Story of Gabriel Tschurtschenthaler, mountaineer who climbs with Salewa

RELY ON YOUR BEST FRIENDS

THE ORTLES FAMILY

Salewa tells us the story of the mountaineer Gabriel Tschurtschenthaler, a story of a passionate climber and mountain lover, which is based on the philosophy that the mountain is not only something to look at but rather something to experience. "Gabriel Tschurtschenthaler climbs the Hintergrat on the Ortles and gives us his feelings about this outdoor experience. This testimony makes us want to feel the mountain differently than with our eyes.

"Breathtaking landscapes" is certainly the saddest and most banal way to describe the mountain. If you couldn't see the mountain, would you still go? Beyond "breathtaking scenery," is there anything else for those who go to the mountains?

Gabriel moves forward in small, steady steps. The path climbs over a scree; finding stability under his feet is not always possible. Vittorio precedes him by two steps while Matthias follows closely. "Root to the left," Vittorio murmurs. Gabriel understands immediately and changes his trajectory slightly to avoid the obstacle. Behind, Matthias makes sure the change in trajectory is enough to get around the obstacle.

Have you ever tried to feel the mountain, to perceive how it really is beyond the "breathtaking scenery"? This is Gabriel's world, his perception of the mountain. For Gabriel Tschurtschenthaler, "breathtaking landscapes" simply do not exist. Since his childhood, he understood that his eyes were different from others. As a teenager, things didn't get any better, on the contrary: his world became more and more opaque, blurred and reduced to a jumble of light and shadow. This is why Gabriel loves dawn and dusk, not for the hues the sky takes on, not for the unreal shades of the rock, but because it is at that precise moment when there is less light that he can make out shapes.

The protocol of the three fellow travelers is repeated, step after step, stone after stone, to avoid stumbling. Their destination is clear. Imminent and obvious, it's in front of them: a sharp, abrupt ridge that splits the sky. But for Gabriel, it is above all a sensation, an anticipation. The Hintergrat, one of the most beautiful ridges in the Ortles. A long sequence of canals and rocky paths. Some sections are vertical, others frozen, but this is far from being a problem for the three comrades. Gabriel likes vertical ice, and it was while climbing on the ice that he met Vittorio and Matthias. On the rock, you have to find the holds and find the supports, interpret them in a logical sequence to cross in balance with your body. On the ice, when you're strong, you have to hit both the ice axes and the crampons well, relying on those few centimeters of steel planted in the water. It's all about confidence.

Have you ever focused on the wind that blows in the mountains? It's different from the one that blows freely on the plains. What about the feel of your feet on the ground? On the balance of your body?

If this seems trivial to you, you must know that these sensations are everything, and you must learn to trust them. Learn to listen to them, to read them clearly and quickly. Trust what your feet, your skin, your inner ear are telling you. Trust also your companions, a total trust that goes beyond, if possible, a classic rope. In fact, we are talking about an exceptional ropeway. When Vittorio pulls first, Gabriel and Matthias climb closely, especially on the rocky passages. When Matthias pulls, it's Vittorio who climbs alongside Gabriel, providing the clues that his feet, skin, and inner ear can't grasp.

Next time, remember to close your eyes. Have you ever tried to feel the vastness of the earth? To feel the rock, the walls, the ice, to feel and not contemplate? It doesn't matter how much time you spend in the mountains. It doesn't matter if it's a recent discovery or an old love. It doesn't matter: try to feel the moment fully, to feel beyond your eyes. It will be as different as it is surprising. Something that will make you feel alive.

That's why Gabriel, Matthias and Vittorio are an exceptional team, because their bond is not just a rope. There is this total and necessary trust when it is impossible to see, and there is the possibility to learn to see, but not with the eyes. And that's not all: from the streets of the cities to the summit of the Ortles, to the wild peaks of Patagonia, where the three companions have recently made a series of remarkable climbs (including Cerro Torre), there is the conviction that tenacity, determination and motivation can overcome any obstacle.

Our limits? Only those we set for ourselves. That's what you learn once you learn to feel the mountain.