Day 2 began in very relaxed style, with a lie in until a ridiculously pleasant 7.30, and breakfast at 8. We would be heading into Italy for a three day trip to attempt Gran Paradiso, the highest mountain entirely within Italy, at 4,061m, which would be great preparation and acclimatisation for our attempt at Mont Blanc later in the week.

The chalet we are staying in also doubles as skiing accommodation in the winter, and has a view of both sides of the Chamonix valley, so it was such a nice start to the trip.

View from the chalet of the western side of the Chamonix valley…….

….and the view to the Eastern side, the far end of Mont Blanc peering into view.

Following breakfast our guides arrived to do a full kit inspection. We had to lie everything out on our beds so as to make sure that we had all that we needed for the trips ahead of us. I had previously made the decision to hire mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe, helmet and harness from them, and so apart for those all I didn’t ‘pass’ on where my sunglasses. As we’d be doing a fair bit of glacier work the guide advised me to have Cat 4 glasses (mine are of unknown classification, but certainly aren’t Cat 4).

The guides then took us into town prior to getting our hire equipment, so we could buy what we needed, and also to pick up some food for the next two days whilst we were away in Italy. Once we’d shopped (I picked up a rather nice, if rather expensive, pair of folding carbon poles while I was shopping too :)) we headed back to leave for Italy on the minibus. I think pretty much everyone else had everything they needed too, other than Katya, who needed a bigger rucksack, and she picked up a really nice Millet one.

After a drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel and then a gorgeous winding run around hairpin bends across and over the Aosta valley (oh and a cheeky spot of pasta lunch too at a campsite restaurant) we began a very hot ascent up to our ultimate destination for the night, the Chabon hut in the Gran Paradiso national park.

We set off from quite high up, at about 1,800m, and it was already noticeable that the air was thinner than I am used to, and so it took a little while to adjust to it, but it was fine really, the main problem being the heat, even at this altitude.

Taking a breather early on the path up to the Chabon Hut

Apart from the heat the main problem I had though was my boots. The guides wanted us to walk up in our mountaineering boots so as to make sure they didn’t give us blisters etc. Now me and borrowed boots don’t really get on very well it has to be said. Or moreover I have crap feet. When boots fit me I’m great and don’t have any problems, but if something isn’t quite right then it can be horrible, and here I just couldn’t get comfortable. Mountaineering boots are fairly unforgiving anyway being so stiff in the sole, but mine were just tight across the mid foot and I also had heel lift, a bad combination.

The walk was a two and a half hour trek to the hut at 2,700m. It was always really hot but really picturesque. I was so glad to arrive and my boots came off within seconds! I was horrified to find that I had failed to pack Compeed in my rucksack (it was down the valley in my bag in Chamonix), but thankfully I managed to borrow some from one of the others, and so was hopefully going to be good to go for the following morning.

The Chabon hut was my first in Italy (I’ve been in huts in France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria before though, and they are all slightly different). It was a nice hut, with plenty of room in the dormitory, and a decent bathroom too. We were of course in Italy so that meant lashings of pasta for dinner which I couldn’t wait for 🙂 The hut sleeps about 80 people, and they are building an extension to increase capacity. Everyone else was there to climb Gran Paradiso too.

The Chabon hut, Gran Paradiso national park.

There was also a good view up from the hut of our objective the next morning, Gran Paradiso itself! Although we couldn’t quite see the summit, most of the mountain and the glacier were in view, and it looked a long way up – the ascent would be about 1,400m in fact.

Looking up the glacier from the Chabon hut – the summit is hidden at the back middle of the picture.

Once settled in, we had a practice session putting on crampons and ropes and the like ready for the morning, as our next time doing this would be in the dark on the glacier in the  morning. Following this we all tucked in to a massive dinner of spaghetti bolognaise, followed by a big plate of stew, then chocolate mousse. It would have been rude to say no! Then it was an early night with lights out at about 9, with a quick bit of rucksack preparation ready for a 3.30 alarm call…..

We would leave for the summit at 4am the next day………