Wanglspitze and Lämmerbichl are the neighbours of the Penken, Mayrhofen's local mountain. They lie at the entrance to the Tux Valley. Since 1927, there has been a magnesite plant halfway up the mountain, where magnesite was extracted and transported to Lanersbach and further down into the valley using special cable cars. After its closure in 1976, the plant was completely dismantled and the landscape renaturalised. The tour to Lämmerbichl leads directly past the former factory site. The mining tunnels are still clearly visible above the path.
There is not much time to warm up on this tour. In fact, none at all, because immediately after the start in Vorderlanersbach, the route climbs steadily towards Magnesitwerk and on to the Wanglalm. A large part of the ascent runs outside the forest, but the views of the Tux Valley and later the Tux Glacier make up for the strenuous climb. After 900 metres in altitude, you reach the Wanglalm, which is exposed on a mountain ridge. You can't stop for refreshments here, but you can enjoy the marvellous almost all-round view.
The rest of the tour now offers a technical delicacy: Directly behind the Wanglalm, an initially narrow trail towards Lämmerbichl winds its way up quite steeply and in tight hairpin bends. Respect to all those who ride through this passage. Further up, the path becomes wider and flatter. This is followed by the most beautiful section of the tour, a fantastic singletrail over to the Lämmerbichl ski area. This section is technically demanding but easy to ride and the view over to the Hintertux ice giants is fantastic. At the end of the trail, the Lämmerbichl mountain inn is the perfect place to stop for refreshments.
The rest of the descent leads along a gravel road until it joins the route to the Geiseljoch. If you still don't feel exhausted, you can add another 700 metres in altitude here and ride up to the Geiseljoch, one of the most beautiful crossings for Alpine crossers in Tyrol (see Tour 2). Everyone else can take the short counter-climb and the beautiful descent to Gemais and then cycle back to the starting point of the tour in Vorderlanersbach.
Two more tips for this tour: From the Wanglalm, a very rewarding panoramic trail leads over to the Penkenjoch (see Tour 1), where you can stop for a bite to eat, for example on the terrace of the Penkenjochhaus. The tour is much easier if you take the Penkenbahn cable car from Mayrhofen or the Finkenberger Almbahn.
INFO
Location
Vorderlanersbach, a small village at the entrance to the Tux Valley.
Accommodation
Tux-Finkenberg Tourist Office, Lanersbach 472, 6293 Tux,
Tel. 0043/5287/8506, www.tux.at.
Food + drink
At the end of the trail at the Berggasthof Lämmerbichl (open from July to September).
Map
Kompass map "Zillertaler Alpen - Tuxer Alpen", sheet 37, scale 1:50 000. Mayrhofen hiking, cycling, MTB and touring map 1:35 000, sheet 33, Zillertal Alps. Bike map of Zillertal Tourismus GmbH 1:40 000, sheet 2 Zell-Gerlos and Hinteres Zillertal (available from May 2007). Digital: Austrian Fly Map 4.0 of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying 1:50 000, www.bev.gv.at.
Starting point of the tour
By car to Mayrhofen and then uphill into the Tux Valley to Vorderlanersbach. There are parking spaces on the left-hand side of the road in the town centre. The tour starts directly in the town centre on the main road by the Spar supermarket.
The road book to Lämmerbichl is available as a free PDF download.
