The 55th edition of the International Alpine Solidarity Award, held at the Paladolomiti in Pinzolo, was a ceremony filled with both accolades and deep emotion. In addition to the Silver Plaque and the Gold Medal (awarded posthumously)—presented this year to Adriano Favre and Luca Sinigaglia, respectively—the Gold Medal of the President of the Italian Republic was awarded to Giuseppe Ciaghi, in his capacity as president of the organizing committee and representative of the Award. “It is a great honor,” remarked Ciaghi, “one that fills us with pride and strengthens our commitment to recognizing and rewarding the universal value of solidarity.”
Solidarity lies at the heart of the stories of this year’s two recipients. Among them is Adriano Favre, a mountain guide from Ayas in the Aosta Valley, who has dedicated over fifty years of his life to the mountains and to mountain rescue. He has distinguished himself through his courage, self-sacrifice, and technical expertise—most notably in the training and deployment of avalanche rescue dogs. Upon receiving the award, Favre took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the families of rescue workers—those who wait at home for their loved ones to return from missions where they risk their own lives to help others in danger.
The Silver Plaque of the International Alpine Solidarity Award thus returns to the Aosta Valley after 36 years; it was 1990 when the honor was last bestowed upon someone from the region—Pietro Bassi, from Courmayeur, one of the pioneering physicians in the field of mountain rescue services. It was Maurizio Dellantonio, president of the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps (CNSAS), who put forward Favre’s name to the organizing committee. He congratulated the recipient and paid tribute to the award itself, which highlights and brings visibility to the dedication of men and women who place themselves at the service of others. Demonstrating the strong bond that has developed with the award over time, the CNSAS national leadership met in Pinzolo yesterday, allowing them to attend this morning’s award ceremony in full.
Also deeply significant is the story of Luca Sinigaglia, a highly experienced mountaineer who lost his life on Pik Pobeda in Kyrgyzstan while attempting to rescue a fellow climber—a woman who had been injured and left stranded at an altitude of over 7,000 meters. “An act of extraordinary altruism and solidarity,” it was noted during the presentation of the Gold Medal to his family, “carried out under extreme conditions; it embodies the truest mountain values of courage, generosity, and brotherhood.”
Pinzolo Mayor Michele Cereghini and Tullio Serafini, president of the Campiglio Tourist Board (APT), were also present to pay tribute to the recipient—and, more broadly, to what is known as the “great family” of the award and the entire “mountain community.”
This remains the spirit of the mountains as portrayed by this award—an initiative conceived 55 years ago by Angiolino Binelli, which continues to uphold the core values that inspired its creation: solidarity, commitment, and the willingness to place one’s own experience at the service of others.
