ICQ: 440924262

Ortler

Ortler 3.905 m (12.812 ft)

Hintergrat: AD-/III+/snow to 45°

PICTURE-GALLERY

Dates:
21.6. - 24.6. 2008

Itinerary

Day 1:

Solda (it.) / Sulden (germ.) (1.846m) -> K2 hut (2.330m) = 1,5h (+484m)
K2 hut (2.330m) -> Hintergrathütte (rif. Coston) (2.661m) = 1,5h (+330m)

Day 2:

Hintergrathütte (2.661m) -> Ortler (3.905m) = 12h (+1.244m)
Ortler (3.905m) -> Ortler bivouac (3.318m) = 1h 30min (-587m)

Day 3:

Ortler bivouac (3.318m) -> Payerhütte (3.029m) = 2h (-289m)
Payerhütte (3.029m) -> Tabarettahütte (2.556m) = 45min (-473m)
Tabarettahütte (2.556m) -> Solda (1.846m) = 40min (-710m)

Day 4:

Transit home

By clicking on pictures below, new, larger foto will pop up.

It has been raining in Chamonix for over a month and it is snowing above 3.000 metres. Even we reserved two weeks for our trip, neither one was with good forecast. Luckily, there is period of nice weather in Austria and we decide to fulfill our climbing needs on Ortler.

Trail to Hintergrathütte. foto by © Jan Virt

Gran Zebru (KönigSpitze) 3.850 m foto by © Jan Virt

Ortler is highest peak of Tyrolean Alps. Often called "King of Eastern Alps". Especially its North wall looks magnificent, rising from Sulden valley. Ortler range is situated on three provinces: Trient, Sondrio and Balzano. Whole group has many glaciers with 80 peaks rising above 3.000 m, of which 18 is above 3.500 m. You can reach Ortler summit by several routes. Most often climbed is normal route, starting at Tabarettahutte (Payerhutte). It is not technical climb, mostly glacier walk. However there are other, much more interesting routes, like Hintergrat (AD), Hochjochgrat (D-), Marltgrat (D) and Rothbockgrat (D+). Also North wall route is an option for experienced mountaineers. Map with information in italian can be found here: Ridges on Ortler

Beginning of the ridge. foto by © Jan Virt

We are leaving Prague at around 8pm and with short sleep close to Innsbruck, arrive in Sulden at 11am next day. With numerous parking lots in Sulden, it is not hard to find a spot. We decided to leave our car at the beginning of chair lift to K2 restaurant. It is situated close to local church. Or you can continue little bit further and park your car on second parking lot. It depends, which route to Hintergrat hut you want to take. Our main reason to stay close to the church was, that on descend via Tabaretta hut, we will arrive right on the parking lot, instead of taking longer way to the second parking lot. Taking the lift was tempting option, but we ignored it and started with route number 3, which is going up through the forest. We are reaching ski area at about hour and a half.

Above the snow field Oberes Knott. foto by © Jan Virt

Back view to Oberes Knott. foto by © Jan Virt

It is not needed to go to K2 hut, instead we continue traverse towards south. After another hour or so we are reaching Hintergrat hut, which is at that time half way full, because 2008 season just started. In another hour, new people started to arrive, one of them group of retro climbers in old school clothes and equipment dated back to the end of 19th century. As we had no reservation, we had to wait all the way till 5pm, when the angry keeper gave us six beds on the first floor. Accommodation was really luxurious, double beds all over the place with sheeted pillows and blankets! Even we were getting little tired, we decided the same day to check out first hundred metres of Hintergrat approach. Navigation is not hard and there was nice path up the scree slope.

Above the crux climb, Signalkopf in the background. foto by © Jan Virt

There is plenty of people downstairs already at 3:30am. Those, who ordered breakfast are eating some bread with jam. Others, including us, are eating outside from our own stock. Knowing, other alpinists would sooner or later pass, there was no need to hurry and we are leaving hut at 4:30. Head torches are not needed anymore, as morning sun starts to shine on neighbouring peaks and we can finally see the whole ridge. After boring approach, first challenging part starts in form of steep snowy slope. After getting into the sun, we decide to have a break and take off some clothes. Unluckily, for my camera, one moment of incaution caused, that my camera fell off hundred metres down the snow slope, where it finally stoped. With fear in my eyes, I started to descend and after reaching it and first investigation, I found out, it has no damage and it was fully working. It was probably due to my new camera bag from Tamron, which I just unwillingly tested. What a nice training at the beginning of ascent.

On airy ridge. foto by © Jan Virt

Climbers on the second snow field. foto by © Jan Virt

After while, I am catching up with my friends and we continue forward. Ridge slowly starts to change and ascent is getting more interesting. First scrambling with crampons starts (at II UIAA), followed by mixed terrain and first large snow field called Oberes Knott, where we decide to take another short brake. After crossing the snow field, we approach nice peak called Signalkopf, where we have to make short (20m) rappel, followed by traverse. Rappel bolt is was well visible and there are also two bolts along the exposed traverse. This part is then followed by airy ridge with almost no place for protection. The crux pitch is situated right after this ridge. It is about 4m climb (IV UIAA) and very slippy, from thousands of climbers climbing it. However it is well protected with anchors and by my opinion it is much better to climb it with crampons, as rubber boot gets really slippy there.

This part is followed by some grade III climbing. For protection, I am using cams and slings, sometimes you can find old anchors. Worst thing for us was the slow speed of ascend as there was six of us and only two ropes, so we had to wait for each other. There is second snow field located in third quarter of the climb, which is much steeper than the first one. Some III grade climbing again, mixed terrain and we are standing on the summit. Really bad time: 4:30pm, because of the reasons mentioned above.

For us, descend became pretty exhausting and wet snow wasn't making it any better. After crossing some crevasses, we are reaching bivouac. It has five beds, another two can sleep on the floor. We decided, descending all the way to Payer hut, which would be normal case, would be stupid idea, according to state of some of us. Next day, this decision shows up to be good decision, after seeing what was awaiting. First, we descend from bivouac through the glacier, followed by another ridge. At wooden cross, you can either rappel down and reach the hut on glacier or downclimb 100m wall using via ferrata route. We went for more adventure and downclimbed it. Another easy scrambling is followed with last snow traverse to the hut. Bottled Frost beer tasted great and in a while we continue on easy terrain down to Tabaretta hut.

We are reaching parking lot at around 3pm. Second group of our friends just realized, how far they parked their cars, as first day, they decided to leave them on second, further parking lot. I knew exactly what is going to happen and gave them short ride. Evening is coming and we decided to stay overnight. Pizza and fruit juice are giving us all the energy back as we are sitting on the restaurant's terrasse and looking back on Orlter. North wall looks really great from here, but first, we have to climb Hintergrat in five, not twelve hours.

Partners: Václav Kadlec, Vladislav German

PICTURE-GALLERY

LINKS:

Hintergrathütte - Info about Hintergrathütte (Rifugio Coston)