Hahntennjoch
Highest Point: 1384m
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| Eastern Approach: |
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| from Imst (826m) |
558m |
14km |
| Western Approach: |
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| from Elmen (976m) |
408m |
15km |
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If coming from the south with all its passes of alpine
splendor, the most obvious quality of the Hahntennjoch is
something that it is not. It has the alpine splendor all
right, but it does not have the ski lifts, restaurants and
general business circus at its summit, that many of the
well known passes have. A ride over the Hahntennjoch is
about as close to nature ( and as far away from
civilization ) as a road cyclist can get in the alps. The
road leads over the Lechtaler Alps, which are not as high
as the central ridges of the alps, but often even more
sculpted and precipitous.
Approaches
From East. An easy way to find the way up from Imst
is to follow signs for Fernpass. This leads around the west
side of Imst on a busy road. Leaving town, a steep turnoff to
the left leads up Hahntennjoch and away from most of the
traffic. The road climbs steeply through the heavily populated
outskirts of town and enters a dense forest. Much higher, when
the road exits the trees, you suddenly find yourself on the
edge of a shelf road with a steep limestone canyon to the
right. A silted glacial stream carves its way down under a
triangular peak. The climb continues unabated along this
traverse, with a much steeper slope below the road than above
it. After the road contours the hillside through some
sidevalleys, it enters a high valley and crests between two
steep ridges. In this alpine meadow below the summit it passes
a cow grazing and milking facility of the city Imst. This is
the only obvious settlement immediately next to the road since
since leaving Imst. The summit is as atypically
non-commercialized, just a sign and a very small parking lot
for the high alpine trail that leaves from here. Cars don't
even have to pay to park here.
From West. (described downwards). The road drops
steeply in front of high limestone wall. Pfafflar refers to
several alpine huts slightly off the road. The main road then
turns right and descends in snakelike curves to the turnoff to
Boden, which lies nestled between the mountains at a dead end
valley - a very appealing location. The main road continues at
half height between two ragged ridges through Bschlaps, then
continues to roll downvalley through two slightly lit tunnels
( on the order of 200 meters in length each ), finally going
through a tunnel that is so short it would better fit the
description of a gate. Finally the flat bottomed valley of the
Lech and the churchtower of Elmen come into view. From here
it's only one last unexpected switchback to the bottom. Here
it is possible to pick up the Lech bike trail (Lechtal Radweg)
in either direction, after following the road in either
direction a km or two. This bike path is virtually entirely
paved, a bit longer than the road, fairly well signed
(although a few more signs would help) and much more pleasant
riding.
Tours
Multi Day Ride. (< Timmelsjoch| Hochtannbergpass>)
a ride on a fully loaded mountain bike from Roppen (between
Oetz and Imst) - Imst - Hahntennjoch - to Steg on the
Lechtal Radweg measured 42 miles with 5000ft of climbing in
5 hours. (m3:9.7.6).
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Passes in Europe
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