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Long weekends in Italy: Gran Paradiso

Valsavarenche

A nice long weekend in the Gran Paradiso National Park, July 2003.

The Grand Collet pass

Nicely settled into the Genzianella hotel, after a fine dinner following a vigorous trot along up to the Vittorio Emanuele II hut, and kept awake by some very-late-night oohing and aahing in the next room, hikers assemble the next day (12 July 2003) and set off from Pont trailhead (1960m) up the right side of the valley this time, bound for the pass at Grand Collet.

Hikers taking a break

Mr Chamois taking a break

But now it's time for lunch!

Huts at Alpage de Seyvaz (2358m) and time for lunch.

The last rocky little plateau before the col, or pass, of Grand Collet (2832m).

There's the col, a big sandy, gravely thing, not real easy to navigate, but worth it once one's on top. But what then? A lot more fun going up than going down, not unlike Hollywood stardom.

The view from the col Grand Collet, extraordinarily uplifting and inspiriting and welcome in these fallen times.

The view over the far side of the col (looking west), with a long French/Italian name that we won't try to reproduce here.

The rocky cairn at the col and the view behind. Very nice, but it's time to start thinking about another Genzianella dinner, with cheese, and ice-cold beer. Let's clear out and say another fond goodbye to the heights.

Hikers bolting back down towards Pont for the evening's Genzianella specialties with cheese on top, included in the room price, wine and beer extra.

Unable to hold out for dinner, hikers review the possibilities for another lunch at the huts of Seyvaz on the way home.

Feedback and suggestions are welcome if positive, resented if negative, Dwight Peck at . All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 15 September 2003, revised 31 July 2007.

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