The morning alarms will wake us up at 4:00. It might not be the most comfortable to wake up after a restless night, but that is the time at which you need to start hikes in high mountains for a comfortable margin of safety. We’ll have breakfast, put on our gear, and organize ourselves for the climb ahead of us.
This will be the second toughest day of the week, where we’ll see who is ready for Mont Blanc. The climb takes from 4 to 5 hours with 1,350 meters of ascent. The first hour and a half is a regular hike. After that, we put on our crampons, switch the hiking poles for the ice-axe, and rope up for the traverse of the glacier. There is some exposed but fairly easy climbing traverse of the ridge at the end. If you’re okay with that part, you won’t have any problem with vertigo or scrambling on the Mont Blanc climb.
After congratulating each other at the top, we start our 2 hours and a half descent. Because of the elevation, you’ll probably be quite tired, so don’t underestimate it. At the hut, you’ll have the rest of the day to bask in the sun (don’t forget sunscreen), relax until dinner, and have a good night’s sleep after that.
Climbing Gran Paradiso, the highest peak of Italy
Afternoon rest in the Chabod Hut