First taste of Gran Paradiso

Gran Paradiso is a natural park full of hiking trails and a 4K peak with the same name. Inside it, the Alpine Ibex found its last stronghold and managed to survive extinction in the 19th century. Now Ibexes are protected and they enjoy a glorious high-altitude life here. There are specific rules when you visit with a dog, certain months in the year, and selected routes you are allowed to hike. Our entry point to the park was through a gnarly road with barely enough space for 1 car. Do the dam workers have to do this for their daily? commute, yikes. The artificial lake has a turquoise color that looks unreal, almost like a painting.

On the right side, a path is leading you to Rifugio Pontese at 2.200m. You can see it in the distance, perched on top of the rocks. A fairly easy hike though we seem to encounter half of Turin along it. I decide to take a few sips from a fresh mountain stream that trickles down a rock face. Feels nice and fresh, I argue that it should be pretty clean, given the unspoiled nature around it. Yana points to some Ibex poop inside a similar stream, and Strelka decides to also destroy my water supply thesis by peeing into it. Point taken...

The view from the Rifugio doesn't disappoint. The lake and dam underneath us, served on a plater. Peaks towering above, covered in clouds. Trails continue to higher grounds. A perfect place to eat snakos and drink cold mountain tea. Everything tastes better after a hike. The shelter is a passing point for mountain adventures. People ascend and descend. Some are geared up for technical mountaineering. I envy them I’d rather stay here than stare at a computer screen all day. This makes me come alive.