Üble Schlucht

Why worthwhile? Great experience to go through this deep ravine, especially because the route has been well maintained since a couple of years.

Starting point: Parking place near church and primary school in Übersaxen (899m.) [Bregenzer Wald - Rankweil 602m.].

Time: about 4 hours

Details: Well marked paths. Üble Schlucht is secured with various steel cables and thick ropes. In the schlucht (sort of cleft, ravine) itself a ca. 8 rungs high stair needs to be climbed. In the whole of the ravine steep and (partially) slippery paths are present ('trittsicherheit' is necessary here). Rest of the tour goad over well worn out mountain- and forest paths and provisions roads. Two descends and two climbs in one tour (exhausting).

Route description:

Parking is possible near the church, right across from Gasthof Krone and the village school. The route starts valley outwards between the church and the supermarket (Konsum). We follow the Fuschelina road (see signs), first metalled, than provisions road, until we reach a dark brown stable which is located beside the provisions road (after about 5 - 7 minutes). Directly behind this stable a small footpath goes left over a meadow in to the forest. After a descend in to the forest we reach Rainberg (recognisable by the little chapel).

On the little metalled road a sign points towards Üble Schlucht. We follow this little road for about 1,5km, which turns in to a 'Forst Strasse' (forest road) after a couple of hundred metres. The road hardly climbs or descends here.

Now please pay attention: after the 1,5km you have to look out for a footpath that goes left, steeply down the forest slope (a sign is located, covered by bushes, on the right of the provisions road). This point is easily missed.

After a sturdy descend of about 10 minutes we cross a provisions road. Here we start the actual 'Üblen Weg' which leads us through the schlucht (sort of ravine, cleft made by the river Frutz in millions of years). The descend in to the ravine starts in the beginning as a broad footpath, but the warning sign in the beginning soon becomes clear: the descend quickly changes in to a small and (partially) slippery path where the ropes are a big help (definitely use them!). After the descend we cross the river the 'Frutz' via a new bridge. This is the deepest point in our trip through the ravine.

Our next point is passing by a +/- 40 metres high waterfall. To elevate the climbing we find a ca. 8 rungs steel stair on our way. After the waterfall we come to the most spectacular and impressive part: the narrowest part of the ravine where on both sides the rock-face rises high up in the air and where we find a small path underneath the overhanging left rock-face. Here the stones are also very slippery because of the water, so you have to follow the route calmly and controlled. The steel cables present here also give a good handhold.
At a certain moment we start rising more and more and leave the ravine by following the path in to the forest which leads us to the meadows of Thal (white-blue-white markings). When reaching the first meadow we go left on to a grassy road which leads us to a metalled road. Just for a moment you go straight ahead through a 'gasse' (an alley of sorts) until you reach the next metalled road. Here we go right, following the Wies Alpe sign over a small bridge. Directly behind this bridge on the right hand side a white-red-white marked path goes left past a house in to the field again. Across from us, on the other side of the valley, we see the Wies Alpe where we wish to go to.

The path once again goes through the forest. At a clearing (a small meadow) we have to pay attention to go in to the forest again on the right (sign 'Gerachweg') and not straight on to the house! After a descend in to the forest we cross the river the Frutz for the second time. After this a brisk climb of +/- 250 metres height difference to the Wies Alpe follows, in which you cross another provisions road.

When reaching the meadows of the Wies Alpe we walk towards the turn gate, a wooden beam obstruction and a tree. Here a sign directs you towards Übersaxen and Rainberg. On the right-hand side (facing the sign) a faintly worn out path leads towards the forest. Here we find a distinct forest path and the white-red-white marking. Following this path we come to a small dam and a provisions road. We don't follow the road but go straight on following the forest path up the mountain towards a different provisions road.
When we reach the provisions road we go to the right. This provisions road gradually goes up slope to about 1005m. altitude where we reach yet another provisions road. Here a sign points towards Übersaxen (50 minutes). Following the provisions road, which turns into a metalled road later on, past a ski-lift, we reach Übersaxen in 30 to 40 minutes.

Done in 2002.