Speikboden is a massif in the

Central Eastern Alps The Central Eastern Alps (german: Zentralalpen or Zentrale Ostalpen), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps (german: Österreichische Zentralalpen) or just Central Alps, comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent ...

located between the three valleys Weißenbach,

Mühlwald Mühlwald (; it, Selva dei Molini ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol, a province in northern Italy, located about northeast of Bolzano, on the border with Austria. Geography As of 31 December 2015, it had a population of 1,442 and a ...

and

Ahrntal Ahrntal (; it, Valle Aurina ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in South Tyrol in northern Italy, located about northeast of the city of Bolzano (''Bozen''), on the border with Austria. Geography Ahrntal borders the following municipalities: Mühl ...

. Running in a south-easterly direction, it forms the eastern part of an outlier of the western

Zillertal Alps The Zillertal Alps ( it, Alpi Aurine; german: Zillertaler Alpen) are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps on the border of Austria and Italy. Name The range is named after the Zillertal (Ziller river valley) on its north. Geography The ...

. Its highest point, likewise named Speikboden, is 2,517 m. Further well-known peaks in this massif include Seewassernock (2,516 m), Große Nock (2,400 m), Kleine Nock (2,227 m) and Gornerberg (2,475 m). Villages in the valley include Lappach,

Luttach Luttach ( it, Lutago) is a mountain village in northern Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Ahrntal in South Tyrol. It is a popular tourist destination in all seasons and boasts several hotels, as well as numerous shops and an indoor ...

Sand in Taufers Sand in Taufers (; it, Campo Tures ) is a ''comune mercato'' (market town) in South Tyrol in northern Italy. Geography Located about northeast of Bolzano, the town centre is situated in the Tauferer Ahrntal (Taufers) valley of the Ahr river, str ...

, St. Johann and Weißenbach.

Skiing and hiking area

The Speikboden massif is home to an extensive

ski area A ski area is the terrain and supporting infrastructure where skiing and other snow sports take place. Such sports include alpine and cross-country skiing, snow boarding, tubing, sledding, etc. Ski areas may stand alone or be part of a ski resort. ...

of the same name with downhill runs leading all the way to ''Drittelsand'' at the far end of the

valley. Created in the early 1970s by local investors with the support of Bavarian Bernhard Glück, the ski area, which was extended several times over, was originally called ''Michlreis-Speikboden'', Michlreis being the name of the lower part of the ski resort. The ski area is made up of two zones, the first being the full-length valley run. It is a red-graded (moderate) slope, named ''Michl''. The slope starts at the mountain station of the gondola lift Speikboden and goes along ''Michlreis'' down into the valley (''Drittelsand''). The entire valley run from top to bottom is 7 kilometers long. The upper section, a basin known as the „Speikboden Alm“, has four red-graded slopes, two blue (easy) pistes and three black pistes which can be reached using detachable

chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...

s and

gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supp ...

s. Compact and with an easy-to-navigate network of immaculately groomed slopes, this upper section is ideal for beginners and families. The area offers 40 kilometres of pistes in total. The nursery slope beside the bottom station with two „magic carpet“ conveyor belts offers the perfect terrain for learning and practicing basic skiing techniques. The lift facilities are open during the summer months too. Speikboden has a vast network of well-maintained hiking trails as well as two

via ferrata A via ferrata (Italian for "iron path", plural ''vie ferrate'' or in English ''via ferratas'') is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and certain other locations. The term "via ferrata" is used in most countries and languages except n ...

s (difficulty levels B/C and A).

Lifts

Snowpark

Located at the edge of the Seenock piste is a 400 meter-long snowpark with jumps and rails covering all levels of difficulty.

Toboggan runs

There are two toboggan runs starting from the top station of the Speikboden

gondola The gondola (, ; vec, góndoła ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull ...

. One leads down to Weißenbach, the other to

where a free ski-bus is available to take tobogganers back to the Speikboden bottom station.

