Mainardo Devoti: Beyond the Summit, a Life Project
My name is Mainardo Devoti, I am 26 years old, and for me the mountains are not just a sporting ground, but a clear direction, an identity, and a future yet to be written. After a past dedicated to competitive sports, including basketball and canoeing, I found in mountaineering my most authentic dimension: a complete discipline that blends physical preparation, risk management, mental resilience, and strategic vision.
For the past three years, my dedication has been absolute. My goal is not simply to “go to the mountains,” but to constantly evolve and become a complete mountaineer, capable of raising the bar through method and long-term planning.
The heart of my current journey beats for the 82×4000 project: the challenge of climbing all Alpine peaks above 4,000 meters. It is an undertaking with dual value: on one hand, it represents the essential technical and classical training ground to prepare me for the great routes of the future; on the other, it is a powerful communication vehicle. I firmly believe that with consistency and dedication, any ambitious dream can turn into a concrete path, and this is exactly what I choose to share every day with my social media community.
Looking ahead, my vision is clear: to turn my passion into a full-fledged profession as a mountaineer and documentarian. With 16 peaks already climbed in the first eight months of the 82×4000 project, my gaze is already set beyond the Alps, toward the technical high altitudes of Pakistan and Nepal. Through editorial content and author-driven documentaries, my commitment is to continue documenting the beauty of the extreme, opening new routes and connecting people who, like me, live for verticality.
CHRISTOPHER BAUD
I was born in Chamonix, and for more than forty years I’ve been enjoying the beauty of nature and the mountains. My journey began as a ski instructor, and later led me to become an alpine mountain guide. Being able to share my passions every day is, for me, a true privilege.
I am also a crystal hunter: I search for quartz crystals in the Mont Blanc massif, an ancestral tradition that puts both equipment and the body to the test in extreme conditions.
I also love paragliding, which allows me to experience the mountains from a different perspective and feel a unique sense of freedom.
All these outdoor activities help me stay connected to who I am and give me a profound sense of freedom. It is with real pleasure and full confidence that I use Garmont footwear, whose wide range of models and technical features perfectly match the demands of my work and passions.
MATTEO RUFFIN
Everyone calls me Teo, or Ruffo. I live in Premosello, a small village in the heart of the Val Grande National Park, the largest wilderness area in Europe. My passion for the mountains began early, thanks to my parents and our mountain home. Since childhood, I have lived the mountains intensely: at five years old, I learned to ski on a small lift for the village children, while summers were spent among pastures, streams, and shepherds. From those experiences grew my love for nature, which guided my growth and later my path in mountaineering.
At sixteen, I took my first ski mountaineering course and discovered a true passion. In summer, I began exploring new disciplines: sport climbing, alpinism, and, in winter, ice climbing. During those years, I was lucky to meet climbers and guides who passed on their experience, values, and respect for the “high lands.” Thanks to them, I learned not only technique but also the elegance and safety needed to move in the mountains.
Over time, this calling became my profession. I began the path to becoming a Mountain Guide, earning the UIAGM certification and other specializations, such as canyoning guiding, the FISKY course director license, and the AINEVA Level 2 observer qualification. I have worked as a mountain rescue technician, instructor, and helicopter rescuer; I have opened new climbing routes and equipped many crags. The mountains are my world, and my work allows me to share them with those who trust me. I don’t have a favorite season or discipline — what matters is living each day peacefully, surrounded by emotions, landscapes, and smiles. The smiles of people are the greatest reward of this job.
Among my most meaningful experiences is the opening of the route “Dolce Enrico,” dedicated to my father, who passed away in October 2021. Today, I continue to explore, trace new routes, and live the mountains as an endless source of joy and vitality. The seasons change, and with them, so does the way I feel — it’s the extraordinary rhythm of nature that makes me feel alive.
RICCARDO NIFOSÌ
My name is Riccardo, and I am a full-time environmental hiking guide, registered with AIGAE since 2022. Mountains and rural landscapes have always held a strong attraction for me.
I firmly believe that knowledge is essential for conservation. From this idea, several years ago I started a small personal communication and content creation project on social media called Rock In Nature, through which I try to share both the beauty of the land and good practices for experiencing it consciously and, above all, safely.
Over time, my network of contacts and collaborations has grown, leading to new partnerships, ideas, and projects — the most recent, but by no means least, with the Consorzio dei Camminatori Indipendenti, a collective that writes “sentimental guides” published by Sette Città.
I currently guide people of all ages in natural environments — from mountain peaks to ancient transhumance routes and across diverse natural settings, in Italy and around the world. I mainly work with the tour operator Four Seasons Natura e Cultura, WWF Travel, and various local administrations and institutions.
My main interest remains focused on places and landscapes that tell the story of a deep connection between humans and nature — a healthy, functional relationship that has shaped the evolution of our society. A memory we increasingly need to preserve.