Altitude training canoeing & kayaking on the Vernago lake

The lake in the midst of the three thousand metre peaks is characterised by its unique turquoise-green colour, especially in summer, which is caused by the glacier cut in tzhe water. It is not for nothing that national teams have been training on the Vernago lake for years.

A welcome guest for example is Antonio Rossi, three-time Olympic Champion and multiple Canoe World Champion.

With its location at 1,700 metres above sea level and marked rowing routes of various lengths, the lake offers ideal conditions for optimal altitude training

The reason for the perfonmance-enhancing effect of altitude training is easy to explain: The lack of oxygen at high altitudes forces the human organism to adapt. This affects primarily the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system and the blood.

Naturno/Naturns - Schnalstal Valley - Vernago/Vernagt

Looped trail around Vernagt reservoir

The looped trail around the lake is well worth the effort because a pastoral pathway runs directly along the waterfront and is, of course, particularly beautiful from about mid-July when the reservoir is full. In the winter, water is released from the reservoir to generate electricity and, depending on the water level, the tower of the immersed church may be visible. There are some photos on display in the new main church in Vernagt of the flooded plain and farms.

We walk across the dam wall. At the end, keeping to the right, we take the steps to the left along a narrow path that has signposts with “Seerundweg” all along it. From here, the trail is almost exclusively just above the lake, right to the end, and is beautiful but shady. About half way along the trail, there is an abandoned lumber hut, affectionately referred to locally as the “Hotel Scrawny Branch”. The path to Maso Corto starts at the end of the lake and slopes upwards to the left, however, we continue to follow the signpost “Seerundgang” to the right. We then arrive at the gorge in the Senales stream that flows into the lake. We cross the hanging bridge to get to the sunny side of the lake. Soon after, a plaque reminds us of the woman farmer who plummeted down the slope when picking berries in this steep terrain. We carry on through a sparse forest, across a second hanging bridge over the mouth of the Finailbach stream, before crossing meadows to get to the exit point.

Start and finish: village Vernago

Duration: 2 h

Length: 5,7 km

With the SAD bus nr. 261 to Vernago/Vernagt (bus stop Vernago/Vernagt)