The history of alpinism started on Mont Blanc when the summit was conquered for the first time in 1786. The history of Grivel, who as blacksmiths started to forge mountaineering equipment, began with the first alpinists’ requests in 1818. Our ice axes and crampons were the first to climb the highest mountains in the world. We are extremely proud and satisfied that the Aosta Valley is to host an international award for professional from all over the world who dedicate themselves and their lives to the mountains. Their dedication derives from a real passion for alpinism and the high mountains and combines technical ability with an awareness of the natural environment and the commitment to transmit and represent the mountains’ principles and culture. The characteristics of the Aosta Valley make it a perfect place to hold such an award. The most famous 4000m summits of the Alps: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and the Gran Paradiso are all in the small valley, the reason why we consider it the ideal place to host such an event. We have chosen to dedicate an award to Toni Gobbi so that his example of modernising the profession of the alpine guides will not be forgotten by today’s youth and by the rest of the Aosta Valley. We hope that this award will act to stimulate the younger generations in considering the mountains as a place to work and live in and that the quality, efficiency and passion of the professionals will continue to develop. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the presidency of the Aosta Valley government and our partners, the Casino of the Aosta Valley and the Forte di Bard Association who have supported the project. We hope that this is just the first in a series of events that encourage people in the Aosta Valley to work together in creating a centre of alpine excellence that will become one of the Aosta Valley’s intrinsic characteristics.
A story at the foot of Mont Blanc
On arriving in Courmayeur from Chamonix the alpinist feels he’s on the other side of the moon. The Italian and French Alps are part of the same mountain chain yet the two sides appear completely different. Anyone used to the French side will find the other mysterious and unfamiliar, on first sight it seems harsh and wild. This is the home of Grivel. In 1818 the Grivel family of blacksmiths, with Walser cultural roots, started to transform their production of agricultural tools to satisfy the rather peculiar demands of a new breed of wealthy tourists who, for unfathomable reasons, wanted to climb the mountains! Today 180 years later, Mont Blanc can still be seen reflected in the windows of Grivel’s headquarters. The company continues in its balancing act between tradition and progress, between forging and aerospace technology, between intuition and R&D. We’ve achieved all possible certifications: from TUV GS (Sichereit Gepruft) for product quality to ISO 9001-Vision 2000 for our management system. On the 12th May 2003, we obtained, a world first in our sector, the ISO 14001 environmental Certification.
The Casino de la Vallée possesses a long standing tradition of organising international events in the Aosta Valley. This tradition has been encouraged and supported by the Aosta Valley Autonomous Region ever since the Casino was opened in 1947. The opportunity for the Presidency of the Region to support to the creation of this international award fits perfectly with the Saint-Vincent Casino’s vocation in organising all sorts of events covering culture, society and the world of sport. In the case of the Saint-Vincent Award for mountain professionals opportunities are even greater as the awards will be made to professional alpinists from all over the world. This event wants to make public recognition of the men, Alpine Guides and uniformed mountain professionals who dedicate their lives to the mountains and to the tradition of working in the high mountains. The Saint-Vincent Award for mountain professionals wants to send a message to the younger generations telling them that respect, protection and improvement are all vital for those who live and work in the mountains.
The mountains are an extremely varied and complex universe, containing extraordinary and fascinating human and environmental aspects. The chief objective of the Forte di Bard, internationally renowned for its competence in the subject, is to emphasise and this complexity and become a centre and host for discussions and comparison about the numerous questions and issues involved. The Museum of the Alps is the main base for this exposition, an innovative exhibition that travels through time and space discovering the Alpine Chain. A place that, uniting knowledge and technology, sciences and history, acts as an investigation into the past, the present and the future of the mountains and of the men and women who inhabit them. The Association of the Forte di Bard special award, part of the renowned Saint-Vincent Award for Mountain Professionals, intends to honour the personalities in the Alpine world who have promoted the traditions of mountain culture and through the combination of physical performance and an ethical perspective, have given an example of best practice in environmental protection and conservation.
The Editions Nivéales is a publishing house dedicated to specialist magazines and to the readership of particular subjects. The editing initially centred on skiing and other activities connected to the world of skiing and created a wide range of specialist and extremely popular magazines. The editorial concepts applied by the company were based on the main principal right from the beginning: the active practice and to a high standard of all sports. The initial intuition was proved to be right as market research revealed its success: to specifically concentrate on sports connected to the sea and mountains. The following magazines connected to the mountains were the result: Snowsurf (1993), Grimper (1994), Skieur Magazine (1995), Bigbike (2003) and on the subject of the sea: Wind Magazine (bought in 1997) and Kiteboarder (2000). New opportunities arose with the acquisition of Grandes Reportages in 1997 and the creation of Trek Magazine in 1999 and Hotel and Lodges in 2003. The latter three magazines are all very much in vogue with people’s desire to travel the world. In January 1996 Editions Niveales bought the well known magazines Vertical and Alpinisme & Randonnée. This acquisition crowned the company’s dream of becoming market leader in publications dedicated to the mountains and made it the only French editor specialised in alpinism, climbing and trekking. Since then Vertical has become a bi-monthly international publication in four languages (French, German, Italian and English) thus confirming the company’s desire to export its savoir faire. At the end of 2007 the Editions Niveales opened four modular and interactive internet sites that are just the beginning of a larger site that will add to and complete the printed side of the company. With regards to method the publisher has tried to integrate the experience from the various other publishers into the Editions Niveales company culture. The company has always tried to use forms of best practice as concerns promotion and management. Its ambition is to give the magazines competitive advantage over other publications through using technology and editing at the same level as magazines designed for a wider distribution.