Similaun

The Similaun is a mountain in the Schnalskamm group of the Ötztal Alps. It stands on the border between Austria and Italy. At 3,599 metres it is Austria’s sixth-highest summit. The first recorded climb was made in 1834 by Josef Raffeiner and Theodor Kaserer. The mountain is best known as the place where Helmut Simon and Erika Simon found Ötzi the Iceman in 1991.

The route to the top follows the northern ridge from the Martin-Busch-Hütte. The hut sits at 2,842 metres and offers views across the Schnalskamm. From there climbers cross the Niederjochferner glacier before the final ascent. The summit gives a wide panorama of the Ötztal Alps and the Ortler group. The mountain’s slopes are also home to alpine meadows and high-altitude wildlife.

Visitors find a high-alpine landscape of rock and ice. The Niederjochferner glacier is still present but shrinking. The Martin-Busch-Hütte provides food and shelter for walkers and climbers. The border runs along the summit ridge, marked by small cairns. The air is thin and the weather changes quickly. The mountain’s fame rests on its discovery of Ötzi, yet its wild beauty draws climbers every summer.