Day 1
Arrive in Chamonix for the evening welcome meeting, guide's briefing and kit check. Stay overnight in the town.

Day 2
After breakfast we transfer through the Mt Blanc Tunnel to Val grisenche. From the roadhead at Usellieres we take a gentle track to the Bezzi Hut. It’s a perfect spot for acclimatisation with great food, showers and a bar.

Day 3
A gradual climb below the Grand Traversiere leads us to the Col Bessac Dere (3082m). from the col we make an ascent of the Becca Traversiere (3334m) which gives great views of the journey ahead. We then descend to the Refuge Benevolo (2287m) via the Golette Glacier. This hut is extremely friendly with a traditional Italian ambience and great views of the ibex grazing on the local alpage.

Day 4
Ascending from the refuge to the Col Nivolettaz (3120m) takes 3 hours. From the Col we cross the rapidly receding Bassey Glacier and scramble up the Punta Basei (3398m). We then re trace our steps to the Col and stay the night in the Refuge Chivasso.

Day 5
Descending from the hut past the lake de Nivolet we arrive in Pont where we stop for lunch and a shower. After this brief interlude we continue with our quest up to the Vittorio Emanuele Refuge, the start point for our summit bid.

Day 6
A very early start is needed from the hut on our big day, first following a good path and then onto the Glacier du Mont Gran Paradiso. This wild glacier is followed all the way to just below the summit where are short rocky scramble gains the summit. From the summit you get an unparalleled vista of the Mt Blanc massif. We descend down the crevassed glacier to the Refuge Chabod where we spend the night.

Day 7
From the Chabod hut we climb over a col and descend a Via Ferrata to the Timorion valley. The Timiron valley is a very peaceful place with wildlife, waterfalls and flowers. The trek finishes in the small hamlet of Tignet where we stop for a celebratory lunch and the transfer back to our hotel in Chamonix.

Day 8
Depart after breakfast.

Other Glacier Treks
The Alps are criss-crossed with great trails and a network of high altitude huts.
Our selection of multi-day treks include Bernese Oberland Traverse, the Eiger Trek, the Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route and the Italian High Level Route
Or why not combine trekking with some exhilarating Via Ferrate - check out our  Via Ferrate weeks in the Dolomites and our  Bocchette Way Via Ferrate week

Prices
The price includes all guiding fees & expenses, 7 nights hotel/hut accommodation; breakfasts, evening meals
The price does not include: flights, airport transfers, personal insurance, equipment hire, lunches and drinks, transfers to/from the trailhead at Pont

Single room occupancy (in hotels) may incur an additional charge.

Local Travel
On this trip we have to transfer from Chamonix through the Mont Blanc tunnel to the trailhead at Pont. The round trip journey will cost about €60 per person and is not included in the price of the trip and will need to be paid for locally in Euros.

When to come
If you are mostly interested in snow and ice climbs we recommend June. For those wanting to avoid the crowds come in September (also often the most beautiful month in the Alps as the mountain colours change autumnal.)

Group Sizes & Guide Ratios
5 people with 1 Mountain Guide

Accommodation and meals
You will spend 2 nights in a hotel in Chamonix (twin rooms)
Five nights are spent in high altitude mountain refuges in Italy. The huts have very basic facilities and dormitory style accommodation. The Italian huts always have a good ambience and plenty of good wine! Breakfast and evening meals are provided. Food is plentiful and nourishing.

Climate
The Alps generally has a very pleasant climate throughout the spring, summer and autumn with warm days and cool nights, with daytime temperatures in the valley around 22-25°C. At high altitude the temperature often goes down below -10 and can feel even colder with wind chill.

Safety awareness & training
Adventurous activities in the mountains have their dangers. These can never be removed altogether but they can be minimised. At Mountain Tracks our aim is to provide you with a thrilling holiday directed with maximum attention to your safety and that of others. We don't just blindly get you to follow our experienced leaders. We give you the opportunity to learn mountaincraft skills and understand about the hazards, how to minimise the risk, and how to cope with incidents should they happen.

Equipment
A copy of our equipment list will be sent to you at the time of booking. On request Mountain Tracks can arrange for the hire of certain technical items.

Your guides
Our Gran Paradiso trek will be led by fully qualified IFMGA mountain guides with extensive knowledge of climbing & trekking in the Alps. As well as being experts in mountain travel and safety they are also passionate about their sport and will make your alpine adventure a fantastic and memorable experience.

Getting There
The easiest way to get to Chamonix from the UK is to fly. The nearest airport is Geneva and the transfer time from the airport is about 75 minutes.
Easyjet tend to have the most affordable flights and a comprehensive service that serves many UK regional airports including Bristol, Belfast, Bournemouth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Luton, Gatwick, Liverpool, Nottingham/East Midlands and Sheffield.
Check www.easyjet.com for more details.

Insurance
It is a condition of booking that you are insured for alpine mountaineering covering personal accident, rescue and third party risks. You are strongly advised also to take out cover against cancellation and curtailment.
If you are looking to purchase insurance for your trip we recommend SNOWCARD. They specialise in travel insurance for adventure sports particularly skiing and snowboarding. Their rates for both single trip and annual policies are very competitive.

For details on their policies and to get a quote CLICK HERE or contact our office for further details.