Postcards from the Piolets d'Or #2

After the heavy snowfall on Sunday, on Monday morning San Martino di Castrozza provided us with an unexpected surprise: clear blue skies and a spectacular view onto the Pale di San Martino. A magnificent panorama that unfolded right above the the town, a completely unexpected gift especially for those who had travelled from afar. From the USA, Japan, Georgia, Switzerland, Slovenia, France, representatives from China to Iran... many of the alpinists and journalists were here for the first time, having reached the heart of the Dolomites specifically to celebrate these Piolets d'Or 2024 all together.

Once we got over the initial surprise of seeing the jagged peaks up so cose, we had a hearty breakfast, put on warm clothes and heavy boots, and then took the Colverde lift and the Rosetta cable car. Up on the Pale plateau at 2,500 meters above sea level, th freezing winds lashed around mercifully, reminding us in an instant that the panorama was, yes, very beautiful, but that this wasn't our domain. The only sensible thing to do was keep on our hats and gloves and proceed at a brisk pace along the trail beaten by the guides, the Aquile di San Martino, towards the beautiful Rifugio Rosetta hut. Here we were greeted with a cup of good coffee, warm tea and hot chocolate. The meeting at altitude, designed to help everyone get to know each other, also included a 5-star lunch, then a few hours later the walk back to the cable car was much easier than expected. In the meantime the wind had dropped and, after the ritual photos, we returned down to the valley. Here we dined delightfully once again, before the evening at the Palasport.

The celebrations started with a short conference with Mara Nemela, Director of the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation, who illustrated how this world heritage site is facing three major problems: climate change, overtourism, and the culture of frequenting the mountains. In this regard she underlined how mountaineering, recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, can become a fundamental tool for addressing these challenges. "The Dolomites can help mountaineering, and vice versa", to "rediscover a more authentic way of taking to the mountains."

Those who have been enjoying the mountains for years in an authentic and loyal manner were the guests of the next conference, Alessandro Baù and Nicola Tondini. With moderator Luca Calvi the two mountain guides carefully illustrated "The spirit of mountaineering in the Dolomites." Their fascinating talk highlighted their physical and technical ability, and also their rigorous approach to establishing new routes. Ethics that accept few compromises, and have resulted in class climbs such as Colonne d'Ercole in Civetta, Space Vertigo at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Enigma on Torre Trieste. Tondini and Baù, considered some of the best Dolomite climbers of their generation, deserved this evening here at the Piolets d'Or in San Martino, to share their vision of the evolution of free climbing in the Dolomites.