itself, but if you have experience climbing via ferrata (known as klettersteig in German), you can climb up the full waterwall. The Approac...

Starting from the tennis hall in Seefeld, follow the path towards Mösern which goes across the meadows. When you get to Mösern you'll see trails for the Möserer See and the Möserer See Stube. For the hike to the Brunschkopf, you don't actually pass the lake. It's a short detour off the trail but ...

Starting at the base of the Karwendelbahn, follow signs under the roadway and up the hill. From there, follow the yellow signs to the Dammkarhütte. This portion of the hike is relatively easygoing, but the last little bit up to the hut involves quite a bit of shale, so be prepared to take your ti...

The Wolfsklamm is a narrow and rocky canyon just outside the village of Stans in Tirol, just 20 minutes from the city of Innsbruck. There are a few free parking areas in the village with signposts to the start of the trail up the canyon. I've marked the one we used as the trailhead for this hike....

Once you pass the toll station for the Kauntertal Glacier Road, you keep following the road past the reservoir and up to the waterfall and climbing garden. This is where you park the car and start the hike, following the signs for route 902 to the Rauhekopfhütte.For the first hour, your are mostl...

This was my first adventure during my visit to Germany.  The hike starts at the historic 1936 winter olympics venue, Olympic-Skistadion stadium.  The preserved stadium adorns the same sculptures and features found during the 1936 winter games.  After taking in the olympic history, follow the sign...

Starting at the Olympic Ski Jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (708 m), walk toward the mountains along Wildenauer Strasse and follow signs to the Partnach Gorge (Partnachklamm). There is a fee of 3 Euros per person to enter the gorge, but it is definitely worth seeing (and hearing.) If you arrive at...

Santa Maddalena, also known as St. Magdalena, is a picturesque medieval church sequestered in the northern mountains of Italy. The Odle Mountain Group of the Dolomites tower above the surrounding valley and provide an incredible backdrop for images. To reach the best vantage point to photograph...