The Ötz POWERED BY GLACIERS

The Tyrolean Ötztal is one of the hot spots for kayakers in the Northern Alps. In summer, it offers sparkling premium whitewater with challenging big water; in autumn, the Ötztal impresses with its tranquility and magnificent colors. The Ötztal may not be the most beautiful or pristine of alpine valleys, but it is a place full of legends, stories, and challenges. Manu Arnu shares why the glacier torrents of the Ötz have attracted paddlers from all over Europe to this heart of the Alps for decades and will continue to do so for generations to come.

Words: Manu Arnu

"Ötz"! That name alone! One umlaut plus two hard consonants. A name of brute shortness, of crude sound. Many rivers in our European countryside have enchanting and poetic names. The melodious "Verzasca" in Switzerland, the "Krikellopotamos" in Greece, or the "Raundalselva" in Norway, for example, boast fairytale names that are 100% in harmony with the amazing quality of their whitewater. Not so, the Ötz! Her name booms like an inflammation of the throat, like a cough with sputum. Even before I first paddled the Ötz about 35 years ago, when I was a hopeful teenager with modest whitewater experience, I had a pretty accurate picture of this Tyrolean alpine river. The Ötz could not be a crystal-clear torrent with gentle rock formations. It had to be frighteningly wild and glacier…

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Kayak Session (Digital) - 1 Issue, Fall 2020

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