Fresh tracks in powder snow, enjoy the view of untouched nature and soothing silence - in the snow-sure mountain world of the Tyrolean Lech Valley.

With wide plains and slopes away from lifts and groomed slopes, the Tyrolean Lechtal in Tyrol is considered a Dorado for ski tours and snowshoe hikes.

Testing your own limits
What appeals to winter sports enthusiasts about ski touring is above all the physical challenge combined with pure skiing fun. "Beginners should be the first times but definitely with a local mountain or ski guide on the road," recommends Martin Fiala. The chairman of Lechtal Guiding is an expert in his field as an ex-World Cup downhill skier, Olympian in ski cross, sports scientist and hiking guide. "The ski tour to the Jöchelspitze, for example, is ideal for beginners and allows delightful descents into the Bernhardt Valley - but only in favorable conditions. From the end of December to the end of March, interested beginners in particular can try out ski touring in the Lech Valley.

On the way on remote paths
On snowshoe hikes, beginners, families with children and advanced skiers trudge through the powder snow away from the hustle and bustle and explore the Tyrolean Lech Valley at their own pace. Things get romantic on the guided snowshoe hike organized by Lechtal Guiding every Thursday from January to March: Equipped with glowing torches, the tour takes about five hours through the deeply snow-covered winter landscape northward into the Allgäu Alps or southward into the Lechtal Alps, depending on weather conditions. The hidden side valleys have numerous lonely and unknown corners, which have their charm especially in winter and at dusk.