My encounters

Simon Wohlgenannt knows the mountains of the Montafon like no other freerider. He has never been bored with them: “The runs are far too diverse. Here I have the opportunity to live my skiing dream.”

Simon has a tip on hand for people new to the region: “Your first stop should be the ski school and/or mountain guide office or the Freeride Centre at the Grasjoch summit station. Here you can get information about the current conditions and maybe a tip as well. In order to obtain an overview of the conditions, it makes sense to start off with a local mountain guide or ski guide.”

Daredevil men and women from the border areas between Austria and Switzerland transported anything they could over the mountains in their frame rucksacks out of necessity. The hot goods were even sometimes brought to the Viktualienmarkt in Munich. Popular goods were unroasted coffee beans, which could not be smelt by the customs officers, as well as wine and cereals. The shrewd smugglers were also able to think of something to distract from their tracks. For example, in order to deceive their pursuers, they nailed the soles onto their shoes reversed. Even today, some things will remind you of the smugglers, and you can hike through a piece of their world on magnificent mountain tours.

Gargellen native Friedrich Juen, great-nephew of Meinrad Juen, a particularly crafty smuggler tells the stories in a particularly authentic manner.