With a partly cloudy weather forecast we
thought we were looking good for a ascent of Grand Paradiso. The plan was to summit and carry on to our
next destination, Rifugio Vittorio Emanuel. Leaving Chabot at 6:30 the going was easy and it was not until roping up for glacier
travel at about 3300m that the wind started to make itself known.
As we got higher the track became steeper and icier and between the wind knocking us off balance and the skis slipping on the ever increasing angled snow/ice, our forward progress ground to a halt. I confess that when I was getting battered around by the wind I neglected to get any photos that in any way reflected the day.
Other parties were turning around but from
the altitude we had gained we could reach an alternative route to get us to our
new hut. This is big country and like contour maps everywhere, a little blip on
the map can be an unexpected cliff.
Being off the planned route was a delicate matter and finding our way
through steep, unfamiliar country, in cold windy conditions was getting nerve wracking when the expected hut came into view (being silver and three
stories tall was a help!).
While skiing the hard frozen spring snow was not pleasant, each turn brought us to a lower and more manageable elevation, by the time we reached the comfort of the hut the mood had lightened considerably and we all settled in for some well deserved refreshments. I have discovered that a double shot of expresso, referred to as a "cafe cafe" and a little water makes a reasonable replica of a Relishes long black.
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On the Google maps image below the blue line was the intended route to the summit of Grand Paradiso and the red line is our actual route to Vittorio Emanuel Hut.
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