Ortler Alps

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The Ortler Alps, also Ortlergruppe Italian Gruppo dell ' Ortles Cevedale, are a mountain range in the eastern Alps in northern Italy and neighboring Switzerland. Share of the Ortler Alps, the Italian provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, which belongs to the province of Sondrio, Lombardy and a little of the Swiss canton of Graubünden. The majority of the group is located in South Tyrol. This is also the highest peak of the Ortler, the slm with a height of 3905 m also the highest mountain in the region of Tyrol and the group makes it the second highest in the Eastern Alps after the Bernina group.

  • 5.1 glaciers
  • 5.2 rivers
  • 5.3 lakes
  • 5.4 reservoirs
  • 7.1 Fauna
  • 7.2 Flora

Naming

The term Ortler Alps is actually uncommon. In the general Alpine terminology massifs, which are named after peaks, as a " group" (eg, Mont Blanc massif, Schobergruppe Sesvenna group), while areas that are named after valleys be referred to as "Alps" (eg Ötztal Alps, Stubai and Zillertal Alps ). In view of the extensive ridge system and the size of the Ortler group is also sometimes found here, however, the designation Ortler Alps.

Location

The Ortler Alps are assigned to the Central Alps, as they of the geological fault of the Tonale line lying north, counted in the general regional geographical sense but to the South Alps ( Southern Alps ), because they are south of the furrow Valtellina (Adda ) - are Vinschgau ( Adige ). From rock is one of the Ortler main ridge of the Southern Limestone Alps. After the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps (AVE ), the group will be limited as follows:

  • In the east of the Nonsberggruppe by the line Merano - Lana - Val d'Ultimo - junction Maraunbach in Valschauer Bach - Hofmahd - Lederbach - Proves - Val di Pescara - Lago di Santa Giustina - Malé;
  • In the south of the Brenta Dolomites and the Adamello - Presanella by the line Malé - Val di Sole ( Nocetal ) - Passo Tonale - Ponte di Legno;
  • In the west of the Sobretta - Gavia Group and the Livigno Alps by the line Ponte di Legno - Gavia - Bormio - Valle di Fraele - Passo di Fraele - Valle del Gallo - Spöltal to confluence Ova dal Fuorn - Ofen Pass;
  • And in the north of the Sesvennagruppe and the Ötztal Alps by the line Ofen Pass - Val Müstair to confluence Rambach the Adige river - Adige to Merano (Vinschgau ).

After the AVE are the Umbrailgruppe in full, and the Fallaschkamm which lies partly on Swiss soil, part of the Ortler Alps. In Switzerland it is common to associate these two groups the Grison Alps. With the exception of these two groups, the Ortler Alps, on the Italian territory.

The AVE leads the southwest subsequent Sobretta - Gavia Group as an independent mountain range, in other divisions but it is certainly attributed to the Ortler Alps, as in the older literature under the name Ortlergruppe including the eastern Livigno Alps by AVE. After Suddivisione orografica internazionale del Sistema unificata Alpino ( SOIUSA ) the French-Italian literature, the entire Ortler Group, with its western, southern and northern neighbors to the Rhaetian Alps ( Alpi Sezione 28 Retiche Meridionali ).

Structure

Umbrailgruppe

The Umbrailgruppe located northwest of the Umbrail Pass. The group is rarely visited, is climbed often only the Piz Umbrail ( 3'033 m) in the vicinity of the pass. This group is counted for Ortlergebiet only after the AVE, in Switzerland it is common for them to be counted among the Münstertal Alps.

Fallaschkamm ( Costainas, Chavalatschkamm )

The Fallaschkamm (also Costainas or Chavalatschkamm called ) separates the Val Müstair the west by Trafoier valley in the east. Along the ridge, from Stelvio starting, is the boundary between the Canton of Grisons and Tyrol. More often climbed summit are the Glurnser Koepfl, with a height of 2401 m slm the northern barrier against Glurns and the Vinschgau out and the Piz Chavalatsch and the three language tip.

