Kühtai & the Three Lakes Trail

Already at 8:15 am, I'm sitting in the car and driving west. After a few kilometers on the highway, I turn off and drive for about an hour into the Sellraintal.

It is one of those few side valleys of the Inn Valley that have remained fairly untouched. Here, horses, cows, and goats roam freely or are accompanied by their shepherds.

Only a few places are ski resorts, like Kühtai, which is my destination. There is a lot of agriculture and livestock farming in Sellrain, so you often encounter cows, horses, or goats on the road.

The village of Kühtai is located at an altitude of 2,020m and has a variety of ski lifts. The village consists primarily of hotels, ski schools, après-ski bars, and restaurants. Most of them are closed.

But the Three Lakes Lift, a lift at over 2,350m, is in operation. For 16 euros, I buy a round trip ticket because I don't know if I might have to make a hasty return in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is such that it will turn bad by 2 PM at the latest.

At 10 o'clock, I jump out of the lift at 2,300m like a chamois 😁 and I'm speechless! The view from up here is indescribable. Behind me, barren mountains rise to 2,800m, rocks, scree, and a little grass. In front of me, there is an endless view to the Ötztal Alps, and to the left of me, there is a lake that couldn't be more turquoise.

Instead of starting a hike from here, I sit on a bench and simply marvel at this incredible nature. The sun ☀ is shining so brightly from a cloudless sky. I can soon take off one of my two jackets.

And while I read yesterday's newspaper in peace and keep looking at the lake and up to the mountain ridge, time passes by. Others are on what appears to be a narrow ridge about 500m above me and soon stand as silhouettes at one of the summit crosses.

The lake beneath my cozy bench reflects the mountains, and it's only when people stand on the rocky edge that the dimensions become clear.

Shortly after 12 o'clock, I walk down the slope to the Drei-Seen-Hütte at an altitude of 2,334m. During lunchtime, I manage to secure the last available table and order my favorite combination: Kaiserschmarrn and cappuccino. 😋😋😋 However, the portion is so huge that I can't finish it all this time, even though I know it will be my last Kaiserschmarrn for a long time.

In front of me stands a group of Haflinger horses, and behind them is this incredible panorama - how beautiful it is here!

At around 1 pm, I walk for about an hour to the Finstertaler Stausee, which in my opinion has very little water. I return to the Drei-Seen-Hütte and from here I plan to hike back down to the valley.

Once again, the signs and even Komoot are only partially helpful. The path to Kühtai Dorf initially runs along a fairly well-walkable trail, then forks into 3 paths, and there are no more signs 🙄. I check Komoot and the 'wider' route runs below my position. I'm currently standing in a construction zone in front of a 'no entry' sign.

So I go back and take the supposedly good path. Unfortunately, it quickly turns into loose scree and ends at a ski lift station, far above the village. There is no clear path.

From here, I can only find a sort of 'clearing' in the bumpy meadow with a steep incline. It's not a big deal if it wasn't made up of clumps of grass, holes, and bumps. It's like climbing stairs without steps. My knees start to ache after a while because of the constant jumping.

I'm annoyed times three when I finally have solid ground beneath my feet in front of a closed hotel. After a glass of elderflower spritzer and two cappuccinos in the sun at a café a hundred meters away, I'm relaxed again... I watch other people who also struggle to make it down this terrible path through the meadow.

With the clouds rolling in, I leave this little paradise and drive back through Sellrain. I arrive back at my apartment at 6 pm, put the last leftovers in the pan, load my big bag into the car, and observe a heavy thunderstorm that strikes down in front of my balcony.

The mountains of the Nordkette quickly disappear into the rain clouds. There is lightning and thunder, and the rain is pouring down. At 9:15 pm, the TV reception goes out. I set my alarm for 5:15 am. After spending 10 days in Tyrol, I leave completely thrilled.

Such a great place! The apartment I had in Außerkreith, about 4km from Mutters, was superb. The location is ideal if you're looking for peace and quiet and want to do and discover countless things within a 45-minute radius.

Tomorrow, I have 750km of highway driving ahead of me.