Gran Paradiso, Italian Alps
As part of our Mont Blanc preparedness training, we set out on an overnight climb in the Italian Alps. A bit anxious since we knew we would start to be assessed based on our fitness and technical levels to make sure we could attempt Mont Blanc. Earlier that morning, following spinach frittata and croissants we had a sobering talk from the owner of Mont Blanc Guides telling us that because of the time of year, and the late cold snowy spring, this week would be taxing and we needed to prepare ourselves for the reality that “1 thing working against you on Mont Blanc will be fine, but you can’t have 2.” Followed by, “Motivation will not help you, it’s all about your fitness now.” They briefed us on the equipment we would need, what to expect at the hut, and talked us through how the avalanche transmitter would work. I had to remind myself to breath.
Gran Paradiso was our training hike to help us acclimate to the altitude, get used to the equipment, and develop the technical skills we would need to get us to the summit of Mont Blanc.
Gran Paradiso, an hour and a half from Chamonix in the Italian Alps, is the highest peak in Italy. I knew that climbing Gran Paradiso would be an accomplishment, in case we would not be allowed to summit Mont Blanc. It sits at 13,000 feet (4,061m)- it wouldn’t be a cake walk.
We set out on Tuesday afternoon to begin our hike with our goal of reaching the winter hut- a basic bare bones refuge at about 2,000m.
There was no running water or food services, so Mont Blanc Guides had to porter up chili and couscous for our dinner. Our climb to the refuge took longer than expected due to the heavy melting snow we would sink through on our snowshoes leading us to use way more energy than we would have liked.
We finally made it through to the refuge, picked our beds in the dormitory and soon after sat down to heaping bowls of chili and couscous.
I was freezing from poor preparedness on the first day and sat by the wood stove while I dried my soaking socks vowing to wear my gators and hiking pants tomorrow to avoid the uncomfortableness. We set off to bed by 7:30, me with 3 layers on and a hat hoping to at least grab a few hours of sleep before our early start. I woke up around 10:30pm desperate to go to the bathroom (outside). I walked through the kitchen where 3 French men sat seeing only by the headlamps they were wearing while they ate risotto. I went outside. The clear night allowed me to see everything clearly. I was struck with the quietness and peacefulness of the snow-covered ravines below illuminated by the moon.
At 3am alarms began going off in the cold winter hut at about 2,000 meters on Gran Paradiso. With our head lamps on we quickly got our bags packed, harnesses on, and snacked on our packed breakfasts along with instant coffee made from the boiled snow on top of the wood stove that had been running all night, warming the hut. We were ready.
We moved quickly and effectively up and across the ridges and up the mountain, tethered in groups of 4.
It was tough, but the crunchy snow below our crampons glistened in the moonlight, it was beautiful. We were in happy spirits.
Conditions of the snow forced us to remove our crampons and back to snow shoes which no one was particularly excited about. The snow shoes slowed us down. For me personally, I kept sinking at each step, creating huge energy inefficiencies which made it hard to take consistent steps without needing to stop. At 9:30am, with about 1k meters to go, they called it. We would need to turn around, assuring us it wasn’t due to our fitness, it was do to the harsh conditions.
There concerns laid in the deteriorating conditions further down the mountain much like the day before where we dealt with heavy snow we would sink into and potential falling rocks and snow avalanches. They weren’t wrong, we kept sinking and having to dig ourselves out (sometimes armpit height) to the point of frustration. As the only American in the group, they thought it was funny when I declared in my millennial voice, “I’m over this”. Nonetheless, we pressed on, reaching the van about 2:30pm ready for a shower and a nap after stopping off for gelato, coffee, and beer.
During our team dinner back in Chamonix, France, we debriefed on the day, sharing our frustrations from the day and analyzed what to expect during tomorrow’s training over wine, spaghetti carbonara, heaping plates of garlic bread and tiramisu. We had earned it.