Ortler main ridge

The main ridge of the group ( called in the western part and crystal comb ) results in a wide, open to the west arch of Bormio and the Stelvio Pass, first to the east and turns later ( from this point also Cevedale Vioz comb called ) to the south and southwest from where it expires on Gavia and Passo Tonale. From this comb branch from a plurality of side ridges, which are separated by deep valleys. Significant peaks directly in the main ridge, or slightly upstream of the fast cutting, the Monte Scorluzzo, Monte Livrio that Tuckettspitze that Trafoier ice wall, the Thurwieserspitze, Monte Zebrù, the king tip that Suldenspitze, the Cevedale, Monte Pasquale, the Palón de la Mare, Monte Vioz, the Punta San Matteo Pizzo Corno dei Tre Tresero and the Signori.

The Ortler itself and the Tabarettaspitze are located on a short, Monte Zebrù branching off to the north side of ridge separating the valley and the Trafoier Suldental each other. On a king at the top to the south branching and later leading to the west side comb is the Monte Confinale.

Laas mountains

The Laas Mountains (also known as Laas - Marteller Crest) branch in the Suldenspitze am Ortler main ridge from the northeast and are an important, subdivided in turn group. First introduces only weakly glaciated ridge, on which the rear Schöntaufspitze is, to shield tip. There, the ridge divides into two branches that the Laas valley, a side valley of the Vinschgau enclose. The most important surveys of leading directly to the north are the bough Vertainspitze, the High Angelus and the Tschenglser high wall, while there are the Laas tip and the Jennwand in leading to the northeast, Martello limiting branch.

Zufrittkamm

The Zufrittkamm is named after the Zufrittspitze and branches when Cevedale on the Ortler main ridge northeast. Over a distance of 45 km, it first separates the Martell valley from Val di Pejo and Val di Rabbi, later, the Martell valley from Val d'Ultimo and the last from the Vinschgau Val d'Ultimo, until it ends in the area of ​​Merano. According to his limit valleys it is therefore in parts named as Marteller - Ultener comb or Vinschgau Ultener comb, the section between the Fürkelescharte in the west and in the east Hasenohrl is also known as Martell main ridge. Significant peaks in Zufrittkamm addition to the Zufrittspitze the Köllkuppe, the Venezia tip Rear Rotspitze, the Lorch tip, the Hasenohrl, the High Thief and the Naturnser Hochwart.

Careser Crest

At the rear of the Rotspitze Careser - ridge from the south Zufrittkamm branches that slopes down to Val di Sole out. On this route he separates the Val di Pejo the Val di Rabbi. As the most important summit Cima Careser rises.

Ilmenkamm

The Ilmenkamm is named after the towering in the middle course Ilmenspitze and branches at the top of Lorch Zufrittkamm. The course leads first to the southeast, east and later played against Northeast. North side, bounded the Ilmenkamm the Ultimo Valley, south- branches short side combs for Val di Sole and Val di Non valley from back. Highest summit of the ridge is the rear harrow spike in Ultimo valley, in the result, he increasingly loses height and falls after Ultner Hochwart over the last surveys of Fine Grub peak, the Great and the Little Kornigl from the Hofmahdjoch.

Summit

The main ridge contributes by far the highest and most famous peaks of the group that the dominant Suldental Ortler and King top, and the Monte Cevedale. In total there are in the Ortler Alps about 25 peaks over 3500 meters and more than 100 three-thousand. Most peaks are listed in the Alpine Club leaders with two different heights, one after the old German - Austrian Surveying ( at least partially still from 1854 ) and one after the recent Italian. The two heights differ by a few meters, which can not be purely from the different reference systems explain.

Glaciers and waters

Glacier

The Ortler Alps are a heavily glaciated Alpine group, the strongest glaciations in this case have the crystal ridge north to the Stelvio, the Monte Cevedale with his Plateau and the glaciers direction Martelltal and Fornokessel Head northwest on. Overall, the group has around 100 glaciers.

The Fornokessel, located in a wide arc over almost 20 km from Pizzo Tresero to Palón de la Mare ( reaching Mount Cevedale ) pulls and the Valle dei Forni encloses in its north, is essentially of a single glacier, the Forni glacier ( Ghiacciaio dei Forni ) filled. The Forni Glacier is the largest glacier of the Ortler Alps and one of the largest glacier in the eastern Alps at all. He, too, is affected by the general decline of the glaciers since the mid-19th century. In 2001, the Comitato Italiano Glaciologico (CGI) has identified an area of 13 km ² and a length decrease of 40% since records began. The Alpine Club leaders, however, in his edition of 1990 nor in an area of ​​about 20 km ².

