The Ortler Alps (; ; ) 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:
{| class="wikitable"
! 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 ||align=right| 10,814
|-
| Orecchia di Lepre||Hasenöhrl || ||3,257 || 10,686
|-
| Monte Gavia|| || || 3,223 ||align=right| 10,574
|-
| Cima la Casina || || Piz Murtaröl || 3,180 || 10,430
|-
| Monte Cornaccia || || Piz Tea Fondada ||3,144 ||align=right| 10,315
|-
| || || Piz Schumbraida ||3,125 ||align=right| 10,253
|-
| || || Piz Umbrail || 3,033 ||align=right| 9,951
|-
| Punta Rosa || Rötlspitz || Piz Cotschen || 3,026 ||align=right| 9,928
|-
| || Furkelsptiz || Piz Costainas || 3,004 ||align=right| 9,856
|-
| || Schafberg || Piz Daint || 2,968 ||align=right| 9,738
|-
| || || Piz Turettas ||2,963 ||align=right| 9,721
|-
| || || Piz Dora ||2,951 ||align=right| 9,682
|-
| || Schafberg || Piz Minschuns || 2,934 ||align=right| 9,626
|-
| Monte Forcola || || ||2,906 ||align=right| 9,534
|-
| || || Piz Lad || 2,882 ||align=right| 9,455
|-
| Cima Garibaldi || Dreisprachenspitze || Piz da las Trais Linguas || 2,843 ||align=right| 9,327
|-
| Monte Cavallaccio || || Piz Chavalatsch || 2,763 ||align=right| 9,065
|-
| Cima del Serraglio|| || || 2,685 ||8,809
|-
| || || Munt Buffalora ||2,630 ||align=right| 8,630
|-
| || || Munt la Schera ||2,587 ||align=right| 8,488
|-
| Monte Padrio || || || 2,153 ||align=right| 7,064
|}
Mountain passes
The main mountain passes of the Ortler Alps are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Mountain pass
! rowspan=2 | location
! rowspan=2 | type
! colspan=2 | elevation
|-
! 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
thumb|Highest [[Trench warfare|trench in history near the Ortler's peak, 1917]]
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.