On the road with bike and skis, for a good cause. By Michele Maggioni

Published on 24/06/2019

Telling about this journey is simple and difficult at the same time: the places, the landscapes, the mountains and the cities we have crossed are there, beautiful to see and accessible to all; the feelings, emotions and pleasure we have experienced are not easy to describe.

How did this trip come about? The idea has been in our head for some time. My friend Pino Gidaro and I talked about it from time to time, then I told Pietro Dal Pra’ about it and everything started to take shape. Pino was unable to come with us for a ski touring trip with clients in Norway, while Pietro and I decided to leave anyway (ah, all three of us are Mountain Guides).

The trip was beautiful: we climbed the Gran Paradiso, we reached the summit and then skied down to our bikes and cycled all the way to the Etna Volcano, to finish the adventure on the top of the volcano, again on skis. The views and the mountains have been exceptional, we have discovered how bright, colorful and hospitable Italy is. I was so surprised by how careful and curious people are to know my story (I didn't tell you: I am an amputee, I have lost a piece of my leg left after a car accident).

On the occasion of our tour, we collected funds for the Art4sport association, which provides sports prosthetics for amputees because we believe in the importance of sport on a therapeutic level and, even more, when practiced by children. We managed to raise € 7,732. Grivel has shown that is not only a company that produces mountain equipment, but it also has an intrinsic humanity supporting us in this project.

Now all I have to do is think about future trips, the next mountain adventures and help those who really need help.

Article and pictures by Michele Maggioni, March 2019.

Michele Maggioni, italian mountain guide born in 1976, is a Grivel athlete since January 2019. In 2017 an accident forced him to amputate his left leg and to rediscover his favorite activities - rock climbing, both sport and classic - with another point of view. 
Favorite Grivel product: Air Tech crampons.