The glacier ski area south of the Stelvio Pass used the layer addition ( Vedretta Piana) and the Vedretta del Cristallo. On the north side of the crystal comb still flow following major glaciers:

  • Madatschferner ( Vedretta del Madaccio )
  • Furthermore nose horn ( Vedretta del Naso )
  • Niederer and Upper Ortler addition ( Vedretta Bassa and Vedretta Alta dell ' Ortles )
  • Furthermore, Solda ( Vedretta di Solda ) on the east side of the Ortler, Zebrù and King tip to Eisseepass

The ice-sheet of Cevedale and the random peaks formed by the glacier following:

  • Vedretta di Cedec northwest
  • Furthermore, Long ( Vedretta Lunga )
  • Furthermore, random ( Vedretta del Cevedale )
  • Fürkelferner ( Vedretta del FORCOLA )
  • Vedretta de la Mare to the southeast

Somewhat isolated from these large areas glaciated areas are the flat Vedretta di Careser ( Moos addition ) south of Venezia tip and the rear Rotspitze. On the north side of the accreting here Marteller main ridge there are still some smaller glaciers.

The Laas addition ( Vedretta di Lasa ) is far in Laas - Marteller comb.

The Ortler Alps are drained by the rivers Adda and Oglio the west and south, and by the Adige river and its tributary Nonsbach the north, east and southeast. The Adda and the Oglio flow into the Po, the Adige opens directly into the Adriatic Sea. Thus, the Ortler Alps from Stelvio over the crest of Fornokessels form to the Tonale Pass the watershed between the Po and Adige. Trafoier and Suldenbach, the Laas stream, in the Val Martello Plima and in Val d'Ultimo the Falschauer drain the north-facing valleys of the Adige river.

The rivers are dammed partially and used for electricity generation.

Lakes

In the crystalline part of the Ortler Alps, there are always few smaller lakes. About 10 other natural lakes are mentioned as hiking destinations alone in Val d'Ultimo next to the reservoirs mentioned above still. In the upper Saenttal below the rear harrow tip There are several small, Laghetti di Sternai called lakes. Lago Lungo Lago Marmotta and are located in the Val di Mare on the Cevedalehütte, the two Laghi del Confinale in Confinalekamm to over 2,900 meters, the Gavia, including the Lago Bianco.

Reservoirs

The Zufrittsee (Lago di Gioveretto ) is a reservoir in the Martell valley at an altitude of 1,850 m. The reservoir was from 1950 to 1956, also for reasons of flood protection, built and is fed and drained by the Plima. Its storage capacity is 19.6 million cubic meters, the height of the dam 83 m. The associated hydroelectric facility is in Laas and operated by the Edison company.

In Val d'Ultimo there are a number of reservoirs with smaller power plants, which together can cover the electricity needs of about 84,500 families. At the end of the valley at an altitude of 2,529 m of Green Lake (Lago Verde) between the rear harrow peak in the west and to the north is Zufrittspitze. Out of the valley, is situated on 1,872 m of Weißbrunnsee (Lago di Fontana Bianca ). The dam and the hydroelectric plant Weissenbrunn were built in the years 1957-1962. The Falschauer, the head waters of the valley, rises in Weißbrunnsee and flows in Ultimo at 1,137 m in the Zoggler Reservoir (Lake Zoccolo ). The dam of this reservoir was built from 1961 to 1965 and has a crown height of 63.5 m, and the lake storage volume of 33.5 million m³. The Pankrazer lake (Lago di Alborelo ) at an altitude of 804 m finally is the last in Val d'Ultimo.

High above the Val d'Ultimo and east below the Hasenöhrls is still the Arzkarsee (Lake Quaira ) at an altitude of 1,906 m. The dam was built from 1965 to 1968, has a crown height of 81 m and accumulates a volume of 12,800,000 cubic meters.

In the south of the group, the two reservoirs Lago del Careser dine at 2,603 ​​m and Lago Pian Palu at 1,800 m the hydroelectric plant of Enel in Cogolo in Peiotal. The dam of Lago del Careser was built in the years 1929 to 1934, reaching a height of 57.9 m. The lake is fed by melt water from the moss Ferner. The dam of Lago di Pian Palu was built from 1950 to 1959, reaching a height of 51.5 m. The storage volumes of the two reservoirs are each just over 15.5 million m³.

