Walking and Trekking in the Gran Paradiso. Gillian Price

Gran Nomenon and Bivacco Gontier (Walk 6)

Emergencies

      All walkers should have insurance cover. Those from the EU need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which has replaced the old E111. Holders are entitled to free or subsidised emergency health treatment in Italy. UK residents can apply online at www.dh.gov.uk. Australia has a similar reciprocal agreement with Italy – see www.medicareaustralia.gov.au. All other nationalities need to take out suitable cover.

      Travel insurance to cover an alpine walking holiday is also strongly recommended as costs for rescue can be hefty. There is usually a special policy for members of alpine clubs – see Accommodation.

      ‘Help’ is aiuto in Italian and ‘ need help’ is Ho bisogno di aiuto (o bee-zon-yoh dee eye-yoo-toh). If you need help, experienced staff at refuges can always be relied on in emergencies.

      The international rescue signals can come in handy: the call for help is six signals per minute. These can be visual (such as waving a handkerchief or flashing a torch) or audible (whistling or shouting). They are to be repeated after a one-minute pause. The answer is three visual or audible signals per minute, to be repeated after a one-minute pause. Anyone who sees or hears such a call for help must contact the nearest refuge or police station as quickly as possible.

      The general emergency telephone number in Italy is 112, while calls for soccorso alpino (mountain rescue) need to be made to 118.

      View upvalley from Rifugio Bezzi (Walk 17)

      The arm signals in the box above could be useful for communicating with a helicopter.

Mountaineering and guides

      Attractive rock and glacier itineraries abound in this region. One extremely popular route is the Gran Paradiso summit, its attraction augmented by the fact it is the one and only above-4000m peak wholly within Italian territory. A mixed rock and ice climb, it is best tackled with the assistance of a qualified local guide who can recommend further excursions suited to your experience and capabilities. Enquire at the refuges or contact the official guides associations listed below.

      Lago Lillet (Walk 20)

      Northern valleys:

      Cogne Tel [phone] www.guidealpinecogne.it

      Pont Valsavarenche Tel [phone] www.espritmontagne.com

      [email protected]

      Valgrisenche Tel [phone] www.guidevalgrisenche.com

      Southern valleys:

      Ivrea Tel [phone] www.4026.it

Maps

      An excellent general road map is the 1:200,000 ‘Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta’ map published by the Touring Club taliano (TCI) and widely available both in Italy and overseas.

      As far as walking maps go, Blu Edizioni has done a good 1:50,000 version of the whole park; its sole drawback is that it does not cover the start and latter half of the Alta Via 2 as they are beyond the park confines.

      L’Escursionista (www.lescursionista.it) and IGC (www.istitutogeograficocentrale.it) both produce an excellent series of 1:25,000 walking maps. Appropriate maps are listed in the information boxes at the start of each stage or walk.

      Most of the above are on sale at bookshops and newspaper kiosks throughout the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Valle d'Aosta, as well as overseas map outlets and outdoor gear shops.

      Note: Due to the region's history, the spelling of place names varies considerably on both signposts and maps and discrepancies are common; for instance a col may be referred to as either finestra in the Italian version or fenêtre in French. Moreover the Valle d'Aosta Regional Authority is currently working on re-introducing toponyms for both maps and signposts in the ancient patois. In the not-too-distant future these may well substitute what are currently widely recognised versions in Italian and French and undoubtedly cause confusion. Be aware of this possibility and be prepared to exercise a little linguistic elasticity when map reading! Path numbering is also subject to ongoing revision and there may well be minor discrepancies between the path numbers given in this guide and those on new signposts.

      The sketch maps aim to give an idea of the location of the routes described, together with significant geographical features, but are not intended as substitutes for the commercial maps listed above. They are intended to help with orientation and pre-trip preparation. (See the sketch map legend on page 6 for an explanation of the symbols used.) Finally, an Italian-English glossary is provided as an appendix; it contains a wealth of terminology found on maps.

Accommodation

      Everything from guesthouses, converted farms, cosy refuges, spartan sanctuaries and bivouac huts is available, not to mention campsites. Local options are listed in the individual walk descriptions. Whatever your accommodation, it is a good idea to settle your bill in the evening so as not to waste valuable time in the morning. Affittacamere is a B&B and an albergo is a hotel.

      Rifugi

      Rifugio Savoia (Walk 15)

      A rifugio (rifugi is plural) is a manned mountain hut usually located in a scenic high altitude spot, providing hot meals and overnight accommodation during the summer. The majority are run by the Italian Alpine Club (Club Alpino Italiano or CAI) as well as local families and anyone is welcome to use the facilities. They come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, such as a converted hunting lodge, former electricity board building and an old farm.

      Rifugio Miserin and the sanctuary (AV2 Stage 2)

      The beauty of the refuge network is the flexibility it gives walkers and climbers. The atmosphere is generally friendly and helpful and the staff are a motley crew including students, assorted members of local families and alpine guides. They all share tasks, including unloading the precious supplies brought in by helicopter, jeep, mechanised cableway, horseback or even backpack. Due to the strict regu-ations, only refuges outside the park boundaries can use mechanised options.

      As far as visitor facilities go, there may be a choice between a private room with fresh linen or a bunk bed in the dormitorio (dormitory) where blankets or a continental quilt are provided. A lightweight personal sleeping sheet (with or without a pillow case) is compulsory in CAI huts and recommended elsewhere. Likewise, a towel is essential as the majority of huts provide a doccia calda (hot shower). (You may need to ask for a gettone (token) to operate the shower and be warned that water flow is often timed.) In this book, all refuges have a hot shower unless mentioned otherwise.

      CAI refuges offer discounted rates for its members and alpine clubs with reciprocal agreements. UK residents may wish to join the UK branch of the Austrian Alpine Club (http://aacuk.org.uk) if not the Italian Club (www.cai.it), both of which include rescue and emergency insurance cover.

      Remember to change enough foreign currency before setting