baerenkopfscharte und baerenkopf ortler
baerenkopfscharte und baerenkopf ortler

Hike to the Forcella dell’Orso at the Ortles

This mountain hike via the Tabaretta Mountain Hut to the Forcella dell’Orso wind gap at the northern foothills of the Ortles mountain offers gorgeous views and high alpine glacial air

The route which we take is the lower part of the classical ascent to the Ortles mountain (3,905 m a.s.l.). But our tour today will stay comfortable... therefore we take the Orso Chairlift in Solda (Sulden), which takes us up to the K2 Mountain Hut (K2-Hütte, 2,300 m a.s.l.). There our hike starts.

We follow the marker no. 4A (later no. 4) towards north. Blooming alpenroses surround us but soon the landscape changes and we cross the scree of the Marlet Glacier. After about one hour hike along the comfortable high route now the ascent to the Tabaretta Mountain Hut (Tabarettahütte, 2,565 m a.s.l.) starts. The path proceeds further towards the Payer Mountain Hut (Payerhütte) through rocky terrain. A number of serpentines later we have reached the 2,870 m high Monte dell'Orso wind gap, also known as Bärenkopfscharte.

The view is impressive: from the Stelvio Pass with its famous road to King Ortles, Solda in the valley and the peaks around Mt. Angelo Grande. Those who want to carry on are able to proceed further to the Payer Mountain Hut at 3,000 m a.s.l. But for us, the hike ends here for today and we start our way back - of course with a stop at the Tabaretta Mountain Hut. Mostly easy alpine path but crumbling scree and slippery spots on the steep slope.

Author: AT

difficulty: moderate with lifts
  • Starting point:
    Solda, K2 Mountain Hut (mountain station of the Orso/Langenstein Chairlift)
  • Time required:
    04:15 h
  • Track length:
    10,6 km
  • Altitude:
    from 2.266 m to 2.852 m
  • Altitude difference:
    +681 m | -681 m
  • Signposts:
    4A, 4
  • Destination:
    Forcella dell'Orso (Bärenkopfscharte)
  • Resting points:
    Rifugio Tabaretta mountain hut
  • Recommended time of year:
    Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
  • Download GPX track:
    Hike to the Forcella dell’Orso at the Ortles

If you want to do this tour, we suggest you to check the weather and trail conditions in advance and on site before setting out.

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