The Cai Veneto launches an appeal to the government: exceptions are needed in case of bad weather, accidents or dangerous situations
BELLUNO. Fundamental safeguards in the mountains, they offer a shelter to hikers for a hot meal, to rest, even to be medicated in the event of an accident. Refuges play a very important role at high altitude, also from the point of view of safety. From Friday, these structures will also be able to accommodate indoors only tourists with a green pass: vaccinated, recovered from Covid for no more than six months, or tested with a (negative) swab within 48 hours prior to the excursion.
The State-Regions conference recently established that the green pass must be requested by all shelters below three thousand meters above sea level. That is the majority. What if there is a thunderstorm? What if a hiker gets into trouble and needs a warm, dry place to shelter for a few hours? The refugees take a stand: “You can’t put people at risk because they don’t have a card,” says Daniele Vecellio, from the Lavaredo refuge.
CAI VENETO
The Cai Veneto supports them: “What the government is doing is right, but the refuge has such peculiarities that a way must be found to give hospitality to all people, in the event that they find themselves in a difficult situation », Explains the president of Veneto, Renato Frigo. «Refuge, the word itself says, is a refuge. If there is a thunderstorm, or if a person is ill, they must be welcomed. We certainly cannot leave hikers outdoors in the rain, especially as the weather events are now violent and long. The safety of hikers is also at stake ».
The mountain refuge, continues Frigo, «is not a five-star hotel in the heart of a town. It is a structure located in an isolated place, the only one that can give shelter to hikers in difficult weather conditions, a garrison also for safety. If it rains, if a person is sick, he must be able to find hospitality. We ask the government to consider the role of shelters in the application of the green pass ». A sort of derogation, to ensure that the refuge can continue to play its role as a garrison of the mountain.
THE REFUGEES
The refugees themselves, moreover, are well aware of how fundamental their structures are at high altitude. “In the event of a storm we would certainly let everyone in”, declares Daniele Vecellio del Lavaredo, at the foot of the Tre Cime. «We live in a world in which perhaps now we are making too many distinctions … In the event of a meteorological emergency we do not look at anyone, the emergency involves everyone. This refuge is a relief base, there are rescuers… We cannot stop in front of these things and we will continue to do them ».
“As far as the Green pass is concerned, there is a great paradox: it is used for catering but not for sleeping”, adds Omar Canzan, owner of the Chiggiato refuge in Calalzo di Cadore. “When there is a thunderstorm, there is a looming danger and this has priority. In that case we would let people in without distinction ».
Not to be overlooked, then, the fact that foreign tourists can arrive at the refuge. It happened in the City of Fiume, located in the municipality of Borca di Cadore. “Our vocation is to offer refuge to those in an emergency situation”, explains the owner, Mario Fiorentini. «Bad weather is one of these but we are also faced with other situations. For example, on 10 August he booked a Spanish family, husband, wife and 14-year-old son. Parents are vaccinated, the child is not because in Spain the vaccination obligation starts from the age of 16. In this case the problem arises that staying overnight is allowed but not eating at the same table ».
“Refuges have always been strategic places of public utility,” he concludes. “Yesterday (Sunday for the reader, ed) I gave shelter to those who had made the Alta Via and found bad weather ».Francesco Dal Mas
Alessia Forzin