Top Tips for a kayaking trip to Austria in the Autumn
Deep blue skies, leafs in different shades of red, orange and yellow on the trees, snowcapped Alpine peaks and of course water levels that still keep producing the goods. This is what kayaking during the Autumn in the Western part of Austria is all about.
With the longest kayaking season in the Alps, there are various sections of rivers still running at that time of the year.
The river levels will all be dictated by the temperatures at night and how much cloud cover comes in. Whereas in the Spring and Summer a lot of the levels around our base are influenced by the dams, during the Autumn the weather can work just like a tap/source for the rivers. If it is clear at night, it means it will be below freezing up in the mountains and on the glaciers, thus stopping the flow of water into the rivers. If it is an unusually warm Autumn then we can have medium flows on the Inn and some of its bigger tributaries such as the Oetz. With a few days of rain, some sections might even get up to the high side.
On the River Inn in Austria most sections are regulated by dams, but they will still give you plenty of action. Only towards late Autumn, rocks start to show, making it a slightly more technical run than the usual big volume which the River Inn is renowned for. Even the Imst gorge might turn into a new river for kayakers who only know it with massive waves.
While in the rest of Europe the rivers have dried up, here in Tirol the Autumn season can be one of the best.
So here are a few top tips for planning and making a trip to kayak in Austria over the Autumn…
1. Start a little later
It can be quite cold in the mornings with temperatures around zero degrees and sometimes even below freezing. The sun is lower and takes a while to come out from behind the mountains. The valleys can be quite tight and so sun on the river is sometimes only found at certain times during the day. Also, the earlier you paddle, the more chance there is of ice at the put-in making in slightly more challenging to carry your kayak to the river! What better excuse do you want to have a relaxed breakfast and a few more cups of tea or coffee!
2. Dry Suit
Bring one! Without a doubt, a drysuit makes life so much more comfortable, keeping you warm and dry no mater what the weather, river and terrain throws at you. We use the Peak UK One Piece Suit. It is extremely sturdy with a near bombproof material. The leg entry is one of a kind and it is made from recycled material! Follow this link to find out more.
3. Fantastic Creeking
During the Autumn the Oetz River becomes a lot more manageable for the majority of kayakers. The colder nights stop the melting ice and the Upper Oetz will have plenty of kayakers enjoying this section at a more comfortable level. It also means that the steeper sections of the Middle Oetz and Wellerbrücke come into play. The Lower Oetz can be a fun paddle and a relaxing way of winding down after a great days creeking further upstream. At the higher reaches of the Oetz Valley the Venterache provides some steep creeking with stunning alpine scenery. There is a section for everyone, whether you are an experienced steep water creeker to taking your first steps into the world of steeper drops and rapids giving you a great introduction to creeking.
4. River Inn
You can always count on the River Inn! It has enough sections on it for something to work during the Autumn. Though the dams try to turn off the taps and limit the amount of water coming into the river, the Imst Gorge will be working. It is far off from the big volume of Summer and turns into a more technical run over the Autumn. The Toesens Gorge also receives some water and during the week you will have more chance of kayaking it. It is super important to not only keep an eye on the actual river levels, but also the past couple of weeks history. This will give you a better chance of catching a good water level.
5. Oetz Trophy
The extreme whitewater kayaking championships are held on the Wellerbruecke section of the River Oetz. The race is held at the beginning of October and some of the best kayakers in the world come to nail their lines and race against each other. It is a fantastic event to watch and actually be part of as the final day on Sunday is all about Rivers, their wellbeing and a collective paddle on the Lower Oetz. The Oetz valley is buzzing with kayakers and it is so good to see smiling faces, happy kayakers and is a great time at the end of the season.
6. Bring your walking shoes
We mentioned before about ice forming around the river and of course a sturdy pair of hiking shoes are great to go and scout some drops either the day before or on the way up to the river put-in. They are way safer than using something like crocs and it is too cold to wear flip flops! The Autumn colours are incredible in the forests and the views up on the mountain ridges equally so, a good pair of shoes will make those trails much more comfortable and easier.
Do not know much about Austria? Then follow this link to find out where we are based and how to get here.
If you have any tips that would be helpful for kayakers coming to Austria over the Autumn, then drop us a line, we may even add it to this piece!