1804
3,905 m
Josef Pichler, Johann Leitner, Johann Klausner
ORTLER
Normal route (PD+, III, 40°)
Südtirolalpin
IFMGA certified mountain and ski guides
South Tyrolean Mountain and Ski Guides Association
Email suedtirolalpin@gmail.com
Price from:
€750
for 1 person · lower price per person from 2 participants
Duration:
2 days
Ortler – Normal route
The Ortler is a mountain with a special character – there is no easy way up the highest summit in South Tyrol.
3,905 m · Difficulty PD+, III, 40° · 2 days · South Tyrol
The Ortler towers above every summit in the Alps east of Piz Bernina and, at 3,905 metres, scrapes the 4,000-metre mark. A great summit that doesn't make it easy for its climbers to reach the top from any side. Whether you start from Sulden or from Trafoi: there is no way up without some climbing and glacier crossings.
The Ortler challenges alpinists and, in return, rewards them with an intense feeling of happiness as soon as they stand on the summit and take in the panorama. It is precisely this mix of rock, ice and altitude that makes the tour so appealing. This is not an easy alpine tour to simply tick off, but a true South Tyrol classic that demands respect and stays with you for a long time.
THE TOUR
The Ortler normal route is the easiest ascent of the Ortler – easy compared with the other routes, not easy in the true sense of the word. That is exactly what makes this tour so exciting. Anyone who climbs South Tyrol's highest summit via the normal route gets an impressive all-round package: enjoyable ridge climbing up to grade III, imposing glaciers, steeper passages and dizzying views down that you won't forget in a hurry.
Our base is the Payerhütte, uniquely perched on a rocky ridge at over 3,000 metres. For many, it is almost as much a part of the tour as the summit itself. The approach, the night at the hut and the early start the next morning define the character of this alpine tour. This is precisely why the Ortler doesn't feel like just any summit, but like a very special entry in every alpinist's summit log.
An alpine tour that could hardly be more varied: rock, ice, exposed sections and, at the end, the highest point in the province. If you bring the necessary fitness and mountain experience, you will experience one of the truly great classics on the Ortler.
INFO
Services
Included in the price:
- Complete organisation and guiding by an IFMGA certified mountain and ski guide
- All necessary reservations are made in advance
Additional costs for participants:
- Transfer to and from the meeting point
- Overnight stay with half board at the Payerhütte (approx. €60)
- Cable car ticket if applicable
- Expenses (hut) for the mountain guide
- Individual tips
* Rental equipment (€10 per item of equipment)
Facts
Location:
Ortler Group
Best time of year:
Mid-June - end of September
Duration:
2 days
Meeting point:
Sulden - car park at the Langenstein chairlift valley station
or
at the Payerhütte
Requirements
Safety-relevant
- Confident walking in crampons
- Sure-footedness on the rocky ridge
- Very good fitness for a strenuous summit day with an ascent and a long descent
Key to enjoyment
- A head for heights
- Good acclimatisation
PRICE
Participants:
1-2 people
Price from
€750
for 1 person · lower price per person from 2 participants
PROGRAMME
Day 1: Approach to the Payerhütte
We meet in Sulden at the valley station of the Langenstein chairlift, or directly at the Payerhütte if you make the ascent on your own. The approach is perfectly signposted and follows trail no. 4 past the Tabarettahütte and on to the Payerhütte. This lets you warm up at a relaxed pace and gives you plenty of time to reach the hut. In the evening, we briefly go through the tour and then enjoy a leisurely dinner at the hut.
Walking time: 3 h | ↑ 700 m
⌂ Payerhütte (3,029 m)
Day 2: Summit of the Ortler
The next morning, we have an early breakfast at the hut and then set off on the ascent of the Ortler. Via enjoyable climbing sections and impressive passages, we climb along the ridge to the start of the glacier. Belayed on the rope the whole time, you can make the most of the tour. We then cross the glacier over several steep steps, past the Lombardi bivouac and onto the upper Ortlerferner, passing some imposing crevasses along the way. Later in the morning, we reach the summit and with it the highest point in South Tyrol.
After a good long rest and time for souvenir photos, we begin the descent. We return along our ascent route to the Payerhütte, where you can stay another night or, after a short refreshment stop, continue straight down to Sulden. At around 2,000 vertical metres, the descent from the summit all the way to the valley is long and demands concentration and stamina right to the very end.
Total time: 10 h | ↑ 900 m | ↓ 2,050 m | Difficulty: PD+, III, 40°
Info: Without the chairlift, the approach takes approx. 1.5 h longer and adds 500 m of ascent.
The story of the first ascent
In 1804, Archduke John of Austria travelled through Tyrol. When he caught sight of the Ortler from the Reschen Pass, he commissioned the official Johannes Gebhard to organise the first ascent of the Ortler. Gebhard travelled to Sulden and promised the farmers money for finding a route to the summit. Several men tried their luck, but a total of six attempts in the area of today's normal route failed. On 26 September, Josef Pichler, a chamois hunter from Schluderns, came forward. Starting from Trafoi, he led the two mountaineers Klausner and Leitner via the "Hintere Wandlen" through difficult, loose terrain to the summit. Their route, however, never became one of the great classic alpine tours and is no longer climbed at all today. The summit itself, though, is as popular and notorious as ever.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Who is the Ortler tour via the normal route suitable for?
The tour is suitable for fit mountaineers with good sure-footedness and experience in alpine terrain. Even via the normal route, the Ortler is no easy tour – climbing sections, glaciers and a long descent are all part of it.
Where do we spend the night before summit day?
We stay at the Payerhütte, the classic base on the Ortler normal route. If you like, you can also stay another night there after the tour before heading back down to Sulden.
What do I need to bring for the tour?
The detailed packing list comes with the confirmation email. Above all, you need suitable mountaineering boots and functional clothing for an alpine tour. Technical equipment can be rented from your South Tyrolean mountain guide for a small wear-and-tear fee.
Looking for a different tour? Send us your request
MOUNTAIN GUIDE ALPINE CLASSICS
# ORTLER # NORMAL ROUTE # MOUNTAIN GUIDE