Ortler
3,905 m
Italy
Also known as Ортлес (връх), Όρτλερ, +4Also known as
Ортлес (връх) · Όρτλερ · Ortles · ორტლერი · Ortler - Ortles · Ортлер
- Elevation
- 3,905 m
- Prominence
- 1,950 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: AD- (Camptocamp) · Bergzeit: PD+, rock up to III, ice up to 40° (Bergzeit) · ZS (AD), UIAA III (Bergwelten)
From Sulden to the Payerhütte (3,029 m) perched on the north ridge, then an exposed, partly chained rock ridge, a steep rock-and-ice step below the Lombardi bivouac and the crevassed Upper Ortler glacier to the summit. Glacier retreat has made the middle section steeper and more exposed to rockfall than it used to be.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 10.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,142 m
- −99 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,906 m
- Time Up
- 8h 40m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 56m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Sulden (about 1,900 m) walk or take the Langenstein chairlift, then follow path 4 past the Tabarettahütte (2,556 m) and along the ridge to the Payerhütte (3,029 m); about 3 hours on foot from the village, less with the lift. From the hut head south along the rocky Tabaretta ridge: short down-climbs and exposed moves of II, then a 50 m steep step fully equipped with chains, and more exposed but easier ridge with occasional rings and pegs. Below the rock knoll carrying the Lombardi bivouac (3,316 m), traverse right on snow or scree (stonefall) to the edge of the glacier at about 3,205 m, climb a short steep section near the rocks, then move left on snow and ice (serac risk) to a short rock step of II/III leading to the bivouac (about 1.75 hours from the hut). Glacier retreat has turned this area into a steep, precarious rock-and-ice step that is now partly secured with cables and usually abseiled on descent. Above, the Upper Ortler glacier leads south with few major crevasses: a short 45° slope, a series of snowy humps, often a large crevasse to jump near the top, and a final easy ridge to the summit cross (3–4 hours from the hut). Descend the same way, abseiling at the Lombardi bivouac and on parts of the rock ridge (about 2.5 hours back to the hut). In mist without a track, navigation on the glacier is tricky.
Start
Sulden1,857 m
- Sulden – Langenstein chairlift (summer) shortens the walk to the Tabarettahütte
- Train on the Vinschgau line (Meran–Mals) to Spondinig, then bus to Sulden (Solda).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sulden → Payerhütte | 7.6 | 1,184 | 26 | 4h 57m |
| 2 | Payerhütte → Ortler | 3.0 | 958 | 72 | 3h 43m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Sulden1,857 m
- Hut: Tabarettahütte2,563 m
- Hut: Payerhütte3,039 m
- Bivouac: Bivacco Lombardi3,361 m
- Summit: Ortler3,905 m
Key Passages
- Exposed rock ridge south of the Payerhütte (II)
- 50 m chained step
- Bärenloch passage towards the bivouac
- Traverse to the glacier edge below the Lombardi bivouac (stonefall, seracs)
- Rock-and-ice step to the Lombardi bivouac (II/III, abseiled in descent)
- 45° slope and large crevasse on the Upper Ortler glacier
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 80%Overview
At 3,905 m the Ortler is the highest mountain in South Tyrol and in the Eastern Alps outside the Bernina. A glaciated giant above Sulden, it is climbed by an exposed rock ridge and a crevassed summit glacier (PD+/AD-), or by the classic Hintergrat.
The Ortler (Ortles in Italian) is the main summit of the Ortler Alps in the Stelvio National Park, rising above Sulden to the east and Trafoi to the north-west. A long north ridge separates the two valleys, a glacier caps the north-west flank, and with the Monte Zebrù and the Königspitze it forms the 'Dreigestirn' seen from Sulden. Until 1919 it was the highest point of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it still carries the name 'König Ortler'.
The normal route goes from Sulden to the Payerhütte, a hut perched on the north ridge at 3,029 m, then follows an exposed rock ridge with chains and short steps of II–III to the Upper Ortler glacier and the summit. It is technically moderate but serious: the rock is loose, the route is crowded on summer weekends, and glacier retreat has turned the section below the Lombardi bivouac into a steep rock-and-ice step that is now abseiled in descent. The Hintergrat, the ridge first climbed in 1805, is a longer and more varied alternative, usually combined with a descent of the normal route.
Expect a full alpine outing: about 2,000 m of ascent from the valley over two days, glacier travel with crevasses, exposure to rockfall from parties above and quickly changing weather.
Climbing Notes
You need glacier and crevasse-rescue skills, confidence on exposed loose rock up to II–III with and without crampons, the ability to abseil, and the stamina for a day of about 900 m up and 2,000 m down. Acclimatise first: a night at the Payerhütte (3,029 m) helps, and many people climb a lower 3,000 m peak around Sulden beforehand.
Typical itinerary: day 1, Sulden to the Payerhütte (about 3 hours, shorter with the Langenstein chairlift). Day 2, early start, 3–4 hours to the summit, about 2.5 hours back to the hut and 2.5 hours down to Sulden. For the Hintergrat, sleep at the Hintergrathütte (2 hours from Sulden) and allow 10–14 hours for the traverse.
Book the Payerhütte well ahead; it is the only practical base for the normal route. Start early to stay ahead of the crowds on the ridge, wear a helmet, and avoid the route after fresh snow or in poor visibility. Many parties hire a local mountain guide from Sulden.
History
Archduke Johann of Austria commissioned the ascent after the Grossglockner was climbed in 1800. After several failed attempts led by the topographer Johannes Gebhard, the chamois hunter Josef Pichler ('Pseirer Josele') with Johann Leitner and Johann Klausner reached the summit on 27 September 1804 from Trafoi by the north-west face. To prove the climb, Pichler returned in 1805 by the Hintergrat with a flag and then a torch that was seen burning from the valley. The current normal route via the north (Tabaretta) ridge was first followed in July 1865, and the Payerhütte, named after the cartographer Julius von Payer, was built at 3,029 m in 1875. Hans Ertl and Franz Schmid climbed the 1,200 m north face in June 1931. The Ortler group was a front line between Austria-Hungary and Italy in the First World War.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter conditions; huts closed
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions
- Apr
- Ski ascents by experienced ski-mountaineers
- May
- Late ski season; huts mostly closed
- Jun
- Payerhütte opens; snow still on the ridge
- Jul
- Main season; very busy at weekends
- Aug
- Main season; rockfall rises in heat waves
- Sep
- Quieter; glacier bare and crevasses open; Payerhütte closes around the third week
- Oct
- Huts closed; early snow
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Winter conditions
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Payerhütte: online reservation via payerhuette.com; +39 0473 613010 (hut) or +39 339 7261097. Book well ahead for summer weekends.
- Rules
- The Ortler lies in the Stelvio National Park, whose regulations apply
- Getting There
Sulden (Solda)
Innsbruck (INN), Bolzano (BZO) or Milan Bergamo (BGY)
- Train on the Vinschgau line (Meran–Mals) to Spondinig, then bus via Gomagoi to Sulden
- Car: via the Vinschgau (SS38) to Gomagoi and up to Sulden; parking in the village
- Langenstein chairlift from Sulden in summer for the Payerhütte approach
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Altitude
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
3- 2,556 m
TabarettahütteHut
- 2,661 m
HintergrathütteHut
- 3,029 m
PayerhütteHutStaffed
Summer, roughly June to mid/late September (closed for the 2026 season on 20 September)