Canyoning in the Kleinwalsertal: A Profile of the Schwarzwasserbach

Hiking and winter sports define the Kleinwalsertal valley, but this high valley in Vorarlberg has something special in store for canyoners: the Schwarzwasserbach. The gorge is located in Austria but is accessible by road only via the Allgäu region, making it an ideal destination for anyone traveling in the Sonthofen and Oberstdorf area. Compared to the Starzlachklamm, the Schwarzwasserbach requires significantly more rope work and offers more rappelling sections between smooth, polished rock walls. We’ll introduce the tour, rate its difficulty, and explain why this canyon is the logical next step after your first beginner’s tour.

Geographically, the Kleinwalsertal is part of Vorarlberg, but in terms of transportation, it belongs to the Allgäu, since the only road connection leads from Oberstdorf into the valley. For planning your trip, this means short travel distances: From the Sonthofen area, you can reach the valley in just a few minutes by car via the B19 and then Walserstraße, and even from Munich, Ulm, or Stuttgart, the Schwarzwasserbach is easily accessible as a day trip. Our office and canyoning camp at Mittagstraße 3 in Sonthofen is conveniently located along the way. You’ll receive the exact meeting point for your tour with your booking confirmation, and our website clearly lists all pickup locations. If you’re combining the tour with a vacation, you’ll find a wide selection of accommodations in the Kleinwalsertal and the Oberallgäu, and the region’s guest cards often include public transportation. For day visitors, we recommend allowing extra time on the B19 during holiday weekends, as the route toward Oberstdorf gets very busy during peak hours. Our page on the Starzlachklamm canyoning experience provides a direct comparison with the beginner-friendly gorge near Sonthofen.

In terms of difficulty, the Schwarzwasserbach stands out from the beginner gorge due to its higher proportion of rappelling sections. More rappelling sections mean more technical skill, and that’s exactly what we’ll prepare you for: Before every tour, our certified guides practice rappelling in a dry run until the movements are perfected. As with all our tours, jumps into the clear pools are optional; there’s an alternative for every spot. Prerequisites include confident swimming skills and normal physical fitness; prior experience is helpful but not required. The guide-to-guest ratio of no more than seven guests per guide, the inclusion of Edelrid equipment in the tour price, and our ISO 21101-certified safety concept naturally apply on Austrian soil as well. We deliberately avoid adding artificial elements, as the gorge—shaped by the water—provides its own drama, from the roar of the rappelling sections to the quiet passages between the rock walls. Our photo service documents the tour, so you’ll receive your souvenir photos at no extra charge. If you’re looking for an even greater challenge after the Schwarzwasserbach, you’ll find the most technically demanding tour in our program in Vorarlberg: canyoning in the Kobelache.