On a bright and warm day, similar to July 3, 2022, when a section of the Marmolada glacier collapsed, killing eleven people, some young people from the association “Un posto in cui tornare”, founded in memory of the youngest victim, Nicolò Zavatta, reached Punta Penia on June 29. Among them was Riccardo Franchin, the 30-year-old engineer from Vicenza who miraculously survived the collapse of the serac, which instead struck his climbing companions Paolo Dani, Filippo Bari and Nicolò Zavatta. “I experienced many emotions last Sunday during the climb,” recounted Franchin. "Three years later, so much has changed, and it really hits you. But Marmolada remains the place to return to. I left a piece of my heart there; we all left a piece of our hearts there. There may be more beautiful peaks, but this is the Marmolada and, strange as it may seem after what happened to me, for me the mountains remain the most beautiful place in the world. I don't hold a grudge against the mountains because the only cause of what happened is climate change."
Accompanying Riccardo were his cousin Andrea Franchin, Nicola Stecco, and Leonardo Marodin, all members of the “Un posto in cui tornare” (A place to return to). Founded by young people in their 20s and 30s, the association’s mission is to spread awareness and foster environmental consciousness. “We have turned pain into something constructive: we organise events, meetings with schools and theatre performances,” explained Marodin, who is very active in the association, which also includes Nicolò's sister, Anna Zavatta. “Our goal is to listen to the cry launched by Marmolada three years ago. The mountain took so much from us, but it has also given us a lot on the journey we are now on as bearers of an important message, but also through the friendships and bonds that have grown stronger.” At the summit cross, the young climbers symbolically placed a sticker from the association, marking the end of their climb for which they had an exceptional guide: Stefano Coter, from the Alta Val di Fassa Mountain Rescue Service, the first to reach the site of the serac collapse three years ago. “That day, I stood before an avalanche of ice and rock like I’d never seen before,” recalled Coter. “But I also remember the days that followed, when effective collaboration between multiple rescue teams united us with a shared goal.” The glacier’s situation remains critical, so much so that Coter advises climbing the Normal route only if you start early in the morning, naturally with the right mountaineering preparation and equipment. “However,” Coter emphasises, “if the heat persists, we will soon have to abandon the glacier and follow the Cresta Ovest via ferrata.” Welcoming the group at the summit were the young managers of Capanna Punta Penia, Andrea Gallo and Tobia De Marco, who share the same values. "Today, the way people climb to the hut has changed," De Marco stated. "Those who reach us show a greater respect for the mountains and more attention to the signs of the climate." Photos of the victims are displayed in the hut, including one of Nicolò Zavatta: a living memory and a warning not to ignore the signs of the climate crisis.
After climbing Marmolada, the young people from “Un posto in cui tornare” (A place to return to) will be the protagonists of the first event of the “Canazei Campo Base” 2025 festival, scheduled for July 6 in Marconi square in Canazei (3.30-5.30 p.m.; in case of bad weather at the Marmolada cinema theatre), where they will talk about their experience and their commitment to memory and the environment. The event will include video screenings, a recycling workshop for children and teenagers, animated readings on the theme of Earth and an acoustic musical performance. On July 3 at 6 p.m. in the parish church of Canazei, a mass will be celebrated in memory of the eleven victims of the Marmolada: Filippo Bari, Liliana Bertoldi, Paolo Dani, Erica Campagnaro, Davide Miotti, Manuela Piran, Tommaso Carollo, Gianmarco Gallina, Nicolò Zavatta, Pavel Dana and Martin Ouda.
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