It has now become one of the most eagerly anticipated events on the calendar: the annual course run by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation for the managers of the 66 mountain huts in the World Heritage area. This year, it will take place on 28th and 29th November, in the municipality of Val di Zoldo.
Designing the future together
There will be a desire to share experiences at the end of the summer season, and the practical aspects that accompany the tasks of updating and planning. And there will simply be the fact that those carrying out this complex, vulnerable role in the Dolomites are increasingly feeling the need to work as a team. Therefore, the training session for mountain hut managers organised every year by the UNESCO Dolomites Foundation represents a vital opportunity for planning the future together. It is a well-known fact that the managers act as an important reference point for understanding how the use of the territory is changing and therefore their role as well. This is why the 2019 edition will focus even more on the interaction between the various players, particularly during the second day of the workshop, which will involve four round table discussions moderated by experts from the sector. The final objective is to produce a shared statement of intent, a sort of pointer for developing a common strategy in the immediate future. There is a need to send clear messages to those who visit the mountains with regard to the special nature of life in the mountain hut, respect for the work of the managers, respect towards the territory and its landscape, and the promotion of proper and informed conduct. Of course, there will also be requests to help and support those who work at altitude.
Val di Zoldo opens its doors
In 2017 the course took place in Predazzo, in 2018 in Bressanone. This time Val di Zoldo was chosen, and the workshop was immediately given a warm welcome. Thanks go to Mayor Camillo De Pellegrin, who offered maximum help and willingness in organising the event. The final programme is still being decided, but if the weather holds, there will probably be an excursion, designed to explore the two elements that determined the inclusion of the Dolomites on the World Heritage list: the geology and landscape of our mountains.