Kayak and Rafting in Innsbruck – The 5 best spots for water sports enthusiasts
Innsbruck is only mountains and skiing? Think again where all that water goes! Find the top 5 places for kayaking and Rafting in and around Innsbruck in this blog.
Welcome to Mother Nature’s theme park! It is not the safest roller coaster ride in the world, but it sure is memorable for experienced participants. Innsbruck awaits you with its white water kayaking challenge, which will give you a feeling no other sport in the world can match. For those who are up for a wild ride, the long and mighty glacier-fed rivers of Tyrol offer a unique playground, and endless opportunities to find that elusive flow feeling.
In a kayak, there is no way to slow down. Change your mind at short notice? Not possible. Once you have decided on the speed, you have to follow the flow of the water. Until the flow breaks, the show is not over. How to “buy a ticket”? Find out on Mountain Moments.
Just a stone’s throw from Innsbruck, there are a number of different valleys and watersheds. From steep alpine streams to roaring, high-volume wave courses, you’ll find rivers and sections of all types and levels of difficulty. With so much variety, there’s always enough choice to adapt to weather and water level conditions according to the situation.
Kayaking at Sill and Ruetzbach
The Sill and Ruetzbach rivers flow north from the Brenner Pass and Stubai Glacier towards Innsbruck. Depending on water levels, both offer a continuous challenge for experienced paddlers (Class 4) and run through the Middle Sill and Ruetzschlucht sections. They later join south of town and lead through the scenic and quiet Sill Gorge to the Inn River. The Untere Schwelle section offers relatively mild difficulty (class 3) on most levels, but leads into a punchy class 4 section toward the end (easy to portage around on the right). Higher water levels here increase speed and fun more than absolute difficulty. The Ruetz Rafting section begins at the Elfer lifts (Neustift in the Stubaital) with some of the fastest and most continuous class 3 whitewater sections you may experience in a paddler’s lifetime.
How to get there: From Innsbruck south towards the Stubaital or Brenner.
Kayak and Rafting in Ötz River
Ötztal and the mighty Ötz River are known around the world for their big and brawny whitewater, and for many years were home to the legendary Sickline Extreme Kayaking World Championships.
The Lower Ötz, starting from the village of Ötz, is one of the best rafting runs in Europe. Experienced paddlers will find big and bouncy whitewater of difficulty class 3-4 here. In high summer when the glacier melts and rains, the water masses are at their most massive – big, chunky breakers await experienced paddlers here.
The Wellebrücke (steep and creek-like, usually only ride-able in spring and fall) and Mittlere Ötz – a run like a fearsome freight train – challenge and thrill even to the most experienced paddlers. The Obere Ötz, Köfels section and tributaries like the Venter Ache, on the other hand, offer more manageable adrenaline spikes, depending on water levels. Beware of the Achstürze and Kühtrein Schlucht sections: they are reserved for the best of the best paddlers.
How to get there: Inntal freeway to the Ötztal exit. The state road follows the course of the river.
Rafting at Inn river
The Inn is Tyrol’s largest river and the main namesake for the city of Innsbruck. Starting in the Engadine region of Switzerland, it flows from west to east through the Tyrol, eventually joining the Danube in Bavaria. Its character and difficulty vary greatly along its length. A series of dams and waterworks influence the river’s course – depending on the energy requirements of the adjacent power plants.
Classic sections include Tösens in the west, the steep and powerful Inn Shoot / Landecker Schlucht (grade 3-5 with some very large holes!) and the beginner-friendly Imster Schlucht (grade 2-3) with many waves. The Imster Gorge is a popular rafting section for families and offers very good conditions for an introduction to whitewater paddling.
How to get there: Highway to the desired section
Kayaking at Brandenberger Ache
The Brandenberger Ache, or Brandi for short, is located near Kramsach and is one of the whitewater gems of the Alps. Unlike the other rivers mentioned, the Brandi is not fed by a glacier and is usually run after recent rains.
Lower in volume and rocky in character, the stream cuts through wonderful deep gorges and demands clean and technically proficient paddling on its myriad boofs (small ledges with shallow, non-submerging landings).
Starting at the top, the Kaiserklamm is the most difficult and challenging section. It passes impressively through vertical rock walls. The Pinneger section starts the challenging: the 1.5m drop is followed by class 3 white water until the beginning of the Tiefenbachklamm. It in turn is one of the best sections of challenging class 4 in the entire Alps and should be reserved for very experienced paddlers.
The lower reaches are a great training section for beginners: the class 2-3 white water with clearly defined movement patterns is ideal for training exercises. However, the Saugraben (class 4) can be surprisingly steep and powerful towards the end – beginners should inspect these and / or carry ahead on the right side.
How to get there: Inntal freeway to Kramsach, then in the direction of Brandenberg and Pinneg.
More information about kayaking and rafting in Innsbruck
Water depths: www.riverapp.net
Detailed river guides: https://4-paddlers.com
Schools and stores: S2S (Natters), Area47 (Ötztal), Montevia (Lenggries)
Special hazards: White water sports involve deadly risks. Only for experienced athletes or with an experienced guide. Learn to handle paddle and boat / kayak first in a lake and later in easy river sections. Never paddle a section without inspection and knowledge of the conditions!
Rating Levels: International rating scale class 1 to 6 with increasing difficulty.
Mountain Moments Photo Workshops provide Photo Tours for everybody, Alpine Experience for beginners and intermediate-level photographers with 3 to 6-hour routes, as well as Summit Experience for more advanced photographers and hikers. We have private workshops and group classes.
The best Summer Adventures in and around Innsbruck – Hiking, Mountainbiking, Trekking, Climbing and more
Fancy more Summer Adventures in Tyrol and around Innsbruck? We got you covered! The best outdoor sports activities for Summer Enthusiasts as eBook: Innsbruck Summer Outdoor Guide.
Here we have compiled the most beautiful locations and photo opportunities. 30 activities with numerous photo spots are selected and described in such a way that you can easily experience these wonderful adventures around Innsbruck for yourself – including track infos, and maps and all other information that you need.
You can take a closer look at the Innsbruck travel guide ebook here – why not share it with your adventure partner?
Hi, i am Marius, i love exploring the mountains and nature. Friends say, i know the mountains better than most locals, but actually i get lost all the time while photographing ;). Read more about the Mountain Moments Team.
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