Geology

The main peak of the Ortler Alps, the Ortler, Zebrù and Königsspitze consist of dolomite and limestone, which is superposed here than 1000 m thick sediment layer of the central alpine Mesozoic on the basis Veltliner crystallin. This corresponds to the Ötztal and Silvretta crystalline and belongs to Altkristallin the Eastern Alps. This occurs over a large area as quartz phyllite evident in the Angelus group as orthogneiss. Under these gneisses and Quarzphylliten come on the Laas page Phyllitgneise with intercalations of amphibolites and especially marble trains to light. These provide the famous marble of Lasa, which is mined in several fractures. In the Jennwand the marble that lies flat valley impressive fold structures formed.

Biogeography

Fauna

In addition to the usual hunted big game such as deer, chamois and red deer ibex were exposed in the National Park. Marmots are quite often found on the south side of the Confinalekamms and Rabbital, but otherwise rare. The name of Lake Marmotta (Italian marmotta: Marmot ) at an altitude of 2,704 m in the rear Peiotal also indicates significant occurrence. All the way up to the mountain pastures of the hare is found in higher altitudes of the mountain hare occasionally. The distribution of snow mouse reaches the edge of the glacier. At carnivorous mammals, the fox is occasionally found in the lower layers and high up the weasel.

The Ortler Alps have low stocks of golden eagles, owls, ravens, capercaillie on, a little more often are hazel grouse and Rock Partridge, and more usually to be found the rock ptarmigan. Alpine Swift, dippers, wagtails, finches and snow Alps Ellen Brown are observed in widely varying frequencies. In the streams cavort grayling, brook and Marmorataforellen. In invertebrates the German Scorpio and the Gletscherfloh still be mentioned, which finds its habitat on the glaciers of the Ortler Alps.

Flora

The forest cover is more dense on the north side of the mountain and reaches up higher than. Sparser on the wooded southern and western side In Martelltal the upper tree line is at about 2000 m, pine and firs reach the greatest heights. Despite the sparse forest cover does not have the south side to those inner-alpine dry vegetation, as for the south-facing slopes of the Vinschgau ( Sonnenberg ) are typical. On slopes with crystalline soil grows the green alder, up to the tree line it often replaces the not so frequently occurring in the Ortler Alps mountain pine. Several types of Eisenhut prefer the crystalline basement, where they are often associated with the green alder.

From the tree line dominate gentian and alpine rose, striking are the Yellow Alpine Pasque Flower ( Schwefelanemone ), the glacier crowfoot and the red primrose. In contrast, the Edelweiss is rare. Scheuchzers cotton grass dominates the area of ​​the fells.

The nivale stage is dominated by lichens and mosses, occasionally grow Mannsschild and saxifrage species, the glacier crowfoot and some gentians.

History

The Ortler Alps formed for centuries the German - Italian language border. This runs between the Italian-speaking Trentino in the south and until 1918 almost all German-speaking South Tyrol to the east and north. In the communities Proveis, Laurein and Our Lady of the forest -St. Felix in Val di Non in the southeastern group, there was also a predominantly German -speaking majority, while the Val di Sole was inhabited Italian.

The Trentino fell early under strong influence of the Counts of Tyrol and in 1803 officially assumed the princely house of Habsburg. The ridge line of the Ortler group from the Stelvio to the Tonale Pass to the west, however, was for centuries the political border between Austria - Hungary and Lombardy. The Lombardy came with the Congress of Vienna in 1815 under Austrian rule. This lasted until the defeat of the Austrians at Solferino in 1859.

That's when the military motivated construction of the Stelvio Pass Road, which was completed in 1825.

The mountaineering development of the Ortler Alps began in 1804 with the first ascent of the Ortler by Josef Pichler, vulgo " Pseirer - Yosele ". From 1865 to 1868 led by Julius Payer cartographic surveys of the Ortler region, he boarded it with Johann Pinggera 50 summit, including many for the first time ( Monte Cevedale main peak ). The Payer hut was built in his honor in 1875, the same year the Rifugio Citta. 1922, the last cabin was built with the high-lying Casati.

Hans Ertl succeeded at the beginning of the 1930s the first ascent of the north walls of King Lace ( 1930) and Ortler ( 1931 Franz Schmid).

