We have many clients who complete the Tour du Mont Blanc and Walkers Haute Route with us and then ask the question what's next? Therefore we have for some time been looking for a new challenge within this area of the Alps.

There are lots on offer, Tour of the Matterhorn, Tour of the Monte Rosa but one that stood out for a number of reasons was the Traverse of the Gran Paradiso. Why? In 2014 we recced the route to find out....
This amazing trek takes you through the Gran Paradiso National Park high in the mountains to the west of the Aosta Valley from Champorcher in the south to Courmayeur in the North.

The trail is amazing, remote and quiet. Some days we trekked all day and only cam across a couple of other fellow walkers. The scenery is stunning, wildlife in abundance as we passed great herds of Ibex, watched marmots play and enjoyed the sights of Eagles gliding above the rock faces and over the high valleys.
Challenging is an appropriate word to describe the route, the ascents and descents are steep and tough so a great deal of good mountain fitness is required and its not for the faint hearted as you gain some incredibly lofty positions well over 3000m with the highest col being Col Loson at 3300m!

One important factor that we mustn't overlook... This trek is in Italy for its entirety, which means fantastic food, wine and coffee at every rest stop. The accommodation is friendly and welcoming as only the Italians know hoe to do.

So if you are looking for a new challenge for summer 2015 look no further, the Traverse of the Gran Paradiso is a fantastic gem. We offer this trek Self- guided and we also have a bespoke guided trek running in August 2015 with bag transfer support.