Fimbatal

Fimbatal
	Fimbatal a few hundred meters below the Heidelberger Hütte (view towards Paznauntal with Hohem Riffler in the background)
location	Tyrol , Austria
Waters	Fimbabach
Mountains	Samnaun group , Silvretta group
Geographical location	46 ° 57 '48 " N , 10 ° 17' 2" E Coordinates: 46 ° 57 '48 " N , 10 ° 17' 2" E
height	1377 to 2620 m
particularities	State border between Austria and Switzerland in the valley floor

The Swiss part of Val Fenga seen from the Ritzenjoch , the Heidelberger Hütte in the center of the picture

The Fimbatal , also Fimbertal , Rhaeto-Romanic Val Fenga ^?^/ⁱ , is a valley in the Alps that branches off from the Paznaun near Ischgl (Tyrol) and ends in front of the Piz Tasna mountain in Graubünden . The valley is drained by the 20 km long Fimbabach , which flows into the Trisanna near Ischgl .

geography

Geographically, it separates the mountains of the Samnaun group and the Silvretta group.

The state border runs right through the valley, so that the northern section belongs to Austria and the shorter southern section to Switzerland. Politically, the lower part of the Fimbatals belongs to the village of Ischgl in the municipality of Ischgl , Landeck district of Tyrol , the upper part as an exclave to Ramosch , Valsot municipality , in the Ramosch district of the canton of Graubünden , Eastern Switzerland.

To the east of the upper Fimba Valley, the Fimber Pass ( 2608 m above sea level ) leads into Val Chöglias . This is a historical cross-connection between Engadin and Paznaun.

history

Paleolithic hunters crossed the area as early as 7000 years ago, and the early shepherds certainly also crossed the pass.

In 2009, the Zurich archaeologist Thomas Reitmaier discovered the remains of the oldest known Swiss mountain hut on the pastures at an altitude of 2300 m. You are 2500 years old. The Iron Age cattle breeders lived here all summer long, even in bad weather, with their herds of cattle on the alp . The hut probably provided shelter for up to six people from the occasional snowfall. Stone foundations were excavated on which a log cabin made of wood had been built and apparently burned down. The charred remains and ceramic finds in the area were now used for dating.

The peculiarity of the valley boundary arose in the late Middle Ages as a result of the Engadine community's intensive search for pasture areas. The Paznaun had always been part of the Austrian Lower Engadine . When, according to the contract with the Calvinist Three Leagues, the Peace of Westphalia was lost for Tyrol in 1652 , the Engadine communities bought themselves free and also kept grounds here in the valley.

Today the lower valley is intensely shaped by the Ischgl-Samnaun ski area , while the upper valley is quite natural.

traffic

Fimbatal, border post Austria-Switzerland (2014)

The pass is only paved between Ischgl and the Heidelberger Hütte, and regular car traffic is only allowed between Ischgl and the Bodenalpe depending on the season .

Since there is no way to cross the Silvretta and Samnaun groups by car to get from Austria to Switzerland, a gigantic detour has to be made by vehicle to get from Ischgl to Sent , Ramosch and Scuol (travel time at the two hours by car). This makes it all the more attractive for hikers to cross the Fimbatal and Piz Tasna, as the path leads through an area within which no settlement can be seen far and wide.

Sports, leisure, tourism

The 7-Pain-Mariens-Chapel on the Unter pardatschalpe

The Gallus Chapel on the Ober Pardatschalpe

The Anna Chapel on the Bodenalpe

The Heidelberger Hut at the head of the valley

The Fimbatal is popular with hikers due to its landscape, the 3,398 m high Fluchthorn can be seen from the valley. With its pass it is important for mountain hikers and ski hikers, but also and not least for mountain bikers. East of the Fimbatal is the Silvretta Arena , one of the largest ski areas in the Eastern Alps. The Heidelberger Hütte (2,264 m) is located in the Fimba Valley and serves as a refuge and catering facility including overnight accommodation, as well as the Bodenalpe and Gampenalp (restaurants in the Silvretta Arena).

The beginning of the valley is on the edge of the Samnaun- Ischgl ski area , so that you occasionally come across ski lifts and slopes. After a few kilometers the valley runs through a nature reserve in a plateau. The Heidelberger Hütte is the center of the valley. There, hiking trails to Samnaun and Galtür cross the Fimber Pass and a hike from the Heidelberger Hütte in all directions is estimated at six hours for the average hiker. A hike through the Fimba Valley including ascent of Piz Tasna in just one day is therefore not recommended.

Experienced skiers like to use the Fimbatal as a connection route between the Samnaun-Ischgl and Motta Naluns (Scuol-Sent-Ftan) ski areas . To get from Motta-Naluns to the Silvretta ski area (Samnaun-Ischgl), you first have to take the highest lift to the Piz Champatsch mountain . A piste begins there that leads behind the Piz Champatsch mountain into a plateau called Tiral and is located between the Tasna and Champatsch mountains. There the Piz Tasna has to be climbed, whereby it is not necessary to cross the summit, but a ridge east of the summit. There is a hiking trail with signs to the Heidelberger Hut. As soon as you have crossed the ridge and come across the hiking trail, this can be used on skis and it goes downhill on a moderate incline.

The travel time to the first lift of the Samnaun-Ischgl ski area (Gampenalpe) is between 60 and 120 minutes, depending on the performance and weather conditions. A similar time should be taken into account for the ascent. The lift on the Gampenalpe leads to a position where a valley run to Samnaun begins. In Samnaun there is a bus connection back to Motta-Naluns. Since the closing times of the lifts have to be taken into account, the tour should start in the early morning and after climbing Piz Tasna it is essential to check whether it still makes sense to drive the route or to turn around. The tour should be avoided in bad weather or fresh snow. Clear visibility is a requirement. Less experienced hikers have the option of booking a group tour with a mountain guide in the ski schools. A special deep snow experience is less important, however, as the tour has more of the character of a cross-country ski trail and you are rarely the first to drive along the Fimber Pass.

For mountain bikers , the Fimbatal is an important connection to get from the Paznaun valley to the upper Inn valley on a transalp . In the Fimbatal two important alpine cross routes meet with the Joe route and the Albrecht route .

Web links

Commons : Fimbatal - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Heidelberg section in the German Alpine Association
On the archeology of the Silvretta Mountains (status of archaeological studies on early alpine farming) (PDF file; 868 kB)
Slope profile of the Fimbatal from Ischgl to the Fimberpass

Individual evidence

^ Oldest alpine hut in Switzerland. In: Epoc. June 5, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009 .
↑ In detail, for example, Thomas Reitmaier: Last hunters, first shepherds. High alpine archeology in the Silvretta . Südostschweiz Buchverlag 2012, ISBN 978-3-906064-05-5 .
↑ Heidi's ancestors. in: Der Spiegel . Hamburg 2009, 34, 111. ISSN 0038-7452

[1] Oldest alpine hut in Switzerland. In: Epoc. June 5, 2009. Retrieved September 6, 2009 .

[Reitmaier_2012-2] In detail, for example, Thomas Reitmaier: Last hunters, first shepherds. High alpine archeology in the Silvretta . Südostschweiz Buchverlag 2012, ISBN 978-3-906064-05-5 .

[3] Heidi's ancestors. in: Der Spiegel . Hamburg 2009, 34, 111. ISSN 0038-7452