In the morning he’s always one of the very first at the ski-lifts so as not to miss the classically beautiful snows. And even at the age of 79 he remains one of the most frequent visitors to the Valle di Lei and associated freeride trails. Word has it that on a beautiful day in late February, at the end of the nineties, he was to take on the Canalone 16 times on the trot. Before confirming that particular, with a sly smile, Giuliano Ferrari – born in 1942, athletically lean, brilliant, and tough as old boots – suggests that today such an adventure would prove impossible - if only for the frequency of the relevant cable car up towards Groppera. Giuliano’s life is totally inspired by the mountains and in particular by the snow. He likes to think that this relates to the fact that he was born at 2,325m asl, on the grand plateau on which Asmara, the Eritrean capital sits, on the 26th December at the height of winter, the son of Italian colonists who were to return to Italy in the years to come. His debut on the slopes dates back to when he was nine. After salvaging an old pair of wooden skis from the attic, he begins to make his first self-taught descents on the piste in front of the Hotel Meridiana in Madesimo. These were the years in which the Alpine resort was about to enter its most splendid phase, becoming the favourite destination of a small Lombardian tourist elite. And beyond. “Canalone, Camosci, Cavallina are the routes to which I remain very attached and where I still love skiing with my son and family. They are captivating places, contained within a rugged nature dominated by granite, and where the slopes are constantly transformed according to the temperatures, the wind and snow”. Poetry indeed. Giuliano passed on his passion for skiing to his son Mauro and grandchildren Martin and Matteo with whom he spends his “best days”. Like the man himself, Giuliano’s is an elegant and romantic approach to skiing, weaving stylish curve after curve along a descent. But only on skis produced in Valchiavenna!
Once the snow departs and the meadows breathe again, Madesimo becomes a veritable cycle-path.
Whether on Mtb or electric bike, the resort and its surrounds offers trails ...
text and photo di ENRICO MINOTTI
Situated at 2,228m, at the south-west limit of the valle del Drogo, nestling among the rocks between Pizzo Campanile to the north and il Pizzaccio to the ...
Since ancient times, the Valle Spluga has been a transit territory for nomadic populations making their way to the Mediterranean regions from the north. The Alps have never formed an unsurmountable bastion and have ...
Informazioni ex art. 1, comma 125, della legge 4 agosto 2017 n. 124
Relativamente agli aiuti di Stato e aiuti de Minimis, si rimanda a quanto contenuto nel
“Registro nazionale degli aiuti di Stato” di cui all’articolo 52 L. 234/2012 (www.rna.gov.it).
