Ötztal Alps
Encyclopedia
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 Reschen Pass, while on the east the range is separated from the Stubai Alps
by the Timmelsjoch
. On the south side, the range is limited by the deep Adige
valley (Vinschgau).
The highest point of the Ötztal Alps is Wildspitze
(3774 m), which is also the second highest mountain in Austria (after Großglockner
). It is on one of several arms that extend north and northeast from the main ridge.
In September 1991 Ötzi the Iceman
was found on the Hauslabjoch between the peaks Fineilspitze
and Similaun
.
es of the Ötztal Alps are:
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 Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, 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....
. They are arrayed at the head of the Ötztal
Ötztal
The Ötztal is a 65-kilometer long alpine valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The Ötztaler Ache river flows through the valley in a northern direction. The Ötztal separates the Stubai Alps in the east from the Ötztal Alps in the west. The northern end of the valley is at the confluence of the...
, a side valley of the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
southwest of Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
; the line of summits forms part of Austria's border with 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...
.
The western border is the Reschen Pass, while on the east the range is separated from the Stubai Alps
Stubai Alps
The Stubai Alps is a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps of Europe. It is named after the Stubaital valley to its east. It is located southwest of Innsbruck, Austria, and several summits of the range form part of Austria's border with Italy...
by the Timmelsjoch
Timmelsjoch
Timmelsjoch , is a high mountain pass that creates a link through the Ötztal Alps along the border between Austria and Italy....
. On the south side, the range is limited by the deep 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 highest point of the Ötztal Alps is Wildspitze
Wildspitze
Wildspitze is the highest mountain in the Ötztal Alps and the second highest mountain in Austria after the Großglockner. The large number of glaciers and relatively easy routes make it popular with ice climbers ....
(3774 m), which is also the second highest mountain in Austria (after Großglockner
Großglockner
The Grossglockner is, at 3,798 m above sea level, Austria's highest mountain and the highest mountain in the Alps east of the Brenner Pass...
). It is on one of several arms that extend north and northeast from the main ridge.
In September 1991 Ötzi the Iceman
Ötzi the Iceman
Ötzi the Iceman , Similaun Man, and Man from Hauslabjoch are modern names for a well-preserved natural mummy of a man who lived about 5,300 years ago. The mummy was found in September 1991 in the Ötztal Alps, near Hauslabjoch on the border between Austria and Italy. The nickname comes from the...
was found on the Hauslabjoch between the peaks Fineilspitze
Fineilspitze
The Fineilspitze is a peak in the Schnalskamm group of the Ötztal Alps on the border between Tyrol, Austria, and South Tyrol, Italy.- References :* *...
and Similaun
Similaun
Similaun is a mountain in the Schnalskamm group of the Ötztal Alps/Venoste Alps. It is on the Austrian-Italian border. At 3,606 m high, it is Austria's sixth highest summit. It was first ascended in 1834 by Josef Raffeiner and Theodor Kaserer. It is most famous for being the mountain on whose...
.
Peaks
The main peaks of the Ötztal Alps are:| Peak | Elevation | |
|---|---|---|
| m | ft | |
| Wildspitze Wildspitze Wildspitze is the highest mountain in the Ötztal Alps and the second highest mountain in Austria after the Großglockner. The large number of glaciers and relatively easy routes make it popular with ice climbers .... |
3,774 | 12,382 |
| Weißkugel Weißkugel Weißkugel is the second highest mountain in the Ötztal Alps and the third highest mountain in Austria. Featuring many glaciers, it lies on the border between Austria and Italy. The easiest way to climb it is over its southern side. It was first climbed in 1850 by J.A... |
3,746 | 12,291 |
| Hintere Schwärze Hintere Schwärze Hintere Schwärze is a mountain on the border between Austria and Italy. At , it is the fourth highest peak in the Ötztal Alps.... |
3,633 | 11,920 |
| Similaun Similaun Similaun is a mountain in the Schnalskamm group of the Ötztal Alps/Venoste Alps. It is on the Austrian-Italian border. At 3,606 m high, it is Austria's sixth highest summit. It was first ascended in 1834 by Josef Raffeiner and Theodor Kaserer. It is most famous for being the mountain on whose... |
3,603 | 11,821 |
| Grosser Ramolkogel | 3,551 | 11,651 |
| Hochvernagtspitze | 3,531 | 11,585 |
| Schalfkogel Schalfkogel - Avalanche :The 2009 Schalfkogel avalanche occurred in Sölden, Austria, on 3 May 2009. Six people were killed: five Czechs and one Slovak, when the disaster struck in the 3,500-metre Schalfkogel mountain range. The corpses were discovered to have been frozen upon recovery. It was the deadliest... |
3,510 | 11,516 |
| Hochwilde Hochwilde The Hochwilde is a mountain in the Ötztal Alps on the border between Tyrol, Austria, and South Tyrol, Italy.- References :* * - External links :... |
3,480 | 11,418 |
| Seekogel Seekogel (Ötztal Alps) The Seekogel is a mountain in the Kaunergrat group of the Ötztal Alps.... |
3,358 | 11,017 |
| Glockturm | 3,356 | 11,011 |
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 Ötztal Alps are:
| Mountain pass | location | type | elevation (m/ft) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gepatschjoch | Vent to the Kaunertal | snow | 3243 | 10,640 |
| Ramoljoch | Vent to Gurgl | snow | 3194 | 10,479 |
| Langtaufererjoch | Vent to the Reschen Pass | snow | 3167 | 10,391 |
| Gurgler Eisjoch | Gurgl to Schnals Schnals Schnals is a valley and comune in the province of South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 70 km north of the city of Trento and about 40 km northwest of the city of Bolzano, on the border with Austria.-Geography:As of 30 November 2010, it had a... |
snow | 3137 | 10,292 |
| Langthalerjoch | Gurgl to Pfelders-Plan | snow | 3058 | 10,033 |
| Niederjoch | Vent to Schnals | snow | 3017 | 9899 |
| Pitztalerjöchl | Mittelberg Mittelberg Mittelberg is a municipality in the district of Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria. The municipality of Mittelberg is congruent with the Kleinwalsertal, a valley that is only accessible by road from Germany. Although it is not an exclave in strict sense , its geographic position created a special situation... (Pitztal) to Sölden |
snow | 2995 | 9826 |
| Eisjöchl am Bild | Pfelders to Schnals | snow | 2908 | 9541 |
| Venter Hochjoch Hochjoch The Hochjoch is a mountain pass in the Ötztal Alps on the border between Tyrol, Austria, and South Tyrol, Italy.- References :* *... |
Vent to Kurzras | snow | 2885 | 9465 |
| Timmelsjoch Timmelsjoch Timmelsjoch , is a high mountain pass that creates a link through the Ötztal Alps along the border between Austria and Italy.... (Passo del Rombo) |
Sölden Sölden Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.-Geography:At c. 467 km² , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated... to Meran |
road | 2509 | 8232 |
| Reschen Pass | Landeck Landeck Landeck is a city in Tyrol, Austria with approximately 7,633 inhabitants. It is located at an elevation of about 820 m in the west of Tyrol, on the rivers Sanna and Inn... to Meran |
road | 1494 | 4902 |