kenjohnson - Jul 24, 2013 5:25 am Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2013
Gran paradiso
Traverse of Gran Paradiso from the Chabod Hut and spent second night in the Refigio Vittorio Emanuele. Very busy summit!
JuhoK - Jun 29, 2013 6:28 am Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2013
North face
Nice starter for the alpine summer. Great conditions. Climbed the whole face in 1.5h from the bergschrund to the top.
Alberto Rampini - Feb 15, 2013 4:06 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 1983
North face Diemberger route
Great ice-climb!
rgg - Sep 14, 2012 10:22 am Date Climbed: Sep 6, 2012
A fine climb on a great day
We were among the last leaving Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II.
The day before, I had already scouted the first part of the route, so we wouldn't have to search for it with our head lights. As we started, we saw the lights of several other parties ahead of us, higher up in the talus or beyond. We ignored them and choose our own way across the talus near the refuge, staying low, where the going was easier.
Once past the boulders, the terrain got easy again. Not long after that we saw several groups of headlights moving towards the normal route as well as parties going the alternative way, which is what we had been advised to do in the refuge.
We came to a short scramble on the alternative way, with cairns all over, including a rather conspicuous one in the wrong place. That is, when we got to the cairn, the easy path ended, so I went straight up the rocks. Easy enough at first, but a bit higher I thought that this couldn't be right, so I climbed down a little and traversed to easier ground before going up again.
As Mark noted, we climbed as far as the statue and called it a day at that point. The ridge beyond, which would lead to the marginally higher true summit, had fresh snow on it, which made it a bit tricky, and neither of us wanted to go there. Now, I'm not in the business of collecting 4000-ers, but should I decide someday that I want to bag Gran Paradiso after all, I'll have a go at one of the northern or north-eastern routes.
Despite not reaching the true summit, it was a nicely varied route with great views all day long, making it a quite enjoyable climb.
markhallam - Sep 13, 2012 2:52 am Date Climbed: Sep 6, 2012
A fine day
2nd summit of the new international rgg-mh mountain alliance. Climbed from Vittorio Emanuele Hut fairly soon after fresh snow which made everything that little bit more beautiful - albeit summit rocks a little bit harder and we, like all others went no further than the Madonna summit - which I maintain is good enough for government work, rgg not so sure and might have to go climb it again! (are all his fellow countrymen so particular?).
Silvia Mazzani - Aug 31, 2012 11:31 am Date Climbed: Jun 25, 1978
My first 4000m peak
Normal Route from Vittorio Emanuele Hut.
fubar7500 - Jul 13, 2012 10:27 am Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2012
via Vitorio Emanuele II
Starting at 6.00 am, quite sunny day, in upper parts little bit windy, chilly. Summit with Madona was completly occupied by crazy and nervous crowds:-) Moving to Chamonix now to MB..
markthejock - Jun 30, 2012 4:11 am Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2012
Normal route
Nice snow plod with some great views from the summit ridge. Weather closed in on the descent turning all other parties around. It was an unexpected pleasure to have the summit to ourselves.
markthejock - Jun 30, 2012 4:11 am Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2012
Normal route
Nice snow plod with some great views from the summit ridge. Weather closed in on the descent turning all other parties around. It was an unexpected pleasure to have the summit to ourselves.
hunterslee - Dec 16, 2011 12:53 am Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2010
Normal Route
Fun Climb, lots of people up there...
[X] Bird - Sep 14, 2011 10:23 am Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2011
Normal Route
Did the Normal route, nice and easy climb. Was a bit cold that day but we where the 3rd group on the summit so we did not have to wait. Poor 50 buggers behind us, brrrrr....
Bo1981 - Aug 13, 2011 3:39 pm Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2011
Normal route to Paradise
My friend and I wanted to climb Mont Blanc (3 Monts route) but due to bad weather we did the Gran Paradiso instead on advice of our guide. We loved it.. and given our relative inexperience it was really better to try the Gran Paradiso normal route first. The last bit was quite scary to me, not having any experience with crampooning on rocks over a cliff. But as our guide said 'it is good for you to learn this skill if you want to continue mounteneering' so I (wo)manned up and did it :D. What a feeling to reach the Maria statue on the peak of Gran Paradiso! Our guide advised me to do a bit more technical training and then do a non-standard route to the top of Mont Blanc. Sounds good to me! :)
xpda - Aug 10, 2011 6:05 pm Date Climbed: May 18, 1996
Normal Route
Spent the night in the refuge. Used skis with crampons.
