A soft whirring sound accompanies the first rays of sunshine through the early-morning forest above Imst. Uphill, ever uphill, through fragrant woods and across lush green alpine meadows, where cows curiously lift their heads. The e-bike turns the otherwise gruelling Access to the Muttekopfhütte into a relaxed journey: more energy for the climb, more time to appreciate the fine details on the rock.
Our journey there is minimalist in many respects: we want to get to the crag with as small a carbon footprint as possible – without a car, but by train, bike and on foot. In exactly that order.
eBike & Climb has long since become a genre in its own right within Tirol’s climbing scene. ‘Ecopoint’ rather than ‘redpoint’, you might say. Particularly on alpine multi-pitch routes, the eBike makes long accesses with a heavy rucksack much easier. This saves energy for the crucial moves on the rock face whilst also being easier on the knees during the descent.
Although the eBike is still used rather rarely for classic sport climbing, the Rock Climbing Areas around the Muttekopfhütte are perfect for it. Short distances, big impact.
Joining us today are Ramona Kerber and Daniel Felsner from the Austrialpin Ambassador Team. Neither of them has ever been up here before – which makes their enthusiasm for the whole experience all the greater: the gentle alpine meadows on the Access, the rugged rocky landscape around the Mountain Lodge/Hut and, last but not least, the food at the Muttekopfhütte.
“Up here, the whole experience just ticks all the boxes,” enthuses Ramona as she sorts through her kit for the first route in the Felswurm sector. “I could even bring my parents up here!”
Dangling from her harness are the new ELEVEN Raw Express sets from Austrialpin – minimalist in design, functional down to the last detail. Manufactured in Tirol, just like the mountain world in which they’ll be used today. The minimal use of anodised aluminium helps conserve resources and fits perfectly with today’s focus on sustainability.
What makes the Muttekopf area so special is its geological diversity. Conglomerate rocks near the Mountain Lodge/Hut alternate with grippy limestone on the Blauer Kopf and the striking overhangs of the Rote Wand. An entire climbing guidebook full of possibilities is just waiting to be discovered.
Patrick, the hut warden, explains:
“A geologist once spent ten years writing about the complex structure of the rock here.”
Groups of researchers and students keep coming here to ‘tap on the rocks’. We don’t have time for that today, though – we want to climb and feel as much of the rough rock beneath our fingers as possible.
After all, shorter accesses thanks to e-bikes mean one thing above all else: more time on the rock. For the moves in the distinctive holes in the conglomerate. For that moment when a difficult sequence is finally mastered. And also for that very special ache in your fingertips, which only disappears once you’ve clipped into the belay point.
“Blimey, this rock’s sharp – I can’t believe it. But brilliant!” shouts Daniel from the top of his route in the Eisenhut sector. The name of the route could hardly be more fitting: “Bloody Fingers” (7a).
The Muttekopfhütte, high above Imst, proves once again that sometimes the shortest routes lead to the greatest experiences. This makes the obligatory Kaiserschmarrn at the Mountain Lodge/Hut all the more well-deserved, to be enjoyed from the sun terrace whilst gazing out over the Inn Valley and the Ötztal Alps.
Afterwards, a Radler, because you know: the e-bike is waiting patiently below the Mountain Lodge/Hut until we return and roll back down into the valley at a leisurely pace.
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