Home climbing, Chapter 1: Imst vacation region

On a voyage of discovery through Tyrol This year it's time for a vacation at home. A good opportunity to give your home region, your own country the attention it deserves - or not?

How many of us already had big travel plans with kids, family and dog in mind ... Norway with its fjords and Canada with its national parks were all the rage. The perennial favorite and everyone's climbing darling Lake Garda, including Bar Centrale, pizza and pasta, was already a fixed date in the climbing calendar.

New views of the local area

Big vacations to faraway countries cannot be realized this year. Instead, we are looking forward to being able to go climbing outside in the great outdoors whenever possible. Spending time together with friends has taken on a new quality. The virus has paralyzed many things, but the desire for outdoor activities and rock climbing has remained and is stronger than ever. And so we will be exploring our homeland this summer.

Perhaps some of you will be surprised at what there is to discover on these exploratory tours: valleys and tours, villages and hamlets, streams and enchanted lakes that are just as charming as many a hyped hotspot in faraway countries. And then it's time to set off on a voyage of discovery at home: With a bit of good weather and nice fellow travelers, it can become a vacation with world travel charm in pocket size.

Imst vacation region - diverse in every respect

Climbing metropolis, fountain town and wine-growing region - Imst has something to offer for a wide range of interests. Imst is also home to the first Tyrolean winemaker Alexandra Flür and four-time climbing world champion Angy Eiter - reasons enough to give the pretty little town and surrounding area your full attention and feel a little like you're in France.

Hand on heart, most people know Imst from driving through it, or rather from driving past it, but lingering here? Rarely. And this is exactly what needs to be changed. Because once you have learned to appreciate the advantages of the somewhat sleepy-looking district capital and its eight municipalities, you will keep coming back. With a little imagination, you might even think you're on a climbing vacation in France - the Petit Verdon climbing area in Karres and the hilly terrain with vineyards in Tarrenz add to the Francophile feeling.

Challenging sport climbing, enjoyable multi-pitch routes

Want more arguments? Here you go: Imst turns out to be a real hotspot for climbers in particular, from where you can head for magnificent areas that offer something for almost every level. The Götterwandl, for example, is home to some really tough sport climbing routes where Angy Eiter and many other top climbers like to "play". But the Imst region also offers enjoyable multi-pitch tours high above the valley and shady bouldering blocks.

Incidentally, it should also be mentioned that mining made the small town rich in the Middle Ages, which is still impressively reflected in the impressive church tower. In addition, the first female winemaker in Tyrol made a name for herself in Tarrenz with her wine, which is known far beyond the borders, if you like. Climbers can choose from 17 (!) sport climbing gardens here - from easy to hard, from close to the city center to high above the valley. And after climbing is before wine tasting or a cultural tour through the fountain town.

Fountain town Imst

There are no fewer than 20 fountains in Imst, many of them dating back to the 18th century, spread across the upper and lower town - all of them sources of drinking water. They are lovingly maintained and radiate a deep sense of calm with their powerful symbols and statues. Especially on hot summer days, it is a pleasure to stroll from fountain to fountain, listen to the rippling water, cool your hands and arms in the trough and taste the fresh spring water. You could almost imagine yourself in one of the many small French towns in the hinterland of the Côte d'Azur. And when the swallows and swifts in Imst chase the mosquitoes over the roofs of the town with much fanfare and life otherwise passes by on a Sunday afternoon without any excitement, then you have arrived on a summer vacation.

Fairytale climbing area and a French feeling

The Rote Wand in Imst, for example, is ideal for climbing: a mighty rock massif that offers all kinds of exciting tours with its 7 sectors and over 150 sport climbing routes. The Rote Wand is located in Karres, a community just a stone's throw away from Imst and one of the eight "Imst communities". The rock face is south-facing, which is why it is better to get up with the chickens on hot sunny days in summer and climb your routes in the morning freshness. The first sector, "Märchenwald", can be reached on foot in 10 minutes from the well-signposted parking lot on the outskirts of Karres.