Paragliding and hang-gliding

Speikboden has become world-renowned among cross-country paragliders thanks to Kurt Eder. Although he seldom leaves his home region, the South Tyrolean is a "regular" on the winners’ podium at international XC paragliding championships – a testimony to the excellence of this paragliding location. Speikboden offers a superb XC destination for newcomers to the sport and experienced pilots alike. Flying is possible all year round but the months between June and September offer the best conditions. The panoramas from the launching sites are vast and sweeping; on the south side you can see all the way to the Central

Dolomites The Dolomites ( it, Dolomiti ; Ladin: ''Dolomites''; german: Dolomiten ; vec, Dołomiti : fur, Dolomitis), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range located in northeastern Italy. They form par ...

. Speikboden is located directly to the south of the Zillertal Alpine Divide which means it is poorly shielded from the wind from the north and flying is not recommended if this wind is too strong. The towering Durreck range behind Speikboden does, however, protect the launching areas from moderate north-winds. File:Startplatz Speikboden - Gleitschirmfliegen - 1.jpg, Launching site for paragliders on the Speikboden File:Startplatz Speikboden - Gleitschirmfliegen - 2.jpg, Launching site for paragliders on the Speikboden File:Gleitschirmfliegen am Speikboden - 1.jpg, Paragliding in the Speikboden region File:Gleitschirmfliegen am Speikboden - 2.jpg, Paragliding in the Speikboden region File:speikboden-paragliding.jpg, Paragliding in the Speikboden region File:Drachenfliegen am Speikboden - 1.jpg, Hang-gliding in the Speikboden region

Hiking

The development of Speikboden as a hiking area began as far back as the 1870s. Founded by Josef Daimer in 1873, the Sand in Taufers section of the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and

Austrian Alpine Club The Austrian Alpine Club (german: Österreichischer Alpenverein) has about 573,000 members in 196 sections and is the largest mountaineering organisation in Austria. It is responsible for the upkeep of over 234 alpine huts in Austria and neighbour ...

constructed the Sonklarhütte refuge and, leading up to the hut, the "Herrenweg" track which was renamed "Daimerweg" in 1903 in honour of Josef Daimer. The construction of the Chemnitzer Hütte mountain hut by the

Alpine Club The first alpine club, the Alpine Club, based in the United Kingdom, was founded in London in 1857 as a gentlemen's club. It was once described as: :"a club of English gentlemen devoted to mountaineering, first of all in the Alps, members of which ...

Chemnitz section in 1895 can also be credited to the initiative and untiring efforts of Josef Daimler. The high-altitude trail "Kellerbauerweg" was created in 1906 with the purpose of connecting the two mountain shelters Sonklarhütte and Chemnitzer Hütte. In the 1990s efforts were rekindled to improve and expand the network of hiking trails centred around the Daimerweg and Kellerbauerweg trails - a process that is still on-going today. The Speikboden massif now boasts 90 kilometres of hiking tracks. The maintenance and further extension of this network are carried out by the employees of the lift company. File:Wegebau am Speikboden 1.jpg, Trail construction on the Speikboden at the end of the 1990s and in the early 2000s File:Wegebau am Speikboden 2.jpg, Trail construction on the Speikboden at the end of the 1990s and in the early 2000s File:Wegebau am Speikboden 3.jpg, Trail construction on the Speikboden at the end of the 1990s and in the early 2000s File:Wanderwege am Speikboden 1.jpg, Hiking trails on the Speikboden File:Wanderwege am Speikboden 2.jpg, Hiking trails on the Speikboden File:Wanderwege am Speikboden 3.jpg, Hiking trails on the Speikboden File:Wanderwege am Speikboden 4.jpg, Hiking trails on the Speikboden File:Wanderwege am Speikboden 5.jpg, Hiking trails on the Speikboden ;Sonklarhütte Located to the south of the summit at an altitude of 2,420 m, the Sonklarhütte refuge was originally constructed back in 1876 by the former Sand in Taufers section of the

and

and was named after Carl Sonklar. The hut was built in the space of just a few weeks and was one of the first of its kind in South Tyrol. Initially offering overnight accommodation for just 10 people it quickly proved too small and a new, larger hut was built in 1899. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

