Corvara, Val Badia, the Dolomites

When confronted with mountains – especially the Dolomites – we all must face an inescapable truth: we’re subject to the vagaries of time and, contrary to what we believe, have no control over it. We believe time flows according to our every whim and flight of fancy. In that very same vein, we believe to be as majestic as the mountains, with their stunning summits, towers, outcrops. A notion which gives us the idea we could be their masters. But time is a fickle thing – blink, and years have passed; work all your life, and you feel as though you’re slowly crawling through the day.

Masters? No. We need people who can share their life, fragments of it, with the rest of humanity. Tapping into a wellspring of beauty and shared history spanning back centuries. The people of Ladinia have, pardon the pun, mastered this way of living. They know exactly who they are, and are open to the world, take no issues with recognising their place before the majesty of the mountains. Beauty, splendour, rigor, and elegance are difficult to find all in one place, especially in one which engenders thoughts of the sublime. And the Dolomites are one of the few places that still leave us speechless, in awe of the power of nature. Protecting them is something we should all feel. A responsibility which goes beyond the UNESCO Natural Heritage status.