For that French feeling, we recommend the small Petit Verdon climbing area - also located in Karres. As with the large gorge, you have to abseil here to climb. And here, too, you can enjoy a beautiful landscape with magnificent views of the Inn.

Muttekopfhütte: a touch of finale

There is definitely a dream climbing area around the Muttekopfhütte at an altitude of over 2000 meters, which is located above Imst. You can reach the hut either by cable car or by fair means on foot or in combination as a bike and hike tour.

Depending on how you approach the "Mutte", you can reach the hut terrace in 30 to 70 minutes. Here you first have to appreciate the view, then you are spoiled for choice: where to climb? How about this? If it's really warm, start at the Muttekopf climbing garden above the hut. There is shade here from late morning, including a balmy breeze.

On less hot days, we head to the east face of the Guggerköpfl, a place of bliss for hole-climbing fetishists! The routes are top-notch, especially if you can't go on your final climbing vacation this summer due to closed borders, then you'll definitely get your money's worth here.

Long summer days are predestined for enjoying nature, sport and life to the full. So don't miss out on the sundowner at the Muttekopfhütte: A panzanella, or Italian bread salad, and a glass of sparkling white wine and it's done, the Italian moment in the Tyrolean mountains ...

Alexandra Flür: The first female Tyrolean winemaker

Climbing days around the Muttekopfhütte are something special, even the Imst climbing world champion Angy Eiter regularly makes the pilgrimage up here to relax and clear her head on a few climbing tours. For the wine lovers among you, a visit to the first Tyrolean winegrower Alexandra Flür in Tarrenz is a great way to round off a special day of climbing.

Her white wines such as Chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau and Solaris are now known and appreciated by wine connoisseurs beyond the Tyrolean borders. The blonde winegrower tells her story in a way that is just as lively and tasty as her wines are in the glass. The snack with the wine tasting is a poem. Curious about the story? This much can be revealed: Alexandra Flür, a trained hairdresser, believed in viticulture in Tyrol, and a vine on the farm got the idea rolling.

The Tyrolean is now a full-blooded winemaker and sommelier - the latter mainly because of the many skeptics that still exist ... Oh yes, her hair color played into her hands at the beginning of the viticulture project: She could do whatever she wanted, everyone thought: What does a blonde Tyrolean hairdresser want in viticulture anyway? In response, she pours her first-class white wines into glasses with a mischievous smile. Alexandra Flür has not only convinced her family of the benefits of winegrowing, but has also turned her home community of Tarrenz, which also belongs to Imst, into a hotspot for winegrowing in North Tyrol - and Flür is expanding.

Knappenwelt in Tarrenz

If the alcoholic delights in Flür's wine cellar give you a guilty conscience, you can take short and crisp routes beforehand at the Knappenwelt in Tarrenz. There are seven of them there, at 12 meters they are rather short, but quite challenging. In addition to some projects, they start at 6c+ and end with a 7b. Afterwards, you definitely need a bacon sandwich and a glass of wine.

Mining, galena and the highest church tower in Tyrol

Imst was a mining metropolis in the 14th and 15th centuries. Lead in particular was mined and the rock was extracted using the fire-setting method - one of the results of this was the "Blue Grotto". It is located at the beginning of the Rosengarten Gorge. The gorge is a canyon in the town and from here the water falls down to Imst town in many sections. The path along the water is a pleasant walk, especially on hot summer days, with many beautiful viewpoints, including the highest church tower in Tyrol - which was built in the Middle Ages as a sign of prosperity and piety.

Chilling out, bouldering and a legend

If you want to have a really relaxing day, we recommend the Reithle climbing and bouldering area. The boulders for bouldering and climbing are scattered deep in the forest, with clearings in between inviting you to take a little nap or have a picnic.

The area can be easily reached via the so-called Opferstockweg trail from the Obermarkter Alm. Incidentally, the name of the path is derived from a legend: On the path lies the rather menacing-looking Sprisselstein boulder. The people of Imst have always feared that the boulder could topple over and carve a destructive path down into the valley. To prevent this, a prayer is sent up to heaven at the shrine next door and the boulder is also protected from tipping over with small branches.