Gran Paradiso 4061m

Gran Paradiso is the highest  peak standing entirely in Italy and has been on my list for while. This time everything fits perfectly, the weather, timing, fitness. Due to weather conditions we decide to attempt 1st Gran Paradiso and then some additional peak the 3d day.

Day 1, getting there: from Lugano I drive to Luino and further to Laveno and from there I take the ferry to Verbania. At 9.40am I pick up my friends Manu and Marc at Stresa train station and we drive towards Val D' Aosta. We arrive at Pessey 1700m in Val Saverenche at 1pm and get ready for the adventure. The path to Rifugio Chabod is very well built and we gain quickly in altitude carrying the skis on our the shoulders for ca 30min. The day is very warm and sunny and we observe huge avalanches, like huge solid white rivers, coming down the opposite E flank of the valley. We walk up veeery slowly and we reach rifugio Chabod 2750m in 3h at 4.30pm. Titti, the guardian, welcomes me with a big heart sent from the sky and we relax until dinner.


Day 2, Summit day: after a relaxing night we have breakfast at 5am and leave the hut at 5.30am while it is still pitch dark. The night was clear and the snow is well frozen. I love walking in the night, the lack of reference points seems to render walking almost effortless. The route is varied and first ascends towards Piccolo Paradiso in order to traverse over to the Laveciau Glacier at 3200m ca. In between impressive seracs we ascend the glacier on a very good trace and abundant snow (no roping up necessary right now)  until 3700m Schiena d' Asino, where we meet the normal route from rif. Vittorio Emanuele. We continue together with dozens of other alpinists and soon reach the upper slopes and the ski depot at 4000m. A shorter but steep section around 3900m required Harscheisen. At the depot we change onto crampons, rope up and climb the final ridge to the Madonna summit of Gran Paradso, which we reach at 10.30am. Lots of traffic on the ridge and I am glad for my crampons, rope and belaying.... After a very brief 5min stay on the summit we descend to the ski depot, get on our skis and descend to 3300m, where we have lunch. We then ski down to rif. Vittorio Emanuele bvia a few steeper sections and arrive there at 12.30pm. A relaxing afternoon is awaiting us.