Since much time I was not experiencing a tough hike in the Alps like the one we did with three heroic Irish guys: Comarc, Dave and Tiarnan. When I spoke via Skype with Comarc in organizing the hike I understood that for this guys on their twenties I can and I must prepare something special: And this wild Gran Paradiso hike for sure it was!
I forgot this feeling of being wasted and still need to walk for other 3 or 4 hours, discovering the limit of your body step after step. Trekking and Hiking is a very nice activity where the psychological part is often more important the the physical one: after 5-6 hours of walking your head is your worst enemy. It is tired of going ahead. You can almost listening your brain cursing on your decision to keep hiking: “It’s enough, man”. But it is not enough. Because you planned to reach a shelter which is 600 meters downhill and 500 meters uphill in the other part of the valley. And you basically have not other option than shut your brain off and keep placing one foot after another. Discovering that basically your body is ready for that. Because walking is not such a stressing activity and the main stopper is your weak brain, used to the first world comfort and easy life. Mistreating your brain for 4 days was an amazing experience. I already felt that many times and it was amazingly nice to feel it again after so much time.
Gran Paradiso is offering breathtaking panoramas and landscapes as you can see from the pictures and the video. Dave’s comment “that doesn’t exist!” when we saw the Loie Lake it was really well representing our state of mind. Because when you are really tired you have less filters and you feel more all the world which is surrounding you. And having the chance of being so wasted in such places as the one you’ll be able to pass by in Gran Paradiso National Park, is really an amazing way of spending your time in this Earth.
Company was excellent, weather was perfect, huts have been only for us and our physics could manage the hike. That made this hiking holiday very special and I really thanks this guys for coming to enjoy the Alps in this authentic wild spirit!