the hut remained unmanaged and fell into disrepair after the end of the war. In 1926 the new owner, the Bruneck section of the Italian Alpine Club "CAI", made plans to restore the mountain refuge. This, however, never took place. File:Clara und Sonklarhütte Zeichnung 1877.jpg, Draft of the Sonklarhütte drawn by Johann Stüdl File:Einweihung Sonklarhütte Speikboden.jpg, Report on the inauguration of the Sonklarhütte File:Die Sonklarhütte Speikboden auf einer alten Postkarte.jpg, The Sonklarhütte on the Speikboden as depicted on an old postcard File:Schild bei den Ruinen der Sonklarhütte Speikboden.jpg, Sign beside the ruins of the Sonklarhütte on the Speikboden

Via ferratas

Speikboden via ferrata

The

on the Speikboden offers a moderately graded yet challenging climb with 350 meters of vertical gain up to the Speikboden summit cross at an altitude of 2,517 m * Level of difficulty: B/C (moderately difficult) * Start/finish: Speikboden Alm at 2,000 m, accessible via the Speikboden gondola lift * Total ascent: 500 vertical meters, walking time: 3 hours * Access track to the via ferrata: 150 vertical meters , walking time: 40 mins. * Return walk to the Speikboden Alm lift station: ** Via trail no. 27 , walking time approx. 1 ½ hours ** Via the panorama trail , towards Sonnklarnock: 3 hours or towards Großer Nock: 2 hours ** Using the Sonnklar chairlift , walking time: 30 mins. * Total time required: Min. 4 hours * Last descent with the Sonnklar chairlift: 4.30 pm * Last descent with the Speikboden gondola: 5.00 pm * Safety and securing aids: Steel ropes, clamps, rope bridge, hanging bridge * Best time of year: June–October * Views:

Rieserferner Group The Rieserferner Group ( it, Gruppo delle Vedrette di Ries, german: Rieserfernergruppe) is a mountain range in the Austrian Central Alps. Together with the Ankogel Group, Goldberg Group, Glockner Group, Schober Group, Kreuzeck Group, Granatspitz ...

Venediger Group The Venediger Group (german: Venedigergruppe) is a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps. Together with the Granatspitze Group, the Glockner Group, the Goldberg Group, and the Ankogel Group, it forms the main ridge of the High Tauern. The hig ...

* Equipment: Climbing harness, via ferrata set, helmet, sturdy footwear (rental equipment is available from the Speikboden Alm gondola station) File:Klettersteig Speikboden 1.jpg, Via ferrata File:Klettersteig Speikboden 2.jpg, Via ferrata File:Klettersteig Speikboden 3.jpg, Via ferrata File:Klettersteig Speikboden 4.jpg, Via ferrata

Speikboden via ferrata for children

The children’s via ferrata on the Speikboden was specially created for kids between the ages of 6 and 12 years. Based on a pirate theme, it offers a child-friendly route for practicing the art of climbing. * Level of difficulty: A (easy) * Start/finish: Speikboden Alm at 2,000 m, accessible via the Speikboden gondola lift * Access track to the via ferrata: 50 vertical metres, 20 mins. * Ascent: 70 vertical metres, 1 hour * Total time required: min. 2 hours * Equipment: Climbing harness, via ferrata set, helmet, sturdy footwear (rental equipment is available from the Speikboden Alm gondola station)

Ski pass association ''Skiworld Ahrntal''

The two ski arenas Speikboden and Klausberg including the two town lifts Weißenbach and Rein in Taufers form together the ''Skiworld Ahrntal''. The ski pass allows to use 21 lifts and 74 kilometers of slopes (from 950 to 2510 meters sea level). In the summer season the association ''Skiworld Ahrntal'' exists too. The tickets in summer can be used in the areas Speikboden and Klausberg.

Panoramic view

References

External links

Website of the Speikboden Ski Resort
{{Authority control Mountains of the Alps Mountains of South Tyrol Zillertal Alps