Meet Alessandro, our Technical Hardware Coordinator .

The number 33 has an extraordinary meaning for Alessandro Bertelle: on the one hand, he became a father for the first time at the age of 33; on the other hand, he was the 33rd finisher out of 900 participants in the 2019 Tour de Gants, a grueling endurance trail race in the Aosta Valley. "It took me 10 years before deciding to participate in it because you have to be physically and mentally fit, and especially ready to suffer. But it’s like in working life: Only if you have the right motivation, you can achieve your goals."   

The place where Alessandro grew up has shaped him: a small village next to Feltre, at the bottom of the mountains, at the gateway to the Dolomites. "Since I was a child, I understood that life is not always easy and comfortable: In winter, the first thing we had to do was shoveling away the snow, before leaving the house", reminds Alessandro. You need Passion to live there because in his village you can barely find flat areas: the only ways possible are either uphill or downhill. And Alessandro chose the more demanding option. He was lucky to have a father who opened his eyes to the wonders of nature and imparted him the passion for the mountains. He took him hunting, fishing, skiing, and hiking. "Thanks to him, I discovered and learned to love the pristine and rugged wilderness. Above all, he taught me to stick to a commitment, once I’ve given my word. This is what I want to pass on to my children as well and I’d also like to inspire them to live a simple life."   

Alessandro is a person with many interests, ranging from family to sports, from environment to technology and innovation. Together with his motivated team, he develops all the technical hardware accessories: helmets, carabiners, crampons, climbing, and mountaineering equipment. They work for the three brands Salewa, Dynafit, and Wild Country, while Alessandro coordinates the projects, from the development to the production. "It's a very interesting job and I'm lucky to have great colleagues, who share the same passion for the mountain. I especially love innovative projects: You always think ahead and deal with challenges that have never been addressed before. That's wonderful because it makes you think, it motivates you and spurs you on to give your best", says Alessandro. Always in line with his motto:

however, he doesn't make a big deal out of it. "My greatest professional satisfaction is to hold an object in my hands which has first of all been imagined, then drawn on a piece of paper, and finally realized" adds he, convinced that we must always have dreams and visions in our life. We need to clearly define our goals, while aiming at intermediate steps to reach.  But especially it is of fundamental importance to have enthusiastic employees, committed to achieving these goals.