The Mountains That Feel Like Home

On 25 July, Camilla Reggio, AKU ambassador and emerging mountaineer, will set off on a project born from a dream and brought to life step by step, guided by the spirit of being “free yet aware, dynamic yet responsible”, in keeping with AKU’s philosophy.

“The Mountains That Feel Like Home” is a long traverse of the south-western Alps, exploring the places and meeting the people that form part of Camilla’s high-altitude story.

After months of ideas left hanging and mountain projects that seemed unable to find their way, a train journey sparked a new vision: linking valleys, peaks and rock faces, travelling by fair means through trekking, climbing and cutting-edge mountaineering.

“During a train journey, I began to imagine a route: starting from Corno Stella, then Argentera and Tablasses, descending into the Stura Valley before ending beneath the Meja, and continuing from there, passing Monviso and Rocciamelone, all the way to Bessanese…”

From Terme di Valdieri to Forzo, Camilla will cover around 325 kilometres on foot, with a short cycling section of approximately 60 kilometres, staying in mountain huts, bivouacs, tents and friends’ homes.

It will be a journey of ascents, traverses and waiting, with the aim of encountering the defining mountains of each valley: some to climb, others simply to reach and cross.

“With work waiting for me at the beginning of September, I won’t stop and wait for the right opportunity to make an ascent; I’ll move on to the next one. Some climbs require patience or have to be postponed. For others, you need a little luck and to be in the right place at the right time.”

Camilla will be joined along the way by her friends, who are a fundamental part of the project. Stefania Lovera and Sveva Dallere will accompany her on some of the most significant stages, with the shared goal not only of spending time together doing what they love, but also of completing several first female ascents.

The journey will also have a symbolic destination: Torre Lavina, a special place where Camilla established her first route and where she saw her mountaineering dreams and ideas take shape and become reality.

“On such a long journey, there has to be a final destination close to the heart, an almost arbitrary goal to look towards: Torre Lavina. This is where I established my first route, and where I saw dreams and ideas come to life and reach fulfilment.”

Camilla and her companions will rely on Furiosa BOA GTX for long, technical approaches and easier climbs. Croda BOA DFS GTX will instead be their semi-crampon-compatible boot for summits and technical mixed terrain.

A simple yet mindful way of experiencing the mountains: taking the time needed, carrying only the essentials and remaining curious enough to let the journey lead the way.

Furiosa BOA GTX

A comfortable, agile and precise shoe designed for dynamic hiking, where speed, control and lightness make all the difference.

Who is Camilla Reggio?

Born in Turin in 1996, Camilla Reggio is a bioengineering researcher and mountaineer. A member of the CAI Eagle Team and an aspiring member of the CAAI, she has established new routes in the Alps, Patagonia and Asia. After spending a year conducting research in Japan, she returned to Turin, where she resumed her work at the Polytechnic University and her projects in the mountains she calls home.