OutdoorDays 2009: an Outdoor success

The OutdoorDays first came to life exactly a year ago. Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday the event took place for the second year running with three intense days dedicated to all open air sports. It turned out to be a sun-blessed weekend, one designed specifically to enjoy outdoors, walking, climbing, mountain biking, discovering the sparkling secrets of hidden canyons, or simply searching for new viewpoints along a via ferrata. And this is exactly what happened on the northern shores of Lake Garda last weekend. Between the Garda Trentino lake, rivers and rocks outdoor enthusiasts "simply enjoyed" three fantastic "active" days outdoors.

This is exactly what happened for the thousand plus people who took part in the outdoor activities in search of emotions which only the splendid nature such as Lake Garda and the Sarca Valley can offer. And this is what happened for the more than 10000 people who visited the Outdoor Village and Test Areas: the "outdoor labs" which enabled all to experiment with outdoor sports at the "Earth" area in Arco and the "Water" area at Riva del Garda

There's a picture which gives a perfect idea of these three days: that of the faces of those who took part in the outdoor activities. All you needed to do was watch them depart and then later return to the Outdoor Village to understand. There were those who departed for a via ferrata, others for the highly popular walk to the Tagliata del Ponale, others still who were about to immense themselves into the canyons while others planned on climbing up the numerous crags in the Sarca valley. All had eyes filled with anticipation (in some cases mixed with a bit of anxiety). When they returned their faces were filled with that strange light which all outdoor lovers know all too well. There eyes, still gleaming with marvels, seemed to say "I'm tired but happy." This happiness was shared by those who had accompanied them, by the mountain guides, which is a clear sign that everyone, without exception, enjoyed themselves. This is the key to the OutdoorDays: share and promoted a passion, that for mother nature and those sports which use the natural habitats as their "playing fields".

Passion was the key element of the meetings with the testimonials which animated the Outdoor Village. All testimonials were Outdoor experts, of course. Such as Martino Frova, the water explorer who with his canoe has navigated rivers up and down five continents, before continuing his adventures in search of wild lands with the La Selva association. Filippo Pupulin is another prime example: the young marathon swimmer unveiled all the secrets of racing in a sea marathon. This exceptional Italian athlete manages to render the feat of traversing 37km in 7.5 hours as simple as a walk in the park. Michele Fait is renowned for skiing slopes which other mountaineers ascend. After his ski descents of Shisha Pangma and Gasherbrum II he is now preparing himself for something no one has ever done before: a ski descent down K2, the second highest mountain in the world. Manolo is a climbing legend and for his meeting he certainly needed no introduction. Once again he made everyone dream with his intense, ironic and light approach to life in general and the vertical plain, "for old warriors only."

Ines Papert, the multiple ice climbing and climbing champion, talked about her vertical life on Sunday. She is a true force of nature, an alpinist who like few other women takes to the mountains in search of adventure on her own, far removed from her male colleagues. Mountains, mountaineering and rock and ice climbing were the main theme for Florian Riegler and Angelika Rainer, probably the young Italian climbers who best interpret the future of this sport, marked by an adventurous confidence and a passional way of living things to their extreme and always with a youthful grin. Marcello Cominetti, Sunday afternoon's final testimonial Marcello Cominetti added awareness to the smile, matured in years spent in the Hiamalaya and mountains in south America. He examined the conditions of the porters and sherpa which all expeditions use to reach at least Base Camp. Without their aid and effort Himalayan mountaineering probably wouldn't exist, but even today too many mountaineers and trekkers continue to exploit them paying less than the trade union standard fee. This was another side of the OutdoorDays, or rather the culture of Outdoors.

The Outdoor theme was examined carefully with a series of initiatives concerning outdoor safety, including above all the "Analysis and debate about mountain safety" for mountaineering instructors and Mountain Guides, organised in conjunction by the Italian Alpine Club the Italian Mountain Guides. Spectacle was guaranteed by the 3 times Italian Champion Ambrogio Chessa who exalted the crowd with his Show Bike Trial Free Style: what he managed to do with his two wheels was truly incredible. The Parkour athletes impressed all with their performances and training sessions as did the slacklining Gibbon and Free Alp athletes. Just like at the popular Mountain Bike Park, everyone at the OutdoorDays could try everything.

Yes, the OutdoorDays offered just this: it was a unique occasion to get to know, practice and promote all these outdoor sports in a beautiful territory, to discover mother nature's smile. Those sports which leave you "tired but happy" and fill the days of the next OutdoorDays!