High Route 2 — Naturalistica

If High Route 1 is the way of the giants, High Route 2 is the 'Way of the Chamois': wilder, higher, more solitary. It runs along the right side of the valley, in and around the Gran Paradiso National Park, where ibex and chamois graze undisturbed and the glaciers descend to the trails. From Courmayeur, beneath Mont Blanc, to Donnas: a traverse through the wild heart of the Aosta Valley.

High Route 2 runs on average higher than its sister, with passes that brush and exceed three thousand metres and stages that enter the Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy's oldest (1922). It is the realm of large alpine wildlife: encounters with ibex and chamois are almost guaranteed, especially at dawn and dusk. Precisely because it crosses the protected area, specific park rules apply on many stages — including a ban on dogs — designed to safeguard a fragile and unique ecosystem.

The difficulty is hiking grade (E/EE), with a few more technical sections at altitude: its length, high average elevation and high-mountain setting make it slightly more demanding than High Route 1. The ideal window is July to September. Here too you can tackle the whole traverse self-sufficiently, relying on the refuges, or savour single stages as wide-ranging day hikes.

Below you'll find all the official stages in order, each with its own page: distance, height gain, difficulty, GPX track and map. Choose where to begin.