Snowshoeing in Obernbergtal

or 'let's meet at Spörr'

Those who travel to Obernberg and leave the Brenner motorway at Nösslach, leave the world of hectic overtaking manoeuvres, columns of heavy goods vehicles, the monotonous noise prevention barriers, and find themselves on a narrow road again, that travels through a rural landscape with steep meadows and sparse larch woodlands.

Train travellers get on the bus in Steinach am Brenner and immediately notice the warm natural companionship among the passengers: here everyone knows everyone else. Modesty seems to be the virtue of this valley because, despite the good transport links, Obernberg has only the long established Alpengasthof Spörr (now Almi's Berghotel), the pretty Fruhstuckspension Egg, and three inns with no overnight accommodation. Alpenverein (Zweig) Innsbruck's Jugend and Seminarhaus Obernberg is open all year for families and children. Holiday apartments and a few B&Bs complete accommodation possibilities.

The fantastic thing about this beautiful secluded place is the wonderful landscape: the valley floor with its drumlins, the clear stream, the idyllic Obernberger See, all surrounded by a circle of white mountains with the beautiful, rugged Obernberger Tribulaun forming the massive mid-point.

The first people to go snowshoeing in these mountains on the Italian border were not there for fun and games. Poverty and often profiteering brought smugglers to the mountains. In the late 1950s, tobacco, wine, salt and coffee were traded south of the Brenner, preferably in the winter in cloak and dagger operations, and brought over the mountain passes to Tirol. The snow journeys were a means to an end. Kreuzjoch,Flachjoch, Sandjoch, Grubenjoch and Portjoch were predestined for the customs and tax free goods traffic. That which today provides material for stimulating and thrilling accounts, was then a hard struggle for survival on the margins of illegality.

St Nicholas Church with Tribulaun

For some years now people have once again been snowshoeing in Obernbergtal, but, mind you, not humping tall baskets with soot on their faes, not sneaking around carefully on the lookout, but still on the same paths. Now there is lots of room for romancing on walks through the woodlands thickly covered with snow and over mountain summits with wonderful views.

Small wonder that this enchanting valley, from which you start at 1400m, offers conditions that suit the snowshoe walker magnificently. On one hand there are ascents through meadows and sparse larch woodland on the sunny side, and on the other the Gütterwege (paths intended for transporting local produce) through the denser forest on the shady side. Then there are the peaceful alpine pastures, and ascents of peaks with no technical difficulties. Undoubtedly the walks rising and falling along the crests of the two walls of mountains that enclose the valley are something quite special. Accompany Rita and me on our way over some peaks.

Obernberg, near Lichtsee

We begin fairly easily with a walk over the northern boundary wall. One starts by taking the ski-bus from Obernberg, or from Innsbruck, to the Bergeralmbahn in Steinach, where we take the lift to just over 2000m and march off with cheerful hearts to Nösslachjoch and on to Eggenberg. Here we meet Herbert, in his capacity as Tourenführer of Sektion Steinach, with his snowboard group. They stow their snowshoes in or on their rucksacks and, once Herbert has given them instructions for the descent, they set off. The snow is perfect and, naturally with these conditions they want to drive around with the bus and descend from another place. "See you at Spörr", Herbert calls as he sets off.

We plod on further to Leitnerberg. From here one has a marvellous view of Serles, Habicht and the Tribulaun massif; then over Trunajoch we finish with an elegant ridge to the Rötenspitze. After a rest, we walk back to the joch and, from the point where in the summer months the Lichtsee invites us in for a cool swim, we hurry with large steps straight down to the valley.

Gasthof Spörr now Almis Berghotal
Photos by Allan Hartley

Those who stay in Obernberg for a few days will soon learn about the characters of the neighbourhood. Ernst Maier, alias 'Maler Tribulaun', whose house near the end of the valley is unmistakeable, decorated as it is with one of his colourful mountain paintings. There is the Obernberg farmer, ski-teacher, organist, alpine dairyman and band master, Alois Salchner, alias 'Töchterler' whose love of nature and simple way of life was recorded in a video documentary. Hansjörg Köchler (1938 - 2015) was always a great enthusiast for he valley. For many years the head of the Alpenverein Bergsteigerschule, he knew this area better than almost anyone. When he was not helping his friends Regina and Ferdinand in the woods, one frequently encountered him on a ski-tour which, as it should be for a pensioner, he could make in a leisurely way during the week. As a master of his subject there was no shortage of advice and information on all aspects of snow quality and avalanche situations, and it was always a pleasure to listen to tales of his adventures.

Our next snowshoe tour begins by the car park at the Gasthof Waldesruh, at the foot of the Obernberger Tribulaun. We ascend across the Oberreinsalm to the idyllic Obernberger See. We venture onto the ice and carry on under the bridge that leads to the island with the Maria am See chapel. We dive into the Kaserwald and walk across Steiner Alm in the direction of Portjoch. After a steep climb, we stand on the ridge and enjoy a magnificent view to the south, and down into Pflerschtal. We balance along the length of the ridge to Grubenkopf and over Grubenjoch and Geierskragen to Sandjöchl. From here we climb down and circle back to our starting point. "Shall we go to Spörr?" asks Rita: she probably doesn't expect a reply.

(First published in Bergauf 01, 2010, updated version translated by Janet Britnell)

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