Available trips
| Sat 10th Apr 10
- Sat 17th Apr 10 |
8 Days |
| Jon Baird | £ 975 |
| Last Few Places | |
Skill: ****
The advanced level ski tours are challenging tours and only suitable for those who have previously completed at least 1
multi-day ski tour or have a lot of day ski touring experience. Good skinning technique, kick-turns, experience of using
crampons and walking/climbing uphill with your ski's on your rucksack are essential skills.
You need to be a confident and competent advanced off-piste skier, able to ski in all conditions with a heavy rucksack on
with all you need for a week hut-to-hut.
Stamina: ****
The advanced level ski tours are nearly all hut-to-hut. Typical ascents each day are between 800 - 1200m, 4 - 6hrs of uphill
ski touring with some walking/climbing involved. You will be carrying a pack weighing 7-10kgs with all you need for the week in
it, so physical fitness, stamina and endurance is very important.
Participants need to be working on their fitness well in advance of the tour with lots of aerobic exercise, stamina and endurance training to get the most from these trips.
The Gran Paradiso at 4061m is the highest mountain entirely within Italy and sits in one of the most idyllic National Parks
in the Alps.
During the week we undertake a circumnavigation of the massif culminating with an ascent and traverse of the Gran Paradiso
towards the end of the week.
The trails are generally quieter than in France and Switzerland and when combined with the dramatic scenery and the friendly, relaxing huts with convivial Italian ambience it all adds up to a great week's ski touring!
Read more about Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy Enquire about this tripItinerary
Day 1:Arrive in Valsavarenche and and meet up with your Mountain Tracks guide for an initial briefing and
review of the itinerary. Stay overnight in the Hotel Gran Paradiso.
Day 2: Take a taxi for the short ride to the trailhead in the hamlet of Pont from here it is a 3 hour
skin up 800m to the Vittoria Emanuelle hut (2732m) where you stay overnight.
Day 3:Skin eastwards and climb for 600m (2.5hrs) to Col del Gran Paradiso 3346m. If conditions are good an
ascent can be made of La Tresenta (3609m) before descending onto the Noaschetta glacier to the Col della Losa (3129m) and down
to the Rifugio Pontese (2200m)
Day 4:You turn northwards and skin for 1100m (4hrs) to the Col di Teleccio (3304m) and descend the Glacier and
Val di Valeille to the road at Lillaz (1600m). From here you take a taxi for the 10km journey to Valnontey above Cogne (famous
ice climbing village) where you stay in a very pleasant local hotel (Hotel La Barme, Valnontey)
Day 5:This is an uphill-only day walking and skinning up 900m (3.5hrs) to the Vittorio Sella refuge (2584m).
Day 6:This is another big and challenging day. The traverse of the Grand Serra (3552m) involves a total ascent
of about 1500m to the Chabod refuge (2750m).
Day 7:Saving the best until last, today you undertake the classic traverse of the Gran Paradiso (4061m). There
is a 1300m glacial ascent with a rocky scramble to finish followed by huge descent of 2100m back to our starting point in Pont.
Return to the hotel in Valsavaverenche for your final night.
Day 8:Depart after breakfast
We will make every endeavour to carry out the above itinerary but alterations may have to be made owing to weather and snow conditions.
Additional Information
Private group departures available on request from mid March until early May.
Prices
All prices are per person
The price includes: all guiding fees & expenses, 3 nights hotel accommodation (2 HB and 1 b&b), 4 nights
half-board accommodation in mountain huts
The price does not include: equipment hire, personal insurance, travel to/from Valsavarenche, local transfers, lunches
and beverages.
We exclude the cost for any transfers because our use of these is dependent on weather and snow conditions. Based on
previous trips the cost of transfers for this week will be less than €50 per person.
Group Size
The maximum guide ratio is 1:4 and the maximum group size is 8 with 2 guides.
Accommodation and meals
You spend 3 nights in hotel accommodation and the other 4 nights are spent in traditional alpine mountain huts. The huts
are amongst the friendliest on the circuit – very welcoming and friendly; ideal places to relax after long days on the hill.
Food is generally nourishing and plentiful. It is possible to leave some luggage in Valsavarenche whilst you are in the
mountain huts as you will return there for the final night.
Equipment
A copy of our
recommended kit list will be sent to you at the
time of booking.
Ski touring gear is essential for this tour including boot crampons, ski crampons and ice-axe. All skiers will need to
carry a pack (40-45 litres) with safety gear, a minimal change of clothes for the evenings and personal items.
Everyone is expected to ski at all times with the three essential items of avalanche safety equipment: transceiver,
shovel and probe. If you ski off-piste regularly we recommend you purchase your own set and we have a special offer on BCA’s
excellent DTS Tracker.
Equipment Hire
There are no places to hire ski equipment in Valsavarenche and so it is essential that you bring your own ski equipment.
On request our guides can provide harnesses, crampons, ice-axes and avalanche safety equipment.
Insurance
It is a condition of booking that you are insured for ski touring 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.