Koen - Jul 25, 2011 4:05 am Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2011
Normal from Chabod
Nice hike up the glacier, beautiful and unique view on the Alps like I haven't seen before (all the way from Ecrins to Monte Rosa and Wallis... The throng of guides and clients near the Madonna statue was interesting to witness... Chabod hut excellent!!!
climbxclimb - Jun 26, 2011 4:18 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2011
North Face
Climbed the North Face in perfect conditions with WouterB
WouterB - Jun 26, 2011 2:43 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2011
North Face ascent
Climbed the North Face with fellow SP'er climbxclimb. Made it in quite a good time, but it must be said that the route was in picture perfect condition. Way too crowded on the top.
domipost - Jun 25, 2011 1:52 pm Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2010
Normal route
Watched the soccer World Cup finals in the hut the evening before, so was pretty tired from going to sleep late. Nice tour though. But a very crowded ridge leading to the (madonna) summit. Waited for about an hour there before being able to safely pass.
Jake - Jun 1, 2011 5:12 am Date Climbed: May 30, 2011
from Ref. Chabod
Early ascent, before the recommended season. Start at 5am, beautiful weather, very hot at the end of the day. Met only two groups of British climbers with the guides. Glacier very wet at the end...
4-00 am start Nice Grad. Approach to the Mountain. Perfect conditions, Nice scrambling on the blocky ridge busy on first (main) Summit. short ab. then off to slightly higher and quieter summit with smaller maddonna! Fantastic Views. Nothing Harder than PD.
darien17 - Mar 16, 2011 10:22 am Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2010
Normal Route
Waked up at 03:00,very cold day,above 3800m we entered into a storm and on around 4000m just below the summit turned back due to high winds
kenjohnson - Jul 24, 2013 5:25 am Date Climbed: Jul 14, 2013
Gran paradisoTraverse of Gran Paradiso from the Chabod Hut and spent second night in the Refigio Vittorio Emanuele. Very busy summit!
JuhoK - Jun 29, 2013 6:28 am Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2013
North faceNice starter for the alpine summer. Great conditions. Climbed the whole face in 1.5h from the bergschrund to the top.
Alberto Rampini - Feb 15, 2013 4:06 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 1983
North face Diemberger routeGreat ice-climb!
rgg - Sep 14, 2012 10:22 am Date Climbed: Sep 6, 2012
A fine climb on a great dayWe were among the last leaving Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele II.
The day before, I had already scouted the first part of the route, so we wouldn't have to search for it with our head lights. As we started, we saw the lights of several other parties ahead of us, higher up in the talus or beyond. We ignored them and choose our own way across the talus near the refuge, staying low, where the going was easier.
Once past the boulders, the terrain got easy again. Not long after that we saw several groups of headlights moving towards the normal route as well as parties going the alternative way, which is what we had been advised to do in the refuge.
We came to a short scramble on the alternative way, with cairns all over, including a rather conspicuous one in the wrong place. That is, when we got to the cairn, the easy path ended, so I went straight up the rocks. Easy enough at first, but a bit higher I thought that this couldn't be right, so I climbed down a little and traversed to easier ground before going up again.
As Mark noted, we climbed as far as the statue and called it a day at that point. The ridge beyond, which would lead to the marginally higher true summit, had fresh snow on it, which made it a bit tricky, and neither of us wanted to go there. Now, I'm not in the business of collecting 4000-ers, but should I decide someday that I want to bag Gran Paradiso after all, I'll have a go at one of the northern or north-eastern routes.
Despite not reaching the true summit, it was a nicely varied route with great views all day long, making it a quite enjoyable climb.
markhallam - Sep 13, 2012 2:52 am Date Climbed: Sep 6, 2012
A fine day2nd summit of the new international rgg-mh mountain alliance. Climbed from Vittorio Emanuele Hut fairly soon after fresh snow which made everything that little bit more beautiful - albeit summit rocks a little bit harder and we, like all others went no further than the Madonna summit - which I maintain is good enough for government work, rgg not so sure and might have to go climb it again! (are all his fellow countrymen so particular?).
