Ötztal Alps Nature
Do you have anything to say about this? Don't hesitate and write your information and experience to help other travelers.
Mountains
Highest mountains: In the Ötztal Alps you will find 6 of Austria's 10 highest mountains. The highest mountains are Wildspitze (3,770 m above sea level), Weißkugel (3,739 m above sea level), Hinterer Brochkogel (3,635 m above sea level), Hintere Schwärze (3,628 m above sea level), Similaun (3,606 m above sea level) and Vorderer Brochkogel (3,565 m above sea level). A total of 14 mountains are higher here 3,500 m above sea level)
Mountain passes
In the Ötztal Alps as alpine areas you will find mainly beautiful waterfalls, gorges, glaciers and mountain lakes. The most important attraction is the 159 meter high waterfall Stuibenfall.
Lakes and Ponds
Dams: in the Ötztal Alps you will also find three large dams – the mighty Gepatsch Stausee (1,775 m above sea level) and two more near the Kühtai pass (Speicher Längental (1,915 m above sea level) and the magnificent Finstertaler Stausee (2,335 m above sea level). Wildgrat (2,971 m above sea level) (Wettersee (2,553 m above sea level) is the largest and there is also the Erlanger Hütte hut, Kugleter See (2,592 m above sea level) and Großsee (2,424 m above sea level) on the western side of the mountain). From Pitztal there are mountain hikes to Moalandlsee (2,535 m above sea level) and Wildersee (2,770 m above sea level), but the most famous is the Rifflesee (2,235 m above sea level), also accessible by cable car.
Canyons and valleys
The whole mountain range is crossed by three main tens of kilometers long valleys – Kaunertal, Pitztal and Ötztal. The latter separates the Ötztal Alps from the Stubai Alps. All three valleys lead practically straight from north to south. You can find real canyons and gorges mainly in the north, where these valleys arise from a number of tributaries.
Glaciers
The largest glacier in the Ötztal Alps and the second largest in Austria is the Gepatschferner (almost 8 km long)
Rivers
The main river far and wide is the Inn, but it flows essentially on the northern edge of the area and this valley acts more as a transport link for the Ötztal Alps. The most prominent river is the Ötztaler Ache, which is the largest tributary of the Inn thanks to its huge supply of water from countless glaciers.
Waterfalls
In the Ötztal Alps there are a number of nice waterfalls, the highest (159m) of them and the most famous is the Stuibenfall. It is also the highest waterfall in Tyrol. Another interesting waterfall is the Lehner wasserfall located just a short distance from Längelfeld (along it there is also an interesting ferrata)
