Andrea Lanfri receives Cala Cimenti Award 2023

This is the third year of the Cala Cimenti award. Wow, three years already. This year the award was given to Andrea Lanfri for his personal life story, for his courage, for his strength and for his commitment to "over all limits.

I first met Andrea one evening in Lucca, we were both speakers at an event and we had to talk about the mountains. In the end it transformed into a chat between friends. I already knew about Andrea and his story, but I didn't imagine with what determination, with what courage he faced the illness and above all with what determination he now faces his new life.

Cala's death really hit me hard, it was as if from that moment on, nothing sense any more. A bit like when you no longer taste the flavours, and you no longer feel hungry... do you get what I mean? Well, on some days I felt as if I ciould no longer taste anything.

That encounter with Andrea made me sit back and reflect: yes, a lot has been taken away from me, but this life deserves to be tackled head-on and lived to the full. Just like Andrea does when he touches the sky with his only three fingers! And that's when I decided to award the Cala Cimenti 2023 prize to him.

At the Frasassi Climbing Festival I felt some really overwhelming emotions. That place smells like hime, tastes like Cala. Cala's friends never abandoned me and during the most difficult moments they held my hand even more tightly so as stop me from falling.

At the event I had the pleasure of climbing with Alessandro, Caterina (my best friends from the Marche region), Manu and also with Andrea and his super little sister. I admit that I have rarely climbed on such beautiful rock in central Italy... Now I have to travel home for 6 hours, but today I'm happy. Happy and grateful

Erika Siffredi, Frassassi 3 September 2023