Similaun

The Similaun, 3,599 metres, is a glaciated peak of the Ötztal Alps on the border between Austrian Tyrol and Italian South Tyrol. It stands close to the site where the prehistoric iceman Ötzi was discovered in 1991, emerging from a melting glacier on the ridge nearby after more than five thousand years.

That archaeological connection gives the mountain a special resonance, drawing visitors to a place where deep human history and the high Alps meet. It is also a fine and relatively straightforward summit set among broad ice fields on the main Alpine watershed.

The normal route from the Similaunhütte climbs the glacier and a moderate snow ridge to the top, graded around F to PD, a genuine glacier ascent whose main hazards are crevasses and altitude rather than technical climbing; crampons, ice axe and rope are essential, and an early start is wise. It is a popular ski-mountaineering objective in spring, when the snow cover is at its best and the glaciers are well filled.

The Similaun and Martin Busch huts serve the approaches from the Ötztal and the Val Senales. The reliable season is June to September for summer climbs, with April and May prime for ski ascents. Vent in the Ötztal is the usual Austrian base, with guides available. Sound glacier skills make the Similaun accessible to fit, prepared parties, and the summit gives sweeping views over the Ötztal glaciers and down to the Schnalstal, where the iceman was found.