wandelgids Trekking Gran Paradiso: Alta Via 2

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, Courmayeur

Difficulty
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.

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