Ortler Alps
# Ortler Alps

The Ortler Alps (Italian: Alpi dell'Ortles ; German: Ortler-Alpen; Romansh: Alps da l'Ortler) are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps mountain group in the Central Eastern Alps, in Italy and Switzerland.

## Geography

The Ortler Alps are separated from:

* the Sesvenna Alps in the north by the Ofen Pass and the Val Müstair
* the Livigno Alps in the southwest by the Passo di Fraéle and the Adda valley (Valtellina)
* the Adamello-Presanella Alps in the south by the Tonale Pass
* the Ötztal Alps in the north-east by the upper Adige valley (Vinschgau).

The part west of the Gavia Pass is also called Sobretta-Gavia Group.

The Ortler Alps are drained by the rivers Adda, Oglio, Adige and its tributary Noce.

## Peaks

The main peaks of the Ortler Alps are:

| Peak (Italian) | (German) | (Romansh) | metres | feet |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Ortles | Ortler | | 3,905 | 12,811 |
| Gran Zebrù | Königspitze | | 3,857 | 12,655 |
| Monte Cevedale | Zufallspitze | | 3,774 | 12,382 |
| Monte Zebrù | | | 3,735 | 12,254 |
| Palón della Mare | | | 3,705 | 12,156 |
| Punta San Matteo | | | 3,692 | 12,113 |
| Monte Vioz | | | 3,645 | 11,959 |
| Punta Thurwieser | Thurwieserspitze | | 3,641 | 11,946 |
| Pizzo Tresero | | | 3,602 | 11,818 |
| Gran Coni di Ghiaccio | Großer Eiskogel | | 3,547 | 11, 637 |
| Cima Vertana | Vertainspitze | | 3,541 | 11,618 |
| Punta dello Scudo | Schildspitze | | 3,461 | 11,355 |
| Punta delle Bàite | Tuckettspitze | | 3,458 | 11,346 |
| Cima Sternai | Hintere Eggenspitze | | 3,443 | 11,296 |
| Gioveretto | Zufrittspitze | | 3,439 | 11,283 |
| Cima Venezia | Veneziaspitze | | 3,384 | 11,103 |
| Croda di Cengles | Tschenglser Hochwand | | 3,378 | 11,083 |
| Monte Confinale | | | 3,370 | 11,057 |
| Corno dei Tre Signori | | | 3,360 | 11,024 |
| Punta Beltovo di Dentro | Hintere Schöntaufspitze | | 3,325 | 10,909 |
| Monte Sobretta | | | 3,296 | 10,814 |
| Orecchia di Lepre | Hasenöhrl | | 3,257 | 10,686 |
| Monte Gavia | | | 3,223 | 10,574 |
| Cima la Casina | | Piz Murtaröl | 3,180 | 10,430 |
| Monte Cornaccia | | Piz Tea Fondada | 3,144 | 10,315 |
| | | Piz Schumbraida | 3,125 | 10,253 |
| | | Piz Umbrail | 3,033 | 9,951 |
| Punta Rosa | Rötlspitz | Piz Cotschen | 3,026 | 9,928 |
| | Furkelsptiz | Piz Costainas | 3,004 | 9,856 |
| | Schafberg | Piz Daint | 2,968 | 9,738 |
| | | Piz Turettas | 2,963 | 9,721 |
| | | Piz Dora | 2,951 | 9,682 |
| | Schafberg | Piz Minschuns | 2,934 | 9,626 |
| Monte Forcola | | | 2,906 | 9,534 |
| | | Piz Lad | 2,882 | 9,455 |
| Cima Garibaldi | Dreisprachenspitze | Piz da las Trais Linguas | 2,843 | 9,327 |
| Monte Cavallaccio | | Piz Chavalatsch | 2,763 | 9,065 |
| Cima del Serraglio | | | 2,685 | 8,809 |
| | | Munt Buffalora | 2,630 | 8,630 |
| | | Munt la Schera | 2,587 | 8,488 |
| Monte Padrio | | | 2,153 | 7,064 |

## Mountain passes

The main mountain passes of the Ortler Alps are:

| Mountain pass | location | type | elevation | elevation |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Mountain pass | location | type | m | ft |
| Hochjoch | Sulden to the Zebrù valley | snow | 3536 | 11,602 |
| Vioz Pass | Santa Caterina Valfurva to Peio | snow | 3337 | 10,949 |
| Königsjoch | Sulden to Santa Caterina | snow | 3295 | 10,811 |
| Cevedale Pass | Santa Caterina to Martell | snow | 3271 | 10,732 |
| Eissee Pass | Sulden to Martell | snow | 3133 | 10,279 |
| Passo del Zebru | Santa Caterina to the Zebrù valley | snow | 3025 | 9925 |
| Sallentjoch | Martell to Bagni di Rabbi | snow | 3021 | 9913 |
| Sforzellina Pass | Santa Caterina to Peio | snow | 3005 | 9859 |
| Tabarettascharte | Sulden to Trafoi | footpath | 2883 | 9459 |
| Stelvio Pass/Stilfserjoch | Trafoi to Bormio | road | 2760 | 9055 |
| Gavia Pass | Santa Caterina to Ponte di Legno | road | 2637 | 8651 |
| Umbrail Pass | Val Müstair to Bormio | road | 2501 | 8205 |
| Giufplan Pass | Ofen road to Val Fraéle | footpath | 2354 | 7723 |
| Dossradond Pass | Val Müstair to Val Fraéle | footpath | 2240 | 7349 |
| Ofen Pass | Zernez to Val Müstair | road | 2149 | 7051 |
| Vigiljoch | Lana | snow | 1743 | 5718 |

## History

The Ortler Alps were part of the Italian front during World War I. In this area, the Austro-Hungarians and the Italians dug in during a trench war fought at altitudes above 3,000 m (10,000 ft) for most of the war. Some trenches are still visible today, and war relics continue to be found in the area.

