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Trekking Gran Paradiso: Alta Via 2
From Chardonney to Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley
ISBN
9781786311849
Availability
Published
Published
14 Jun 2024
Edition
First
Pages
96
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x .60cm
Weight
120g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
This guidebook describes the 12-day Alta Via 2 trek in the Gran Paradiso National Park, which covers over 140km of rugged mountains and valleys between Chardonney and Courmayeur in the Aosta Valley. While not high on the difficulty scale, Alta Via 2 is strenuous, and best suited to trekkers with some alpine experience.
Seasons
The trekking season corresponds to the opening period for the high altitude refuges, namely mid June through to late September. July is the best time to go for wildflowers while August and onwards usually guarantees snow-free passes.Centres
Chardonney, Cogne, Valnontey, Eaux-Rousses, Valsavarenche, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, Valgrisenche, La Thuile, Val Vény, CourmayeurDifficulty
While not high on the difficulty scale, Alta Via 2 is strenuous, best suited to trekkers with some alpine experience. The majority of the route rates as average difficulty (Grade 2), while a handful of stages include short demanding sections with unstable terrain and exposure (Grade 3).Must See
Italy’s historic Gran Paradiso National Park in the northwest, close to the border with France, has resident populations of magnificent ibex, chamois, marmots, golden eagles and lammergeier vultures, along with hosts of brilliant alpine wildflowers and glacial tarns such as Lago Lauson and Lac Djouan reflecting snowcapped peaks. The Gran Paradiso mountain (the only 4000+m peak wholly in Italy), Mont Blanc, Testa del Ruitor, Grivola.ISBN
9781786311849
Availability
Published
Published
14 Jun 2024
Edition
First
Pages
96
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x .60cm
Weight
120g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
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Overview
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A guidebook to trekking Alta Via 2, a route of 148km, from Chardonney and Courmayeur in the Gran Paradiso National Park. While not high on the difficulty scale, Alta Via 2 is strenuous, and best suited to trekkers with some alpine experience. Fittingly perfectly into a two-week time slot, the route is best undertaken between late June and late September.
The route is described across 12 stages (with a 4-stage extension option in place of Stages 6 and 7). Stages range from 5 to 18km, with stage ascent varying from 50m (Stage 8) to 1400m (Stage 9). Net ascent is 9630m. The route is described east to west so trekkers are rewarded with the beauty of Mont Blanc at the journey's end.
- GPX files available to download
- Detailed information on travel logistics, the mountain hut network, as well as kit requirements
- Trek-specific Italian-English glossary included
- Information given on local alpine flora and wildlife
- Sized to easily fit in a jacket pocket
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Table of Contents
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CONTENTS
Map key
Overview map
Overview profile
Route Summary Table
Introduction
The Gran Paradiso National Park
Alta Via 2
Wildlife
Plants and flowers
How to get there
When to go
Shorter and longer itineraries
Accommodation
Food and drink
What to take
Maps
Languages and place names
Dos and don’ts
Emergencies
Using this guide
Further suggestions
Alta Via 2
Stage 1 Chardonney to Rifugio Dondena
Stage 2 Rifugio Dondena to Rifugio Péradza
Stage 3 Rifugio Péradzà to Cogne
Stage 4 Cogne to Rifugio Vittorio Sella
Stage 5 Rifugio Vittorio Sella to Eaux Rousses
Extension
Stage A Pont to Col del Nivolet
Stage B Col del Nivolet to Rifugio Benevolo
Stage C Rifugio Benevolo to Rifugio Bezzi
Stage D Rifugio Bezzi to Planaval, Valgrisenche
Stage 6 Eaux Rousses to Rhêmes-Notre-Dame
Stage 7 Rhêmes-Notre-Dame to Rifugio Chalet de l’Epée
Stage 8 Rifugio Chalet de l’Epée to Planaval
Stage 9 Planaval to Bivacco C Zappelli
Stage 10 Bivacco Cosimo Zappelli to La Thuile
Stage 11 La Thuile to Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini
Stage 12 Rifugio Elisabetta Soldini to Courmayeur
Appendix A Italian–English glossary
Appendix B Useful contacts
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Updates
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February 2025
Alpine Clubs
Neither the American Alpine Club nor the Alpine Club of Canada belong to the reciprocal agreement in the Alps so walkers are advised to join CAI, the Italian Alpine Club if interested in alpine rescue insurance and reduced rates in huts.
September 2024
Updates
p73 preface: Bivacco Cosimo Zappelli has cooking facilities.
p82 As you reach the base of Vallon de la Lex Blanche, a bridge was out in 2024 so until it's replaced you need to find a safe spot to ford the stream.
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Downloads
By Gillian Price
Gillian Price has trekked throughout Asia and the Himalayas, but now lives in Venice. Gillian has steadily explored the mountain ranges of Italy, and Corsica, and brought them to life for visitors in a series of outstanding guides for Cicerone. She is an active member of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and Mountain Wilderness.
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