Gran Paradiso

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gran Paradiso

The Gran Paradiso
Elevation 4,061 metres (13,323 ft)
Location Flag of Italy Italy
Range Graian Alps
Prominence 1,891 m (6,204 ft)
Coordinates 45°32′N, 7°16′E
First ascent September 4, 1860 by Cowell, Dundas, Payot and Tairraz
Easiest route rock/ice climb

The Gran Paradiso (French: Grand Paradis), the 7th highest mountain in the Graian Alps with Mont Blanc being the highest, is located in the Aosta Valley region of north-west Italy. The peak is close to Mont Blanc on the nearby border with France, but lies entirely within Italian territory. The Gran Paradiso is the only mountain whose summit reaches over 4,000 metres that is entirely within Italian territory.

The highest summit was first reached on September 4, 1860 by J. J. Cowell, W. Dundas, J. Payot and J. Tairraz. Today it is generally considered an easy climb, except for the last 60 metres to the top. Climbs normally start from either the Rifugio Chabod or the Rifugio Vittorio Emanuele. The latter is named after Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy who created the Gran Paradiso royal reserve in 1856, presently Gran Paradiso National Park.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: