Notes, observations and reflections on a material that never stops changing

There are people who don't simply travel through the mountains: they read them. Fabiano Monti is one of them. His work brings together experience, data and instinct, but above all, a constant attentiveness to the snow, its shapes, its silences and its ever-changing nature.This journal offers glimpses into his way of seeing the mountains: not as a territory to conquer, but as a complex environment to be understood with respect, care and awareness.

Snow as a teacher of Uncertainty
Snow teaches us to constantly question what we think we know. It is a material that is always changing and can never be fully understood. Even with experience, data and advanced tools, we must continue to observe, ask questions and challenge our assumptions. Patience helps us avoid rushing decisions, while curiosity drives us to keep exploring, understanding and learning from every situation.

The Performance That Goes Unseen
In the mountains, performance is not necessarily about going faster, further or higher. It means being able to assess the situation, make good decisions and return home, ideally still eager to head out again. True performance lies in finding a balance between technical skills, awareness and respect for our own limits and those of the environment.

Observations in the Field
Learning to read the mountains requires a combination of firsthand experience, observation and study. It means paying attention to changes in wind, temperature and solar radiation, the different forms of snow and the signs left by previous weather events. Data and models are essential tools, but they must always be compared with what we observe directly. The answers are often complex, rarely immediate and almost never obvious.

Livigno, between Silence and Movement
In Livigno, you only need to venture a short distance from the ski slopes to find yourself in a completely different environment, surrounded by silence, wide-open spaces and nature. The altitude and climate often make it possible to find good-quality snow even several days after a snowfall. Then, heading back down to the valley, you immediately return to a lively, dynamic village. It is this contrast that makes freeriding in Livigno so special.

Altitude and Its Effects
Altitude offers many advantages, along with a few drawbacks. The cold helps preserve good snow quality for longer, but low temperatures can slow down the settlement of the snowpack and encourage the formation or preservation of persistent weak layers. Snow that is enjoyable to ski is not always stable snow: this is an important distinction to keep in mind when assessing conditions.

Memories That Take on Meaning 
The most meaningful moments of my career have not been spectacular achievements, but seemingly ordinary experiences: certain mornings at dawn in the mountains, while checking avalanche conditions, when I would stop and realise how fortunate I was to be there for work. Or the times when I correctly identified signs of instability and made the right decision. Another great source of satisfaction has been earning the trust and respect of professionals I admired. Looking back, it is these seemingly ordinary moments that have brought me the greatest satisfaction throughout my career.

Respect as an Everyday Practice
Respect for the mountains cannot be taught by imposing a single way of experiencing them. Everyone should be free to find their own way of connecting with the mountains. What matters most is that the way we experience them does not prevent others from doing the same or cause harm to the environment. Turning back is not an act of heroism: changing routes, heading back or postponing a plan is simply part of the experience.

The Changing Rhythm of Winters
Winters are becoming increasingly variable. Dry periods alternate with intense precipitation, rapid rises in temperature and rain at elevations where snowfall used to be more frequent. This shortens some windows of favourable conditions and accelerates certain changes in the snowpack.
Especially at higher elevations, these changes do not simply mean "less snow", but rather less predictable conditions that are more difficult to interpret based solely on past experience.

A Day That Begins Before Coffee
A day in the mountains starts with a coffee and a glance out of the window, but in reality, it begins several days earlier: I follow the forecasts, monitor weather patterns and track the evolution of the snowpack. Once out in the field, I check whether the conditions match what I had expected. If something doesn't add up, I stop and reassess the situation. If I still have doubts, I increase my safety margin. The best days, however, always begin with that cup of coffee.

Livigno as a Natural Laboratory
In Livigno, snow is not something you simply observe from a distance: it is part of everyday life. Within a relatively small area, conditions can vary significantly, and moving just a short distance can reveal a completely different situation.

It is a place where what we study through data and models can be immediately compared with what is happening on the ground and with the experience of those who live with snow every day. It is not a controlled laboratory: the variables cannot simply be isolated, and snow does not always behave as we would like. And that is precisely what makes it so fascinating.

Fabiano Monti's Journal is neither a manual nor a collection of rules. It offers a way of looking at the mountains: attentive, curious and patient. An invitation to recognise the complexity of snow, respect its power and move with awareness through an ever-changing environment that demands careful observation.

Livigno, with its high-altitude landscapes, its silence and its vibrant valley life, is where this science becomes part of everyday life. A natural laboratory that never stops teaching us something new.