Drive on the Ötztaler Gletscherstrasse

From Pitz, this blind road leads through a forest, four serpentines and is almost without views to the toll booth (2,035 m above sea level). From here, the valley of the Rettenbach stream is nicely open and in the distance above the ski resort rises the Karleskogel (3,106 m above sea level).

You can see the ski resort and lift leading to Rettenbachjoch (2990 m asl) to the south of Karleskogel (from here the tourists path falls down to the Braunschweiger hut). But most tourists prefer the path through the northern pass – Pitztaler Jöchl.

After four more bends and long traverse plain you come up to the ski resort. But the path does not end here. It continues even higher to the small car park (2802 m asl) directly at the remnants of the glacier. The signboard indicates here that you are on the highest located road in the Eastern Alps.

Directly from the car park you can see the entire ascent to the pass of Pitztal Jöchle (2996 m asl) and rocky mountain Polleskogel (3032 m asl). The path leads on the debris up the glacier and then traverses the slope up to the pass. Be careful about frequent stone falls during this walk.
 

Except for the hike to Pitztaler Jöchle it is possible to walk along the glacier Rettenbachferner – but only with extreme caution!

Tourists admire the glacier and the stream, which made little bed in it.

The glacier under the river is beautifully blue.

Another attraction is passing through the uppermost tunnel in Europe to the second part of the ski resort at the Tiefenbach glacier. Its southern tube ends at a height of 2,829 meters above sea level.

Along the creek leads tourist trail to the lake Petznersee and further into the valley.

You need to walk only a few meters from the ski resort and a beautiful view of dozens of peaks towering above the Vent´s valley opens. The road itself is the highest, but it does not belong to the most interesting ones. Much more interesting are the hiking trails leading from the road to even higher peaks.