Naughty Stopover in Gran Paradiso: Tents, Thunder, and Wild Italian Heat
Pulled into the scrappy Valnontey campsite just before the Gran Paradiso National Park. Late September sun dips behind peaks. Unroll my custom tent—carbon frame, phase-change mats for heat storage, bubble wrap floor. Sweat from hauling gear up the slope at 1750m. French guy, mid-40s, solo. Check-in at the chalet bar: Franca, sharp Italian with tired […]