East Tyrol – El Dorado of whitewater sports

Almost 1000 peaks cover an area of around 2,000 km², making East Tyrol an extremely mountainous region. The "crowning" glory are the snow- and ice-covered mountains on the main Alpine ridge between Großglockner and Großvenediger. Numerous mountain streams originate here and impressively and with great force carve their paths.

The most distinctive river is certainly the Isel. It originates at the Umbalkees of the Großvenediger, then rushes through the Virgental and joins the wild Tauernbach at Matrei. The Kalser Bach coming from the Großglockner and the Schwarzach from the Defereggen Valley also feed into the Isel, before it finally flows into the Drau at Lienz. The Isel is navigable by kayak almost along its entire length. Particularly the sections between Matrei and Huben are of special appeal, but also the Schwarzach below St. Veit is an absolute whitewater highlight.

The counterpart to the Isel is the Drau, which originates in the Toblach Field and flows through the Hochpustertal. It is fed by the Villgratenbach and the Kleine Gail, and flows on to Lienz through Carinthia and Slovenia to the Danube. There are also wonderful kayak and rafting routes of varying difficulty levels on the Drau. Particularly well known is the section between Galitzenklamm and Lienz, where the annual kayak regatta of the Dolomitenmann takes place.

Most of the whitewater in East Tyrol, unlike many other regions, has sufficient water even in midsummer. Since they are fed by glaciers, the water temperature remains low even in the hot season. It is important to note the increasing water level of the glacier-fed streams during the day: sections that are navigable in the morning can become dangerous later in the day.

The water quality of the East Tyrolean waters is excellent, with no untreated wastewater returning to the cycle. All streams and rivers in East Tyrol have drinking water quality. The turbidity during the summer months is due to the glacial melt, a phenomenon also known as "glacier milk". In autumn, the water becomes crystal clear again. Kayaking or rafting under these conditions and against the magnificent backdrop of the High Tauern or the Lienz Dolomites is simply fantastic and an incomparable experience.