Gran Paradiso

North-west wall of the Gran Paradiso

The Gran Paradiso (franz: Grand Paradis ) is at an altitude of 4061 m slm the highest mountain in the Alps Graian and simultaneously the highest mountain, which stands completely on Italian soil at its base. It is located in the Gran Paradiso National Park, which has emerged from a 1856 on the protection of the Alpine ibex created royal hunting reserve. This national park is the oldest in Italy and the second oldest in the Alps.

Geography

The massif of the Gran Paradiso rises in northwestern Italy and consists mainly of gneiss. From the main Alpine ridge, the north continues along the Pennine Alps and Mont Blanc bends to the south, he is clearly separated, making it a rewarding panoramic mountain. The panorama from the summit of the Ecrins Monviso, the Savoy Alps with Mont Blanc to the Valais Alps Grand Combin, Matterhorn and Monte Rosa. The Paradiso Stick is the best of the north of the Aosta Valley on the Valsavarenche or over Val di Cogne and the Valnontey accessible. To the southeast the foothills go relatively quickly over the plain of Piedmont. Characteristic of the massif are Taleinschnitte deep with steep rocky slopes, sharp peaks and narrow ridges. It is partly covered by massive glaciers.

Alpinism

The Gran Paradiso is regarded as one of the most easily scalable Four peaks in the Alps. His first ascent was made on September 4, 1860 by JJ Cowell, W. Dundas, J. Payot and J. Tairraz. Their route over the divide poor Ghiacciaio del Gran Paradiso today forms the usual normal route from Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II Most climbers enter at the end not the 4,061 m high main peak, but the neighboring, almost as high rocky summit, which is crowned with a statue of the Madonna. In the last ten meters across exposed to the Madonna (difficulty UIAA II) due to the comparatively large crowds traveling in opposite directions it is frequently too delicate scenes.

Another little more difficult and often committed route from Rifugio Chabod over the Ghiacciaio di Laveciau up to the so-called donkey-back, where it unites with the from Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II coming normal route. The routes from the east side to the summit are significantly more demanding than the normal routes of the west side. The 600 -meter-high north-west wall offers a classic Eisanstieg (up to 55 °). It was climbed for the first time in 1958 by Bertolone, Kurt Diem Berger straightened the route in the exit.