Hervé Barmasse completes first winter enchainment of all main peaks of the Gran Sasso massif

From 6 to 7 March, Hervé Barmasse completed the first integral traverse of all the main summits in the Gran Sasso d'Italia massif. Taking advantage of two days of good weather, the Italian mountaineer set off early on Thursday, 6 March, from Passo delle Capannelle and successively climbed and descended Monte San Franco, Monte Jenca, Pizzo Camarda, Malecoste, Monte Corvo, Pizzo Intermesoli, Giovanni Paolo II, Pizzo Cefalone, Portella, and Corno Grande. The latter, which is the highest peak of the massif, was climbed and descended on skis at night.

"Finishing the first day like this was wonderful," explained the 47-year-old. "Up there, the wind was beating against my jacket, I could see the lights of the houses all the way down to the Adriatic Sea, a 360-degree panorama, and I was happy. It was magical and deeply emotional, a memory I will carry with me forever."

After spending the night at the Campo Imperatore refuge, Barmasse set off eastwards again, linking Monte Aquila, Brancastello, Torri di Casanova, Monte Infornace, Monte Prena, Monte Camicia and, last but not least, Monte Tremoggia. The entire journey equates into a logical 67 km ascent up and down ridges and walls, often complicated, with a total elevation gain of 7,200 meters. He carried everything he needed to remain self-sufficient, including a stove to melt snow and supplies for two days.

This is the first solo integral winter traverse of the massif. Reflecting on the undertaking afterwards, Barmasse explained, "I expected it to be less tiring, but with the abundant snow, the ascents up rocky spires and gullies, I often sank in up to my waist. But this is how I had imagined this journey to be. The sense of adventure stems from the intuition and creativity of a mountaineer, as well as their honesty. Last year, for example, there was no snow, and had I attempted it, things would have been easier, but could I have called it a winter ascent? The calendar no longer makes the difference today... Our ethics and ideals do."