walking & adventure holidays

Fourteen days in Gran Paradiso National Park, the home of Italy's highest summit (4061m), the higher reaches still adorned with impressive glaciers. An area of sublime tranquility and isolation, rich in alpine fauna and flora.

So, what's the difference between this two week sojourn, and that of it's neighbour, the Tour de Mont Blanc.....well, we think it knocks spots off it.....

This is one of those treks that rate up there with some of the Himalayan or Andean ones. If you love to be out there amongst it, it's the one for you.
We wanted to create a 14 day classic walk from the potential that we enjoyed in the region - plenty of time to drink in the magic of the place - without a route march every day.
It's not called Paradiso for nothing. Thanks to the Italians' more relaxed attitude to wolves there is a good chance that evidence of wolves will be spotted if not a real live one.
The hills are alive with fauna. The flora are spectacular and likely to be offering a fine show - even in late July.
Be rewarded in the evenings by excellent Italian cooking as you share your yarns of the day.
Just get yourself to Turin, and leave the rest to us.

Season

Early Jul to mid Sep

Departures to date

Pricing

Please do note that we are able to organise variants of the this trek should you not have the full two weeks to spare, or should the dates not suit, contact us to discuss the options.

Read about our flexible way of working.

How to book...

Walking Grades

grade

What's included

Accommodation : Hotel accommodation on the first and last evenings in Cogne, and on day 9 in Ceresolé Reale. All other nights are spent in mountain refuges or gîtes d'etape.
Meals : All meals are included, from your evening meal on the night of arrival to breakfast on the morning of departure. Lunches will all be in the form of picnics, except lunch in Cogne on the final day, which will be a sit down affair (also included).
Table wine with the meal is also included, should you want it. Any other drinks or food items will be at your own cost.
Should you wish to buy any special food items, there should be time to do this in Cogne on the first evening.
Transport : To and from Turin airport.
Note : There will be vehicular support throughout the two week period, in case of difficulties, and we will rendezvous with the vehicle on days 4 and 9, and day 11 should you need to. This will allow you to refresh some of your clothing should you want, and so optimise what you need to carry.
Activities : 12 days guided walking.

