Gran Paradiso 4.061 m (13.323 ft)

Date:
16.07. - 19.07.2006

Leaving Prague at the evening on friday 14.7. via Austria to Italy with brake at Lago di Garde. Transit to Ponte, main camping place from which is the starting point to Vittorio Emanuelle hut (2.732m). On sunday morning we started walking our way up to the hut. Route is well indicated and goes along the strem up through foest. In 3 hours we were there, bought can of beer for 3EUR and were enjoying nice views around us, while waitting for others to come. Later we had a small and quick training on the glacier about how to use the crampons and ice axes properly and how to stop yourself after fall. Sleeping in the hut is comfortable and if you have ID card from Austrian Alpine Association, you can get almost half price discount.

Departure was next day at 2:30am. First part of the route is pretty easy and goes over the stone moraine. It is easy to walk off the track so better be carefull, otherwise you will waste your energy right at the beginning, like we did. In about an hour and a half, we are the bottom of glacier, so we are putting on the equipment (crampons and ice axe). The second part, on the glacier is long three quarters of the journey and requires some stamina. The summit of Paradiso is rock, about 20m high UIAA grade II. (easy). With rope, you can also reach the statue of Madonna. There were no people, when we reached the summit, but later on, more and more were comming and it was very crowded there. As it was getting dangours sometimes, we decided to go down. With one stop for a beer at Vittorio hut we walked pretty exhausted all the way down to the camp.

FOTOGALERY