Going on an adventure on a whim… Who hasn’t dreamt of it? Prepare your walking shoes, your backpack and come discover the unforgettable adventure of a last-minute excursion to the wonderful Italian peaks.
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A minimal preparation for a maxi challenge
Italy is full of incredible trekking routes, and I am about to pass near the Gran Paradiso National Park. The tour of Gran Paradiso is a trek of 5,000 m of elevation gain over 70 km, including 3 magnificent passes at over 3,000 m. How can I miss the opportunity to do one of the most beautiful treks of my life?
Only downsides: I don’t have any gear with me, the weather forecast announces severe rain for the next four days and I must be back in France shortly.
But when you want, you can, right? So, departure tomorrow, at dawn! I won’t have time to do a meticulous planning of the route and I must hurry to buy the bare minimum of equipment.
In short, I’m a little in the dark as to what really awaits me on the route, but I know it will be an exciting adventure. I finish my preparation with the usual all-you-can-eat sushi before heading into the unknown!
2 days in 1: Details of an intensive trek
For the route, I took strong inspiration in one of a guide, composed of 6 stages of 6 to 8 hours per day. The program will be loaded. Indeed, being pressed for time, I will have to do at least 2 stages a day! All this, with a 17 kg bag on the back, because it’s a trek in complete autonomy! It is therefore necessary to carry the tent and the food to eat during the whole adventure. It is obviously possible to easily optimize this weight, but not with a last minute preparation and first price equipments.
Besides these minor details, the trek is on! The landscapes are splendid. The first day is filled with lakes, the second is more characterized by its vast expanses and the crossing of a glacier, while the last day, which is the most challenging, offers generally a forest playground.
The days are long and difficult. On the first day, I manage to complete 2 stages as planned. The second, I am forced to do a third stage after 5 p.m. (the 5th therefore)! Indeed, the rain is following me closely, and I am at the level of the most dangerous pass. I absolutely have to complete it while it is dry. I arrive completely exhausted! But no sleeping in the next day, leaving at 5 a.m., after a short night. I greatly appreciated the sushi the day before departure, so for the last stage, I tear myself away and give absolutely everything I have left to succeed in returning there before returning to France! It’s these kinds of small personal victories that make me happiest.
A well-accompanied loneliness
Loneliness is one of my favorite aspects of nature adventures. To find yourself alone with your thoughts, far from the noise, the rhythm of society, from everything! To be just as amazed as vulnerable in the face of the immensity of the mountains… I can’t explain it, but it all feels good and seems to me to be very formative.
However, during this trek, I had the chance to cross the path of many animals. A lot ! Much more than usual. I must admit that I was not very reassured when I crossed a herd of baby ibexes under the insistent gaze of the males, who followed me a little too closely, for 500 m of descent.
Another anecdote: Arrived at night, after a long day, I set up camp. Being in a no bivouac zone and quite stressed by this kind of thing, I avoid lighting too much. Consequently, I do not notice a fox watching me. When I notice him, he is only a meter away from me. Seeing that he’s not afraid of my big scary eyes, without really knowing why, like a dominant feline, I start hissing to try to scare him away. The staring duel drags on, and the fox continues to approach slowly. It was only after being charged that he decided to flee! Let’s hope that the next visitors will not be so reckless tonight!
I finally manage to achieve this challenge in less than three days, almost dry. Armed with a 17 kg bag, on a route of 70 km and 5,000 m of elevation to climb (but especially to descend, ouch the knees), I took full the peepers. This adventure is a good proof that you do not have to wait for the stars to be aligned to get started and follow your desires, even the little crazy ones.