Itinerary

• Day 1 Pick up Turin airport, transfer by mini-bus to Cogne. Night and evening meal at accommodation in Cogne. Normally our arrival time affords you a little time to take a look around this charming village.
• Day 2 Early start (08:00). We drive to the head of the Vallone di Urtier as far as the small chapel at Gollie Superiore. From here we start our adventure, and continue up the Vallon de Urtier, cut over to the north of the valley, and gradually climb up past Laghi Pontonnet to Col di Pontonnet, from there we drop down to Rifugio Miserin, located directly by Lago Miserin. During the ascent, and from the col, we start to get a feel for the scenery that will surround us for the next 12 days. The refuge - one of Vittorio Emanuele's old lodges - cuts a rather weird sight against the little pilgrim church of Notre Dame des Neiges. 6-7 hours, elevation of 1040m.
• Day 3 From the Miserin, we climb up, initially over easy angled slopes, before gaining the ridge, and dropping down to skirt alongside the remains of the Banchi glacier to eventually gain the Colle de la Rosa. From here we drop down to Refugio Bausano. Although not the highest point on the journey, the col poses the greater challenge with some loose scree and easy scrambling to be negotiated. The route throughout the day is wonderfully remote, with superb views down from the col. 4-5 hours, total elevation of 600m.
• Day 4 From the Bausano, we have an easy descent down the Campiglia Valley and on to the Soana valley. There is some 6km to cover on tarmac road before we start to climb back up the Via Alpina towards Cima Rosta, and then down to Talasio. Our accommodation is a local guest house in the small hamlet. 6 hours, total elevation 1100m.
• Day 5 On leaving Talaiso, we continue on the Via Alpina up to Monte Arzola, and on up above the Eugio valley, until we reach Lago d'Eugio. From here our route contours around away from the lake to reach the ridge above, before beginning the descent down to the gîte d'etape at San Lorenzo. 4-5 hours, total elevation 1100m.
• Day 6 From San Lorenzo we walk up to the road head at S Giomaco, where we turn north and up towards Lago di Balma up the Valsoera valley. At fisrt we climb steeply for about 2 kilometers up to the small hamlet of Balma, where the gradient eases, as it rises to the lake - lunch. From there we carry on up through the cliffs above, always in sight of the beautiful cascade dropping down over the walls to the right of us, and on to the superbly situated Rifugio Pocchiola-Menegnello, perching above Lago di Valsoera. Although not a great distance, the elevation gained is quite substantial, and so will take the best part of the day to complete. 5-6 hours, total elevation 1400m.
• Day 7 A short day, where there's no rush to be off in the morning, and we can arrive at our next destination by mid afternoon for an opportunity to rest up. From the Menegnello, we follow the lake side before we cut up towards the Boccetta di Valsoera. The views over to the West towards France and the Vanoise are superb from here, with the Gran Paradiso massif over to the North West. From here we drop to the Rifugio Pontese. There are some steep sections, which are protected by chains on the descent to the refuge. 3-4 hours total elevation 240m.
• Day 8 This is one of the longest days, and one of the most rewarding, as it passes through high remote country, seldom visited and dotted with Ibex and Chamois. The highlight being the descent through the Noaschetta valley, known as little Tibet. Early start 07:30, and then climb steadily up to the Colle dei Becchi (2990m). We then descend down and around the massive cirque that we find ourselves in, and further on over the Piano della Bruna into the the Vallone di Noaschetta. From here, we drop down to the Rifugio Noeschetta. 6-8 hours, total ascent 800m.
• Day 9 Another early start, for a second longish day. We contour around the hill away from the refuge, before we climb up the Ciamosseretto valley as far as Casa di Caccia - another one of Vittorio Emanuele's old hunting lodges - lunch. After lunch, we find that the climb is rewarded by the incredible balcon track that circles around the Vallone del Roc - 6 to 7 km of high level track contouring around the valley at a level of 2,200m. We then drop down to Ceresole Reale, where we'll spend the night in a local hotel renowned for it's great food. 6-7 hours, total ascent 700m.
• Day 10 We follow the road West for a short period, before turning up for the steady plod up to Lago Lillet, and then Col della Terra at 2911m. The path then contours West towards the Col del Nivolé, where we stop the night at the Rigufio Chivasso.
• Day 11 From the Chivasso, we descend through the delightful Piano del Nivolé, and finally drop into the tiny hamlet of Pont at the head of Valsaveranche. Here we cross the river and turn back up the valley for a while, before starting the steady climb up towards the Chabod refuge. We'll attain a height of 2500m, when the path turns and contours above Valsaveranche, with views of Mont Blanc to the North. There is a gradual climb of 200m during this section of the walk before we reach Refugio Chabod, with the walls of Gran Paradiso towering above. 6-7 hours, total ascent 790m.
• Day 12 From Chabod, we traverse North below the Montandayné glacier, and climb up to the narrow pass of the Colli Gran Neyron Ovest at 3295m. Here we get our final direct view of Gran Paradiso to the South, coupled with Mont Blanc in the North West. We descend the other side (chains protect the more airy sections), and descend as far as Leviona d'en Haute at 2500m. Here, we re-join the Alte Via, and start our final ascent of the tour to Col Lauson at 3296. From here, we desend to Rifugio Vittorio Sella. 7-8 hours, total ascent 1340m.
• Day 13 Descend down to Cogne via the Vallone del Lauson, for lunch at our hotel at Cogne. In the afternoon, you can just relax, and be refreshed for our last evening celebratory dinner.
• Day 14 Transfer back to Turin by mini-bus. Departure time depends on flight departures, so there may be a little time to spend in the morning in Aosta.

Suitable for

Adults and young persons over 16 years.

Your welfare & protection

As a small enterprise, it's very important to us that our guests are professionally looked after during their stay with us.
Your protection : our operational base is in France, and our company in France is registered as a tour operator (habilitation touristique) and holds business failure cover and public liability cover.
Your welfare : all our activities are led by fully qualifed local Mountain Guides and International Mountain Leaders (Accompagnateurs), thus ensuring that you receive not only top professional care, but that you will also benefit from their in-depth local knowledge of the regions that we operate in.