Silvia Mazzani - Aug 31, 2012 11:31 am Date Climbed: Jun 25, 1978
My first 4000m peakNormal Route from Vittorio Emanuele Hut.
fubar7500 - Jul 13, 2012 10:27 am Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2012
via Vitorio Emanuele IIStarting at 6.00 am, quite sunny day, in upper parts little bit windy, chilly. Summit with Madona was completly occupied by crazy and nervous crowds:-) Moving to Chamonix now to MB..
markthejock - Jun 30, 2012 4:11 am Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2012
Normal routeNice snow plod with some great views from the summit ridge. Weather closed in on the descent turning all other parties around. It was an unexpected pleasure to have the summit to ourselves.
markthejock - Jun 30, 2012 4:11 am Date Climbed: Jun 6, 2012
Normal routeNice snow plod with some great views from the summit ridge. Weather closed in on the descent turning all other parties around. It was an unexpected pleasure to have the summit to ourselves.
hunterslee - Dec 16, 2011 12:53 am Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2010
Normal RouteFun Climb, lots of people up there...
[X] Bird - Sep 14, 2011 10:23 am Date Climbed: Jul 18, 2011
Normal RouteDid the Normal route, nice and easy climb. Was a bit cold that day but we where the 3rd group on the summit so we did not have to wait. Poor 50 buggers behind us, brrrrr....
Bo1981 - Aug 13, 2011 3:39 pm Date Climbed: Aug 9, 2011
Normal route to ParadiseMy friend and I wanted to climb Mont Blanc (3 Monts route) but due to bad weather we did the Gran Paradiso instead on advice of our guide. We loved it.. and given our relative inexperience it was really better to try the Gran Paradiso normal route first. The last bit was quite scary to me, not having any experience with crampooning on rocks over a cliff. But as our guide said 'it is good for you to learn this skill if you want to continue mounteneering' so I (wo)manned up and did it :D. What a feeling to reach the Maria statue on the peak of Gran Paradiso! Our guide advised me to do a bit more technical training and then do a non-standard route to the top of Mont Blanc. Sounds good to me! :)
xpda - Aug 10, 2011 6:05 pm Date Climbed: May 18, 1996
Normal RouteSpent the night in the refuge. Used skis with crampons.
Koen - Jul 25, 2011 4:05 am Date Climbed: Jul 22, 2011
Normal from ChabodNice hike up the glacier, beautiful and unique view on the Alps like I haven't seen before (all the way from Ecrins to Monte Rosa and Wallis... The throng of guides and clients near the Madonna statue was interesting to witness... Chabod hut excellent!!!
climbxclimb - Jun 26, 2011 4:18 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2011
North FaceClimbed the North Face in perfect conditions with WouterB
WouterB - Jun 26, 2011 2:43 pm Date Climbed: Jun 26, 2011
North Face ascentClimbed the North Face with fellow SP'er climbxclimb. Made it in quite a good time, but it must be said that the route was in picture perfect condition. Way too crowded on the top.
domipost - Jun 25, 2011 1:52 pm Date Climbed: Jul 12, 2010
Normal routeWatched the soccer World Cup finals in the hut the evening before, so was pretty tired from going to sleep late. Nice tour though. But a very crowded ridge leading to the (madonna) summit. Waited for about an hour there before being able to safely pass.
Jake - Jun 1, 2011 5:12 am Date Climbed: May 30, 2011
from Ref. ChabodEarly ascent, before the recommended season. Start at 5am, beautiful weather, very hot at the end of the day. Met only two groups of British climbers with the guides. Glacier very wet at the end...
tomshaw - Apr 24, 2011 3:00 pm Date Climbed: Jul 11, 2010
from Vittorio Emanuele Refuge-Norma Route4-00 am start Nice Grad. Approach to the Mountain. Perfect conditions, Nice scrambling on the blocky ridge busy on first (main) Summit. short ab. then off to slightly higher and quieter summit with smaller maddonna! Fantastic Views. Nothing Harder than PD.
darien17 - Mar 16, 2011 10:22 am Date Climbed: Jul 27, 2010
Normal RouteWaked up at 03:00,very cold day,above 3800m we entered into a storm and on around 4000m just below the summit turned back due to high winds