Michele Barbiero looks like the archetypical Italian alpinist – a wild cloud of blonde curls floating above a chiselled face of indeterminant age with requisite beaded necklace clinging to a sun-weathered neck. You just know that beneath the faded ski jacket (that he’s likely owned since the ‘90s) are sculpted guns, ready to fire come spring’s melting snow and a hard launch of the new rock-climbing season.
A mountain guide for adventure tour operator Dolomite Mountains, Barbiero holds an infinite love for skiing and limited patience for stupid questions. Example: “What makes the Dolomites so special?” Barbiero looks like he’s about to grab my head and swivel it to face his beloved mountains as he delivers his response: “Look around you! Have you ever seen something like this? Just LOOK!”
