The charm of Valtellina and its autumn colours

I'm used to running away, from easy places, from nearby places, from my region, from my country. It is an impulse that I follow and suffer since I was a child. A thirst for discovery and an attraction to the most distant and inaccessible lands. In this historical period, a person like me, like you; suffers, suffocates. For this reason, not being able to go far, I started to focus on the surroundings. “Unripe” mountains, from a tourist point of view, violent and harsh, dark and often hostile when compared with the beautiful Dolomites. Maybe for this reason I'm starting to love them more and more.

Valtellina with its collateral valleys is a mine of unforgettable views. Hidden, often difficult to reach but always beautiful. Among the many possible hikes, one of the most beautiful is the one that leads to the Rifugio Bignami. One of the oldest huts in Lombardy. My hikes are never simple walks towards a destination, I get lost in the landscape, in the compositions I get inside my camera, the lights that are reflected in the multiple surfaces. I hardly ever notice the ground under my feet and I often abandon the path to get different points of view.

For this reason, for me it is important to have shoes that support my articulations and that are not afraid of the mountain’s adversities. The Steinbock GTXs are simply perfect for this purpose. During the ascent to the hut I abandoned the path many times to reach different panoramic viewpoints. The Steinbock GTX supported me and guaranteed a perfect grip on all surfaces, and thanks to the Gore-Tex membrane they guaranteed me dry feet despite the encounter with the first snowfall of the season.

Another valley of Valtellina which acquires an almost mystical beauty especially in autumn is Val Masino. Here the wood is king. Protected by the very high mountains of the nearby valleys, the Val Masino wood in October and November is tinged with red and yellow. All these colours, protected by the mountains as if they were in the palm of a hand, completely bewitched me, with the Canazei jacket, lost as I was in the viewfinder of my camera, I didn't even realize that the sun had practically set and that shortly thereafter it would get dark.

Let's take advantage of this historical moment to rediscover places that we considered taken for granted. Closer doesn't mean they are less beautiful than places further away. Let’s delve into the unique density of our nation's beauties.