A Trek Through the Oetztal:
From the village of Vent to Breslauer Hutte then Vernagt Hutte and back to Vent.
A short but beautiful trek accompanied by Emil Mittag (ex Ph.D. student), Harald and Inge Posch (professional colleagues).
This trek takes you under Austria's second highest peak, Wildspitze.
Late August, 2003.
Vent at dawn.
Wildes Mannle (3019m).
In English this means "wild little man".
Route looking north along the summit ridge. You can see the route to the descending left of the col.
Austria's second highest mountain, Wildspitze (3770m). The glacier is known as the Rofenkarferner.
You can see the route off the north col on the summit ridge.
We then travelled along this narrow lateral moraine.
From across the Rofenkar you can see our route, the lateral moraine we traveled on,
the col on the summit ridge and to its right the cross on the summit of Wildes Mannle.
On the extreme right you can see the route up Wildes Mannle.
We made it to Breslauer Hutte by mid afternoon.
Next day while Harald recovered from the effects of altitude sickness, Emil and I explored
the Mitterkarferner to 400m below the Wildspitze summit. Global warming is affecting the glaciers terribly.
Many glaciers like the Mitterkarferner are not only shrinking, but are also filling up with rock.
This rock falls from the surrounding ridges. It is loosened by the melting of permafrost and the effects of heavy rain.
Breslauer Hutte (2840m) is reasonably comfortable.
Inge Posch is on the trail while Emil Mittag awaits a beer at the Breslauer "biergarten".
Emil and I crossed from Breslauer Hutte to Vernagt Hutte on a windy and rainy morning. That night we had a light fall of snow.
Above, you see the view looking north west from a ridge above Vernagt Hutte (2755m), across Vernagtferner to
Hochvernagt Spitze (3539m). Fresh snow is visible on the peaks.
Vernagt Hutte is perched on top of a lateral moraine. The weather has changed. The trochenraum was full of gear!
You can see the the bridge across Vernagtbach and the track up the moraine (left) to the hut(te).
From Vernagt Hutte Emil and I returned to Vent via the Rofen Ache. In the tiny village of Rofen you find the highest farms in Austria, that are occupied for 12 months of the year.
September 14, 2003.
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