In mountain warfare 1915-1918 of the First World War, the Italian front was over the mountains of the Ortler Alps, where she reached her highest position with the Ortler position.

The Treaty of Saint- Germain fell Alto Adige and Trentino, and thus the Ortler Alps in Italy.

National Parks

In the area of ​​the Ortler Alps, the Stelvio National Park and the Swiss National Park. The national park was founded in 1935 Stelvio includes almost the entire Italian part of the Ortler Alps, with the exception of Val d'Ultimo St. Gertraud valley including the valley bordering ridges. The subsequent directly in the canton of Grisons Swiss National Park encompasses the western part of the Umbrailgruppe.

Tourism

Refuges

  • Alp Muraunza, 2163 m slm, private, Umbrailgruppe
  • Berglhütte ( Rifugio A. Borletti ), 2188 meters slm, CAI, built in 1886 by the Hamburg section DÖAV.
  • Rifugio Berni al Gavia 2545 m s.l.m., CAI
  • Rifugio Bozzi N., 2478 m s.l.m., CAI
  • Rifugio Cesare Branca, Branca hut, 2493 m slm, CAI
  • Casati ( Rifugio G. Casati ), 3254 m slm, CAI
  • Cevedalehütte ( Rifugio del Cevedale, Rifugio G. Larcher ), 2608 m slm, CAI
  • Rifugio Silvio Dorigoni, Dorigonihütte, ( Rifugio Saent ), 2436 m slm, CAI
  • Düsseldorf refuge, ( Zaytalhütte, Rifugio Serristori ), 2721 m slm, CAI, built in 1892 by section of Dusseldorf DÖAV.
  • Furkelhütte, 2153 m slm, private, Fallaschkamm
  • Grünseehütte, even Highest hut ( Rifugio Umberto Canziani ), 2560 m slm, CAI, Val d'Ultimo
  • Haselgruber hut ( Rifugio Stella Alpina al Lago Corvo ), 2425 m slm, private
  • Hintergrathütte, mountain guide company Solda, 2661 m slm
  • Livriohütte ( Rifugio Monte Livrio ), 3174 m slm, CAI
  • Laas hut 2047 m s.l.m., AVS, unbew.
  • Martell hut, 2610m s.l.m., AVS
  • Julius Payer hut, 3029 m slm, CAI, 1875 section of Prague DÖAV built.
  • Pizzinihütte ( Rifugio Pizzini LE ), 2706 m slm, CAI
  • Rifugio Quinto Alpini (V ° Alpini hut ), 2878 m slm, CAI
  • Rifugio Citta ( Rifugio Città di Milano ), 2581 m slm
  • Tabaretta, mountain guide company Solda, 2556 m slm
  • Viozhütte ( Rifugio Mantova al Vioz ), 3535 m slm, CAI. The Viozhütte is one of the highest huts in the Eastern Alps.
  • Zufallhütte ( Rifugio Nino Corsi ), 2265 m slm, CAI

Winter sports

Well-known ski resorts around the Ortler Alps are Bormio, Santa Caterina, Solda and to the south the Peiotal. On the Stelvio Pass there is a glacier ski area, which, only in the summer is actually in operation because of the winter when the pass road. The Ortler Alps are a popular ski touring area, many of the cabins are therefore also farmed in the spring.

Sources and maps

  • Peter Holl: Alpine Club leaders Ortler Alps. Bergverlag Rudolf Rother, Munich 1990. ISBN 3-7633-1313-3
  • Julius Payer: The centralen Ortler Alps ( areas: Martell, Laas and Saent ): In addition to an appendix to the Adamello - Presanella alps of the supplementary issue no 17 J. Perthes, 1872.
  • Casa Editrice Tabacco, carta topografica 1:25,000, sheet 08, Ortles Cevedale / Ortlergebiet. 1988 edition
Lana, South Tyrol Ulten Valley Brenta group Gaviapass Fuorn Pass Corno dei Tre Signori Laaser Spitze Adda (river) Dolostone Alpine ibex European hare White Wagtail Alpine Accentor Salmo marmoratus Gentiana Primula Julius von Payer Hans Ertl (cameraman) Santa Caterina di Valfurva Adamello-Presanella Alps Fiemme Mountains Gailtal Alps Garda Mountains Integrated Authority File
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