Ortler Cirques

The Ortler Cirques are a series of dramatic glacial hollows located on Mount Ortler in the Ortler Alps of northern Italy. Mount Ortler is the highest peak in the Eastern Alps outside of the Bernina Range.

Mount Ortler was highly contested during World War I, famously known as the White War. The cirques and glaciers on the mountain saw intense trench warfare between Austro-Hungarian and Italian alpine troops.

Yes, mountaineers frequently climb Mount Ortler, typically starting their ascent from the Pizzini Refuge. The routes up the mountain pass directly through the stunning glacial cirques, requiring proper crampons and ice axes to navigate the crevassed ice.

The cirques are characterized by steep, rocky headwalls and deep deposits of glacial ice. The rugged terrain has been heavily shaped by thousands of years of freeze-thaw cycles and glacial erosion.