Alfi’s full name is Alfred Dworak and he has been a Mountain Guide for almost 30 years. As we descend into the gorge, he is limping and leaning on two ski poles – his ankle is still causing him trouble. The fact that Alfi is even able to set foot in the gorge again is nothing short of a miracle. In the winter of 2023/24, he fell whilst carrying out maintenance work: a twenty-metre free fall, followed by weeks in intensive care, operations and rehabilitation. And yet that was no reason to give up on his dream of the icy world in the Taschachklamm.
Keeping your imagination alive over the years – that’s a good and important thing. That’s why, as we enter the Taschachschlucht, Alfi says: “I’ve always imagined a magical world of ice here, with icicles everywhere. Just like in a fantasy film.”
Because Alfi doesn’t just have a vivid imagination, but also takes practical action, there is now something in the far reaches of the Pitztal valley that comes very close to realising this fantasy: one of Europe’s largest ice-climbing parks, the Eiswelt Taschachschlucht. The icicles aren’t everywhere yet, but they’re almost everywhere – and on this Sunday, climbers with ice axes and crampons are clinging to the gorge’s walls almost everywhere. “We’ll create just under a hundred routes once everything’s finished,” Alfi enthuses. And given the huge demand, he adds: “But there could be many more!”
Endless steep ice, easy access: the Eiswelt Taschachschlucht is something like an indoor climbing centre for Ice Climbing enthusiasts.
Setting up routes, in this case, means artificially spraying water. In the Taschachschlucht, frozen water has been chiselled away ever since the sport began – though further back in the gorge, where the natural waterfalls are. But space was becoming increasingly scarce, whilst Ice Climbing was growing ever more popular. Alfi could no longer find a suitable spot to hold his courses as a Mountain Guide. So he took matters into his own hands; the idea of watering the Taschachschlucht had been floating around in his head for many years.
At first, he carried on experimenting ‘in secret’ at the Luibis Falls further down the valley, as channelling and diverting water in winter is anything but straightforward. “It’s a steep learning curve until you get the hang of it out there. Because the water doesn’t always just flow straight downhill, as you might imagine. It’s a science in itself,” says Alfi.
But eventually he got the hang of it and applied his knowledge to the Taschachschlucht, where he sees great potential. He’s driven by a mixture of idealism and self-interest, as, as a Mountain Guide, he’s essentially creating his own job. But it’s more than that – it’s also the desire to give the world of ice climbing a new playground. “That makes me all the more pleased that the concept is working,” he smiles, glancing at the many climbers.
The Taschachschlucht concept only works if every Ice Climber puts a voluntary donation into the red box. A third of the costs are covered by the tourism board, a third comes from Partners such as Austrialpin, who also provide the materials for high-quality pitons and belay stations, and a third must be raised through donations. “I’d rather not add up all the unpaid hours I’ve put in there over the last few years,” laughs Alfi, “but if we want the ice park to still be there next year, then we need the donations.”
Alfi would never have imagined that he would one day become the operator of an ice park in the Pitztal. After all, Alfi is actually a keen rock climber and says of himself: “To be honest, I don’t really like the cold that much.” This native of East Tyrol ended up in the Pitztal for love, even though he’d always sworn to himself: “If I ever leave East Tyrol, it’ll be for somewhere warmer! And now I’ve ended up in the Siberia of Austria.” At some point, a friend who’s a Mountain Guide asked him if he could stand in for an ice-climbing competition – and it obviously went quite well, as Alfi managed several top-10 finishes in the World Cup. Since then, he’s been regarded as an ice-climbing pro by the locals in the Pitztal.
Nowadays, he says of it: “It’s absolutely mind-blowing, the fascinating shapes you find yourself in, the incredible places you discover whilst Ice Climbing. And when the light’s just right and everything glows so blue … that’s when you’re blown away!” That’s precisely the fascination of Ice Climbing – it’s all about the imagination. That’s why it’s so important to hold on to it.
The Taschachschlucht Ice World is a joint project that only works thanks to the cooperation of everyone involved. Please adhere to the following rules to ensure that the ice park can continue to operate in the future:
From this winter onwards, it will even be open as far as the Taschachalm with an avalanche commission in place – a great tip for a lunch break or some après-climb fun!
Taschachschlucht open from 6 December 2025.
Please don’t forget to put something in the red donation box: we ask for a voluntary donation of 10 euros per person per day. This is the only way we can sustain this enormous effort, so that you can make the most of the ice world right by the car park.
The Taschachschlucht Ice Climbing area is one of the most impressive winter destinations for Ice Climbing in the Alps. You can find all the latest information on opening times, conditions and booking options for guided tours at Climbers Paradise, as well as on the website of Mountain Guide Alfi Dworak (Alpine Adventure), where he regularly posts the latest ice climbing news.
Would you like to try Ice Climbing under professional guidance? Alfi Dworak offers guided tours and courses in the Taschachschlucht Ice World. Register directly with him on +43 664 2346 199.
