Editing Gran Paradiso

{{Short description|Mountain in the Graian Alps in Italy}}
{{About|the mountain in north-west Italy|the studio album by Klaus Waldeck|Gran Paradiso (album)}}

{{Infobox mountain
| name = Gran Paradiso
| other_name = {{langx|fr|Grand Paradis}}
| native_name = 
| photo = Gran_Paradiso.jpg
| photo_caption = The Gran Paradiso
| elevation_m = 4061
| elevation_ref =<ref name = IGM>Geoportale [[Istituto Geografico Militare|IGM]] on [http://www.pcn.minambiente.it/viewer/ www.pcn.minambiente.it]</ref>
| prominence_m = 1888
| prominence_ref =<ref name=peakbagger>{{cite peakbagger|pid=9948|name=Gran Paradiso, Italy|access-date=24 February 2021}}</ref>
| range = [[Graian Alps]]
| parent_peak =
| listing = [[Ultra prominent peak|Ultra]]
| location = [[Piedmont]] ([[Metropolitan City of Turin]]) and [[Aosta Valley]], [[Italy]]
| map = Italy | relief=1
| translation = 'Great Paradise'
| map_caption = Italy
| map_size = 250
| coordinates = {{coord|45|30|52|N|7|16|11|E|type:mountain_region:IT_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref = 
| topo =
| first_ascent = September 4, 1860 by Cowell, Dundas, Payot and Tairraz
| easiest_route = rock/ice climb
}}

The '''Gran Paradiso''' ({{IPA|it|ˈɡram paraˈdiːzo}}) or '''Grand Paradis''' ({{IPA|fr|ɡʁɑ̃ paʁadi}} {{small|both}} {{lit|Great Paradise}}) is a mountain in the [[Graian Alps]] in [[Italy]], located between the [[Aosta Valley]] and [[Piedmont]] regions. It is located in [[Gran Paradiso National Park]].

== Etymology ==
The Italian toponym ''Gran Paradiso'' derives, via the French ''Grand Paradis'', as a mistranslation from the [[Valdôtain dialect|Aosta Valley patois]] {{lang|frp|Granta Parey}}, which originally means 'large wall'. It is the same etymology as nearby {{Ill|Granta Parey|fr||it}}.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Henry |first=Joseph-Marie |title=Vieux noms patois de localités valdôtaines |publisher=Le Messager valdôtain |year=1937 |language=fr}}</ref>

== Geography ==
The peak is the 7th highest [[mountain]] in the [[Graian Alps]], with an elevation of 4,061&nbsp;m. In the [[SOIUSA]] (''International Standardized Mountain Subdivision of the Alps'') the mountain belongs to an alpine subsection called ''"North-Eastern Graian Alps"''  ([[Italian language|It]]:''Alpi del Gran Paradiso''; [[French language|Fr]]:''Alpes du Grand-Paradis'') and also gives its name to the ''gruppo del Gran Paradiso''.<ref>{{cite book
 | last =  Marazzi
 | first = Sergio
 | title = Atlante Orografico delle Alpi. SOIUSA
 | publisher = Priuli & Verlucca
 | year = 2005
 | language = it
 | page = 113
 | isbn = 978-88-8068-273-8 
}}</ref>

While the [[Mont Blanc massif]] straddles the border between France and Italy, the Gran Paradiso is the only mountain above 4,000 meters that is entirely within Italian territory.

== Routes ==
Climbs normally start from either the [[Refuge Frédéric Chabod]] or the [[Refuge Victor-Emmanuel II]]. The latter is named after [[Victor Emmanuel II of Italy]] who created the Gran Paradiso royal reserve in 1856, presently the site of the [[Gran Paradiso National Park]].

It is widely accepted that Gran Paradiso is one of the easiest four-thousanders to summit. This is not fully true, however, because while almost the entire route to the ridge is graded at [[Grade_(climbing)#International_French_adjectival_system_(IFAS)|F+]], the last several dozen metres to the Virgin Mary (or Madonna) summit ({{langx|it|Cima della Madonna}}, {{langx|fr|Pointe de la Madone}} or {{langx|fr|Pointe de la Vierge}} &ndash; 4058&nbsp;m) comprises rock climbing with considerable [[Exposure (heights)|exposure]], with difficulties of grade I UIAA, while access to the proper main summit (4061&nbsp;m) requires 15 minutes of climbing up to grade II UIAA. Gran Paradiso is popular with novice alpinists and many of these only climb to the Madonna summit.<ref name=Moran2007>{{cite book|title=The 4000m Peaks of the Alps - Selected Climbs|author=Moran, Martin |publisher=The Alpine Club|year=2007|asin=B00JYHLOL4}}</ref>

In addition to the main summit routes, Gran Paradiso possesses a steep snow/ice North West Face, which can be climbed at AD+ from the [[Refuge Frédéric Chabod]].<ref name=Moran2007/>

==Nature conservation==
Gran Paradiso is located in the [[Gran Paradiso National Park]], an Italian [[national park]] named after the mountain.<ref name="parks.it">{{cite web|url=http://www.parks.it/parco.nazionale.gran.paradiso/Epar.php|title=Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso|website=parks.it|access-date=28 January 2015}}</ref> On the French side of the border, the park is continued by the [[Vanoise National Park]].

==See also==
{{Portal|Alps | left =  | break = }}
*[[List of 4000 metre peaks of the Alps]]
*[[Gran Paradiso massif]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Maps==
* Italian official cartography (''[[Istituto Geografico Militare]]'' - IGM); on-line version: [http://www.pcn.minambiente.it/viewer/ www.pcn.minambiente.it]
* [[Istituto Geografico Centrale|I.G.C.]] (''Istituto Geografico Centrale'') - Carta dei sentieri e dei rifugi  1:50.000 scale n.3 ''Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso'' and 1:25.000 n.101 ''Gran Paradiso, La Grivola, Cogne''

==External links==
* [http://www.ebyte.it/logcabin/gabriellaf/GranParadiso.html Ebyte.it], Gran Paradiso massif, a panorama with the names of all peaks

{{Commons}}

{{Ultras of Europe}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Alpine four-thousanders]]
[[Category:Mountains of Aosta Valley]]
[[Category:Mountains of Piedmont]]
[[Category:Mountains of the Graian Alps]]
[[Category:Four-thousanders of Italy]]