Important parts of the Stubai Alps show signs of glaciation.
The northern part around the Sellrain valley and the Kühtai is now only lightly glaciated and a popular ski touring destination (Zischgeles, Lampsenspitze, Pirchkogel, Sulzkogel). The High Stubai around the upper Stubai valley is still heavily glaciated and a classic high mountain touring region in the Eastern Alps. Here there is a glacier ski area on the Stubai Glacier.
Together with the Ötztal Alps to the west, with which they are linked by the saddle of Timmelsjoch, the Stubai Alps form one of the biggest mountain blocks of the Eastern Alps.
in the south it follows the lower Ridaunbach – Jaufenbach (Jaufental) – Jaufen Pass – St. Leonhard in Passeier, a line which divides it from the Sarntal Alps (AVE 32, which are counted as part of the Central Eastern Alps)
in the west, it follows the line: Passeiertal – Schönauer Alm – Timmelsjoch – Timmelsbach – Gurgler Ache – Ötztaler Ache (the whole Ötz valley) to its confluence with the Inn, forming the boundary to the Ötztal Alps (AVE 30)
Subgroups
The Alpine Club guide to the Stubai Alps divides the range into 15 subgroups as follows:
There is a total of just under 500 named and surveyed mountains in the Stubai Alps. Amongst the better known are (in order of height and excluding the top ten above):