“By taking risks I understood the real value of life. I live the fairy tale of being a mountaineer, I feel privileged in this respect. As a kid my passion was alpine skiing, I was considered a talent in the discipline and my dream was to become a great champion. Then at 16 I was seriously injured following an accident that interrupted my career, and I discovered that life also has a dark side as well as the bright one.”
This is the emotional story that the mountaineer Hervè Barmasse gave on Saturday in Courmayeur (AO), during an event organized by the SCARPA company to talk about the beauty of the mountains and the love for challenges at high altitude.
“In that difficult moment for me – he continued – my father promised me that he would take me to climb the most beautiful mountain in the world, the Matterhorn. Two years later that promise became reality: up there I found happiness and I understood that my future would be climbing mountains. When you are happy there is no goal that cannot be achieved, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome, there is no dream that cannot be achieved.”
In the spectacular setting of Skyway Monte Bianco and in front of a large audience, Barmasse spoke about mountaineering but also about environmental protection, touching on issues related to his personal experience and raising awareness among those present regarding issues related to environmental sustainability. “Today Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is also a mountain of rubbish, due to the phenomenon of mass mountaineering. There are km and km of abandoned nylon ropes up there, resulting in the accumulation of microplastics to a degree comparable to that present in the oceans. I believe that another way of climbing mountains is possible.”
The meeting, moderated by the journalist Luca Castaldini, saw the interventions of the President of SCARPA Sandro Parisotto and the CEO Diego Bolzonello, who underlined the commonality of values between the company and Barmasse, who recently became Sustainability Ambassador of the Asolo brand , and SCARPA’s commitment to a business model that is as respectful of the environment and society as possible. Federica Bieller, President of Skyway Funivie Monte Bianco, also took part in the event.
The event officially inaugurated the collaboration between SCARPA, a leading Italian company in the production of mountain footwear and for outdoor activities, and Skyway Monte Bianco, a partnership that will bring some of the brand’s institutional and sporting events to Courmayeur over the next three years of Asolo.