A rafting tour
for many the entry into outdoor sports
The name rafting comes from the English term for "raft", as this water sport involves navigating a river with an inflatable boat.
In Tyrol there are different rafting routes - the towns of Haiming, Sautens, Oetz and Ötztal-Bahnhof have become the absolute outdoor center. Outdoor sports enthusiasts travel from all over Europe and beyond to get to know the breathtaking gorges and wild waters under the expert guidance of the local professionals.
Rafting also for advanced
The immediate surroundings in the Ötztal valley offer a true Eldorado for beginners as well as for advanced whitewater athletes. The outdoor companies in the area not only offer trips in the Ötztal and the surrounding valleys, but also take their guests into the most beautiful gorges of the neighboring countries: Canyoning at Lake Garda, for example, is a very special experience.
The tour starts in Oetz and leads over the confluence of the Ötztaler Ache into the Inn to Haiming.
Still one of the most difficult rafting routes in Tyrol, which demands a lot from the rafting teams due to enormous water heaves and high speeds.
A great entry point is the first rapid, which ends only 500 meters downstream. After that, the water is a bit calmer until you reach the "Waldeslust", the first core section of the Ötztaler Ache. A long section with strong blocking, a real challenge.
The next crux, a mighty roller, is also notorious in kayak circles: the Constructa sometimes hurls entire crews and rafts through the air.
The Imst Gorge: the most popular rafting tour in Europe.
The absolute classic among the rafting tours runs between Imst and Haiming and is rated with difficulty level 2 to 3.
Also great for rafting newbies - as the start is on relatively calm water and makes it easier to "get used to the equipment".
The first swells and rapids are not long in coming, the trip leads over the famous swells with such sounding names as "Memminger Walze", "Ötzschlag" or "Chaos".
The most famous tour in Europe covers 14 river kilometers and takes about 2 hours between the boarding point in Imst and the disembarkation in Haiming.