South Tyrol's highest mountains are located here. Further east, there is no higher peak in the Alps than King Ortler at 3,905 meters. While it doesn't quite reach the 4,000-meter mark, making Piz Bernina the only four-thousand-meter peak in the Eastern Alps, it is less than 100 meters short of this magical milestone, which has more than just positive effects. Thus, the Ortler remains untouched by the four-thousand-meter crowd, and things are thankfully a bit quieter along its routes.

The Ortler, however, is by no means the only highlight in this mountain range. While it is the highest, the Königsspitze is even more spectacular in its form. Together with the Zebru , it forms an unmistakable triumvirate. Those mountaineers who are on the Vertainspitze , the Hoher Angelus , or the Suldenspitze will inevitably cast their gaze repeatedly upon this breathtaking backdrop.

The area is dominated by rock and ice. However, not all peaks are as challenging as those already mentioned. Despite their considerable height of over 3,700 meters, the Cevedale and the Zufallspitze are two particularly worthwhile destinations for inexperienced mountaineers , and there are even via ferratas, for example, on the flanks of the Tschengelser Hochwand or on the Ortler, where the Tabaretta via ferrata, one of the most difficult in the Alps, awaits particularly motivated and experienced climbers.

Further south are the peaks around the Fornokessel , also part of the Ortler Group . This area offers fantastic alpine tours in summer, but especially in spring, with even better alpine ski tours .

A fascinating aspect of the entire mountain range is the melting glaciers, which in recent years have already revealed numerous well-preserved positions and remnants from the First World War front. There are two major differences compared to the remains in the Dolomites: Firstly, this front was fiercely contested until the last day of the war on November 1, 1918. Following this, the soldiers hastily abandoned these high-alpine positions, which had been maintained all the way to the summit of the Ortler, to avoid being trapped by the impending winter. Subsequently, everything was covered and preserved by eternal ice, only to reappear almost unscathed with global warming. Many more unique discoveries, such as the officers' barracks at the summit of the Königsspitze, will be uncovered from the ice in the coming years.

The Ortler Group is not only absolutely outstanding in terms of landscape and mountaineering, but also boasts something historically unique in Europe. If you'd like to learn more and experience the feeling of being in this very special mountain world for yourself, then it's best to contact a mountain guide who will safely lead you across the wild glaciers to the most beautiful spots around King Ortler (or directly to its summit).