Rafting
Whitewater galore!
Ice-cold floods rush through the valleys, your adventure heart pounds on the neoprene. Just don't chicken out now! Ötztal is Europe's unrivaled center for whitewater sports and exactly the right place for your very first rafting tour - and all the levels that you want to conquer afterwards.
Imster Schlucht rafting tour
One of the most popular river rafting routes in Europe is just around the corner in Ötztal. It runs along the water-rich Inn river, from the small town of Imst about 14.5 kilometers downstream to Haiming. In between, impressive waves and rollers await you, alternating with calmer stages flanked by steep rocks, dense mixed forests and sandbanks - pure wilderness feeling. This river course is really made for rafting action and fun for all skill levels. Here you will earn your first stripes on white water while having fun at its best. Tequila!
Ötztaler Ache rafting tour
This rafting tour for advanced takes you to the legendary kayak and rafting championship course on Ötztaler Ache. Here you move on unpredictable terrain with powerful waves, roaring rollers and foaming breakers. It is not for nothing that this rafting tour is considered one of the most difficult in Europe and is really extreme when the water levels are high. Do you have a huge smile on your face? Then put all your experience from previous tours together, trust in the local experts and face the challenge.
Quality standards & safety when rafting
One of the best things about river rafting, which we don't want to hide, is the feeling at the end of having solid ground under your feet again. Our outdoor action providers do everything they can to ensure that you manage the ups and downs of alpine rivers unscathed. All tours are accompanied by state-certified guides, including an introduction and safety talk before start. The equipment meets the highest standards and is checked regularly. In the event of thunderstorms, high water or risk of storms, the tour will not start at all or you will be offered a safe alternative tour.
Rafting in Ötztal: what else you need to know
Our white water is there for (almost) everyone. Adults and children aged 14 and over who are healthy and of average fitness can come along on beginners' tours such as Imster Gorge ravine. Previous experience is only required for advanced tours. There are quieter tours especially for children from the age of six or seven. In all cases, apart from swimming gear, all you need is the ability to swim.
All equipment is provided by our outdoor specialists:
- Rafting helmet
- Life jacket
- Wetsuit
- Special neoprene whitewater shoes
Power rafting: action in a nutshell
The next level of river rafting? Power rafting! The boat is one size smaller and the challenge is all the greater. The power raft has room for a maximum of four people, plus the guide. With some providers, your team even takes the helm themselves and the guide paddles alongside in a kayak. Either way, every crew member has to give their all to conquer the suddenly overwhelming waves and rapids, #teamwork! The combination of Imster Schlucht ravine and Ötztaler Ache river in just one day is extremely difficult, but also tremendously magnificent.
Frequently asked questions
River rafting is a water sport in which you ride down a river while sitting in a rubber dinghy. The robust rafting boats are usually between 3.5 and 6 meters long and can accommodate up to 10 people. In addition to wetsuit, helmet and life jacket, every rafter on the boat is equipped with a paddle to keep the raft in line and navigate through the rapids. Teamwork is required here.
Tirol's Ötztal makes a popular attraction for both beginners and experienced paddlers: scenic Imster Gorge ravine is part of the most frequented river sections in all of Europe, being also a perfect variant for beginners. On the Ötztaler Ache, on the other hand, experienced rafting fans will find crisp white water technical challenges. Without any exception, all tours available within Ötztal are carried out by certified guides - including a safety introduction and detailed information before the adventure starts. HERE you can find out everything about rafting in the Ötztal.
When rafting, up to 10 people sit in a rubber dinghy and go down the river. In addition to a helmet, wetsuit and life jacket, everyone in the boat is equipped with a paddle in order to navigate the rafting boat through the rapids. Team spirit and coordination are absolutely required to master the wild ride over bubbling waves and rapids.
Would you like to try rafting yourself? Ötztal is considered THE unrivaled center for white water sports enthusiasts in Europe and offers both beginners and experienced rafting fans great whitewater adventures. HERE you can find out everything about river rafting in Ötztal.
Rafting is an extreme sport and has therefore a certain risk potential if the safety rules and standards are not adhered to. If accidents happen, they are usually during private hobby rafting tours as the participants often lack enough training and experience.
There can be no talk of missing know-how among the professional rafting providers in Ötztal. Thanks to severe quality standards of the regional outdoor professionals, the safety of the participants is a top priority. Without any exception, all tours are carried out by certified guides - including a safety introduction and detailed information before the adventure starts. If the weather conditions are a threat to safety, the tour will not take place or alternative tours will be offered. HERE you can find out everything about rafting in the Ötztal.
For a river rafting tour you first need a rafting boat. The participants in the boat need the following equipment:
- Rafting helmet
- Life jacket
- Wetsuit
- Special neoprene whitewater shoes
In addition to paddles, the rafting group must also have special safety equipment, especially for rescue and belaying reasons. It includes ropes, hose strap, throw bag, carabiners, first aid kit and emergency signaling instruments.
You don't have such devices lying around? No problem, because all the necessary equipment is already included in the professionally guided rafting tours of Ötztal's outdoor professionals. By the way: all tours in Ötztal are carried out by certified guides without any exception - - including a safety introduction and detailed information before the adventure starts.
Which skills should you have to part in a rafting tour? Well, good swimming skills and a healthy physical condition are prerequisites. In addition, a minimum age is required and maximum weight should not be exceeded. HERE you can find out everything about rafting in Ötztal.
The US Army is considered to be the inventor of river rafting boats. They first developed and used the so-called rafts as inflatable lifeboats. At the beginning of the 1950s, rafting as we know it today, slowly emerged in the USA. During the 1960s and 1970s, the rafting hype spilled across the ocean and also reached Tirol.
Here in Ötztal we did not invent rafting, but the valley is still considered Europe's hotspot for white water sports enthusiasts. Popular Imster Gorge ravine is part of the most frequented river sections on the entire continent and makes an ideal variant for beginners. Experienced rafting fans will find really tough and technical whitewater challenges on Ötztaler Ache. HERE you can find out everything about rafting in Ötztal.