Set to the south of the Mont Blanc massif in a national park that bears its name, Gran Paradiso is a spectacular mountain that towers to 4,061 meters, making it the highest peak entirely within Italy. It remains unspoilt by ski developments, funicular railways and cable cars. The national park status protects it from such infrastructure and in turn protects the many ibex, marmots and eagles that call this peaceful part of the Alps home.
Gran Paradiso was my first alpine peak back in the heady summer of 2019. Graded F (facile – easy in French), its lack of technical difficulty makes it perfect for beginners and many people use it to acclimatize for an attempt on Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. My friend, and fellow London Mountaineering Club member, Mirek had climbed a handful of alpine peaks a number of years before and was keen to join me on the expedition.
As I was a total newbie to alpinism, he’d be my guide of sorts. We planned an ascent from a campsite in the valley via Rifugio Chabod, a mountain hut we’d use as basecamp the night before the final ascent. All in all, the mission went remarkably smoothly.
We enjoyed a magnificent sunrise across Mont Blanc, soaked in the views towards the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa from the top and enjoyed the scramble across the summit’s rocky crest in our . We were back at the hut before noon and enjoyed a leisurely descent back to the campsite. For the , scroll down to the bottom of the page.
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