Ortler Alps
Encyclopedia
The Ortler Alps are a mountain range
in the central Alps
of Italy
. They are considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps
or the Southern Limestone Alps
.
The Ortler Alps are separated from the Livigno Range
in the north-west by the Stelvio Pass
and the Adda River
valley (Valtellina
); from the Adamello-Presanella
range in the south by the Tonale Pass
; from 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
.
es of the Ortler Alps are:
. In this area, the Austro-Hungarians and the Italians dug in in 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.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in the central Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. They are considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps
Central Eastern Alps
The Central Eastern Alps comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition....
or the Southern Limestone Alps
Southern Limestone Alps
The Southern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps mainly located in northern Italy and the adjacent lands of Austria and Slovenia. The distinction from the Central Alps, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological...
.
The Ortler Alps are separated from the Livigno Range
Livigno Range
The Livigno Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy, around the Italian village Livigno. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps....
in the north-west by the Stelvio Pass
Stelvio Pass
The Stelvio Pass , located in Italy, at 2757 m is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, slightly below the Col de l'Iseran .-Location:...
and the Adda River
Adda River
The Adda is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and flows through Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po a few kilometres upstream of Cremona. It is 313 kilometres long...
valley (Valtellina
Valtellina
Valtellina or the Valtelline valley ; is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland. Today it is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses and its wines...
); from the Adamello-Presanella
Adamello-Presanella
The Adamello-Presanella Alpine group is a mountain range in the Italian Alps. It is part of the Southern Limestone Alps. It is located in the provinces of Trentino and Brescia...
range in the south by the Tonale Pass
Tonale Pass
Tonale Pass is a high mountain pass in northern Italy across the Rhaetian Alps, between Lombardy and Trentino.It connects Valcamonica and Val di Sole...
; from the Ötztal Alps
Ötztal Alps
The Ötztal Alps are a mountain range in the central Alps of Europe, part of the Central Eastern Alps. They are arrayed at the head of the Ötztal, a side valley of the Inn River southwest of Innsbruck, Austria; the line of summits forms part of Austria's border with Italy.The western border is the...
in the north-east by the upper Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
valley (Vinschgau). The part west of the Gavia Pass
Gavia Pass
Gavia Pass is a high mountain pass in the Italian Alps. It is the tenth highest paved road in the Alps.The pass lies in the Lombardy region and divides the province of Sondrio to the north and the province of Brescia to the south...
is also called Sobretta-Gavia Group.
The Ortler Alps are drained by the rivers Adda
Adda River
The Adda is a river in North Italy, a tributary of the Po. It rises in the Alps near the border with Switzerland and flows through Lake Como. The Adda joins the Po a few kilometres upstream of Cremona. It is 313 kilometres long...
, Oglio
Oglio
The Oglio is a left-side tributary of the Po River in Lombardy, Italy. It is 280 km long....
, Adige
Adige
The Adige is a river with its source in the Alpine province of South Tyrol near the Italian border with Austria and Switzerland. At in length, it is the second longest river in Italy, after the River Po with ....
and its tributary Noce
Nocé
Nocé is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France.-Heraldry:-References:*...
.
Peaks
The main peaks of the Ortler Alps are:| Peak (Italian) | (German) | metres | feet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ortles | Ortler Ortler Ortler is, at above sea level, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps outside the Bernina Range. It is the main peak of the Ortler Range. It is the highest point of the Southern Limestone Alps, of the Italian province of South Tyrol, of Tyrol overall, and, until 1919, of the Austrian-Hungarian... |
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 Punta San Matteo Punta San Matteo is a secondary peak of Ortler-Vioz in the Ortler Alps, at the border between the Province of Sondrio and Trentino in northern Italy.... |
3,692 | 12,113 | |
| Monte Vioz | 3,645 | 11,959 | |
| Punta Thurwieser | Thurwieserspitze Thurwieserspitze The Thurwieserspitze is a mountain in the Ortler Alps on the border between South Tyrol and the Province of Sondrio, Italy.- References :* Peter Holl: Alpenvereinsführer Ortleralpen, 9... |
3,641 | 11,946 |
| Pizzo Tresero | 3,602 | 11,818 | |
| Cima Vertana | Vertainspitze Vertainspitze - References :* Peter Holl: Alpenvereinsführer Ortleralpen, 9. Auflage, München 2003, ISBN 3-7633-1313-3* Julius Payer: Die Südlichen Ortler-Alpen, Justus Perthes, Gotha 1865, Ergänzungsheft 18, Seite 7, zu Dr. August Petermanns Geographischen Mittheilungen* Eduard Richter : Die Erschließung der... |
3,541 | 11,618 |
| Punta delle Bàite | Tuckettspitze Tuckettspitze - References :* Peter Holl: Alpenvereinsführer Ortleralpen, 9. Auflage, München 2003, ISBN 3-7633-1313-3* Eduard Richter : Die Erschließung der Ostalpen, II... |
3,458 | 11,346 |
| Cima Venezia | Veneziaspitze Veneziaspitze The Veneziaspitze is a mountain in the Ortler Alps on the border between South Tyrol and Trentino, Italy.- References :* Peter Holl: Alpenvereinsführer Ortleralpen, 9. Auflage, München 2003, ISBN 3-7633-1313-3... |
3,384 | 11,103 |
| Croda di Cengles | Tschenglser Hochwand Tschenglser Hochwand The Tschenglser Hochwand is a mountain in the Ortler Alps in South Tyrol, Italy.- References :* Peter Holl: Alpenvereinsführer Ortleralpen, 9. Auflage, München 2003, ISBN 3-7633-1313-3... |
3,378 | 11,083 |
| Monte Confinale | 3,370 | 11,057 | |
| Monte Sobretta | 3,296 | 10,814 | |
| Piz Lad Piz Lad (Val Müstair) Piz Lad is a mountain in the Ortler Alps, located in Graubünden, Switzerland.-External links:*... |
2,882 | 9,455 |
Passes
The main mountain passMountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
es of the Ortler Alps are:
| Mountain pass | location | type | elevation (m/ft) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hochjoch Hochjoch The Hochjoch is a mountain pass in the Ötztal Alps on the border between Tyrol, Austria, and South Tyrol, Italy.- References :* *... | Sulden to the Zebrù valley | snow | 3536 | 11,602 |
| Vioz Pass | Santa Caterina Valfurva Valfurva Valfurva is a comune in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 150 km northeast of Milan and about 50 km northeast of Sondrio, in the Alps... to Peio Peio Peio is a comune in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 50 km northwest of Trento... | 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 | foot path | 2883 | 9459 |
| Stelvio Pass Stelvio Pass The Stelvio Pass , located in Italy, at 2757 m is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, slightly below the Col de l'Iseran .-Location:... /Stilfserjoch | Trafoi to Bormio Bormio Bormio is a town and comune located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy. It has a population of 4,200... | road | 2760 | 9055 |
| Gavia Pass | Santa Caterina to Ponte di Legno Ponte di Legno Ponte di Legno is an Italian comune of 1816 inhabitants in Val Camonica, province of Brescia, in Lombardy.-History:... | road | 2637 | 8651 |
History
The Ortler Alps were part of the Italian front during World War IItalian Campaign (World War I)
The Italian campaign refers to a series of battles fought between the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy, along with their allies, in northern Italy between 1915 and 1918. Italy hoped that by joining the countries of the Triple Entente against the Central Powers it would gain Cisalpine Tyrol , the...
. In this area, the Austro-Hungarians and the Italians dug in in 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.