Hiking in the Pitztal - in search of ibex | bettercities.net

A mountain tour that is not about peaks and altitudes, but about experiencing nature: In the Kaunergrat National Park in the Pitztal, more ibex live than anywhere else in the Eastern Alps - you can get close to them on a stalk.

Usually, one should start a mountain hike at dawn, but this time we took it easy and only started our journey from the Plangeross hiking parking lot in the Tyrolean Pitztal towards the Rüsselsheimer Hütte in the late morning. The reason: We want to visit ibex in their habitat. The kings of the Alps, as they are respectfully called here, spend the hot hours of the day well hidden in their resting places. They only appear in the afternoon.

Ernst Partl, manager of the Kaunergrat Nature Park in the Pitztal and our hiking guide for the day, takes his time ascending to the hut located at 2,328 meters on the Hohe Geige. He takes the opportunity to give us insights into the high alpine vegetation. We drink dew collected in the chalice-shaped leaves of a lady's slipper, discover deadnettles and plantain. We leave the masterwort untouched, even though it is said to help with fevers and poisoning.

Meanwhile, clouds part to reveal a view of the Watzespitze, the highest mountain in the national park. While scouting, we spot two brown dots moving across a scree field. 'Those are chamois,' explains Partl after a look through his binoculars. King Ibex is still resting.

'There's no guarantee we'll see ibex, but the chances are very high,' says our hiking guide. A few decades ago, there wouldn't even have been a chance. The animals, which adorn the coat of arms of the Pitztal, were nearly exterminated across the Alps starting in the 15th century, primarily due to poaching.

'It wasn't just about the meat; superstition played a role too. To gain the strength, courage, and surefootedness of the ibex, people drank their blood. Powder from crushed horns was considered a potency enhancer,' Partl describes, marveling at the 'enormous strength contained within these approximately 1.10-meter-tall and up to 100-kilogram creatures'. A female can jump 3.50 meters from a standstill.

King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia-Piedmont and later of united Italy placed the remaining group of around 60 animals in the Aosta Valley under the protection of the crown in the mid-19th century. This move by the monarch set the stage for the species' survival. Via Graubünden, ibex were introduced to the Pitztal in 1952. 'Attempts to breed them in an enclosure failed; the ibex broke free,' Partl recounts.

What no one had anticipated: left undisturbed in the wild, they discovered their drives. Today, around 1,200 animals live in the Pitztal mountain world. And the fact that host Florian Kirschner at the Rüsselsheimer Hütte offers ibex goulash and carpaccio on the menu should not alarm anyone. 'If we don't hunt the ibex, they'll spread too widely and displace the chamois,' says Partl.

With clear skies and excellent visibility, we continue on to our real destination, the Gahwinden-Joch with the summit cross at 2,649 meters. The view here of the Pitztal mountain world is magnificent, even the distant Wildspitze, the highest mountain in North Tyrol, comes into view. But we don't let this impression linger for too long; instead, we lie at the edge and search the opposite mountain slope with binoculars. 'If the ibex come, it'll be over there,' says Partl.

And they do come. At first, there are only a few that we spot in the green between the scree fields. Then more appear, until we count 40 animals. To complete the spectacle, two bucks cross over to the Gahwinden, slowly passing by us at a distance of less than 20 meters - close enough for us to observe their muscles play as they move. 'Stay calm. Otherwise, they'll get spooked and flee,' Partl whispers.

So, we watch silently and intently as the majestic animals move toward the Hohe Geige, into regions that are inaccessible to humans, yet they traverse effortlessly. It takes us a while to tear ourselves away from the sight of the ibex and resume our conversations. The audience with the king left a lasting impression.

The hike from Plangeross to Gahwinden-Joch takes about 3.5 hours. It goes partly steeply uphill, but the route is not difficult. For those who shy away from the effort yet still want to learn more about ibex, there's been an alternative since mid-July. In St. Leonhard in the Pitztal, the ibex center opened with an enclosure crisscrossed by walking trails, an exhibition house, and a café.

Architects Daniela Kröss and Rainer Köberl designed a building made of reddish, textured concrete that appears tall and rugged - 'and thus matches the landscape in the Pitztal,' as Partl notes. Seven animals have moved into the enclosure; eventually, there could be up to 20.

On one of the following days, we take the mountain railway from Mandarfen to the Rifflsee at 2,232 meters altitude. The hut there is the starting point or a station for numerous hikes into the Pitztal mountain and glacier world, but we are lured by something else. On the mountain lake, whose turquoise color is bestowed by particles in the glacier water that feeds it, a raft operates during the summer months, weighing 40 tons, 15 meters long and ten meters wide.

The floating observation deck was constructed by employees of the mountain railway three years ago from spruce logs. 'There isn't a single metal screw in it,' says Captain Reinhold, who withholds his last name - 'everyone just calls me Meck,' he says.

Powered by an electric motor, the raft glides leisurely over the lake. From a deck chair, with a cold drink in hand, you can enjoy the view of Mittagskogel, Seekogel, and all the other mountains that, in Captain Meck's estimation, 'form the most beautiful valley end in the world.' One might question that in the Himalayas, Andes, or even just in the neighboring Ötztal - or simply let it stand and enjoy the panorama.

You don't see ibex at the Rifflsee, at least not during the day, because it's too busy. But the figurehead of the raft shows the silhouette of - yes, exactly.

Travel Destination: The Pitztal, located between the better-known Kauner- and Ötztal, is an approximately 40-kilometer-long dead-end valley. Only one road leads from the Inntal up to the village of Mandarfen, which already lies at 1,700 meters altitude. 38 mountains here rise above 3,000 meters. The vast Pitztal Glacier extends in front of the peaks in the Wildspitze area, well served by mountain railways. The valley is home to 7,400 people, and there won't be many more. Due to avalanche danger, construction is almost entirely prohibited. The Pitztal boasts 380 kilometers of hiking trails, 37 mountain huts, 178 climbing routes, and 131 kilometers of mountain biking trails.

Arrival: By car via Munich and Innsbruck on the Inntal motorway 12 to Imst. From there, the road branches off through the Pitztal. By train, also via Munich and Innsbruck to Imst. Buses run regularly through the entire valley from the train station. They are timed to the arrival times of trains.

Best travel time: Due to its high alpine character, the time for hiking and similar summer activities is short - depending on weather conditions, from mid-May to late September.

More information: Tourismusverband Pitztal, Unterdorf 18, 6473 Wenns, Phone: (00 43) 5 41 48 69 99.

The trip was supported by the Pitztal Tourism Association. The editorial team alone decides on the selection and orientation of the content.