When we talk about Val di Funes, the first thing that come to our minds are its fairy-tale landscapes and the postcards pictures that quickly make their way around the world. The well-deserved fame has made this valley a must-see tourist destination for many people every year. However, there is much more than that and above all the locals who think about the future with innovative ideas based on millenary traditions. Precious stories that slip through the cracks of the rock or on the slopes of the Odle that are worth collecting. Voices that can slip through your fingers or be blown away by the wind on the highest peaks if you don’t grasp the true value of the territory and the vulnerability of a place. Tales that deserve to be listened to, even at the risk of ignoring what may be the greatest attraction of the place. To really discover the alpine culture, you have to stop in the mountain farmstead, knock on the doors of the barns and ask permission to enter the sheds to talk to the elders in search of ancient stories. Important realities, rich in values and knowledge preserved in local memories. We immersed ourselves in this corner of South Tyrol, getting to know the people who live there and respect their homeland every day with the same care with which a beloved figure is preserved. We went walking with the shepherds to the rhythm of the flock, step by step behind hundreds of hooves that this year have returned to the lower pastures before time because of bad weather. We climbed along ledges where chamois, wolves and jackals move. We went off-trail to discover hidden corners, new landscapes and different scents. Mountain flowers, wild herbs, mushrooms and fresh fruit. We tasted the Slow Food concept that wants to give back the right value to the food, respecting those who produce it in harmony with the environment and the ecosystem. A glass of wine, a Swiss pine grappa, a cake cut in the middle of the table with many chairs around it. Rain, snow and those heavy clouds that just don’t want to get up. The parlour that warms the conversations until late in the evening and the wool that with its soft warmth conciliates sleep. Autumn begins.

People are connected by their shared traditions and interests, as well as their social, linguistic and moral links. For a few years now, the idea of promoting the breed of local sheep has been bringing together breeders, mountain farmers and government figures. The Villnösser Brillenschaf (literally ‘sheep with glasses’) has a white coat, half black ears and two black circles around its eyes. This is the oldest breed of sheep from South Tyrol and it is easy to spot on the alpine pastures because it looks as if it is wearing a pair of glasses. It is an endangered breed, but it has survived thanks to the passion of the local inhabitants who have so carefully protected it. For a few years now, Salewa has also been purchasing and spinning Villnösser Brillenschaf wool, which represents a wonderful collaboration for both parties. The wool has been incorporated into both the company’s material research and development studies and into the South Tyrolean brand’s products. In this way, it acts in the interests of this mountain community, to the great satisfaction and delight of the many shepherds and breeders who, in turn, bring a sense of optimism to their families and to everything related to running and managing the farmstead.

The sheep with glasses with their special rough wool need to live in a comfortable habitat all year round. Unfortunately the valley’s main mountain pasture has gradually been deteriorating over the last few decades. It is only recently that shepherds and a handful of volunteers have attempted to improve the situation, yet there has been a shortfall of maintenance to the extent that the traditional transhumance of flocks in the high alps during the summer months and normal grazing at high altitudes is at risk. Today, more than 50 farmers breed the Villnösser Brillenschaf and from mid-May to mid-September the sheep must remain in the mountain pastures. There, the climate is milder, the sheep can eat different types of high altitude grass while keeping the undergrowth and grazing land in order with their agility, even as far as under the rocks, without destroying the terrain. It is only later, in the autumn, that they move to the valley to graze on the meadow grass until winter arrives, at which point they are taken to be housed in the stables in Val di Funes. Finally a great recovery project is taking shape to revalue the important alpine pasture, contributing to the creation of a new small alpine hut, making it more comfortable and better equipped. Fundamental improvements in order to continue this very important activity, aiming to a correct and sustainable future.

We all know that nature is a great teacher. Wool is a natural textile fiber that is obtained from the fleece of the sheep and has the ability to adapt and support human heat: it protects you, does not overheat, retains moisture and then releases it. These are very important aspects for those who spend their time the mountains, because it is an environment in which you experience different climatic situations: shade, sun, humidity, wind, and for this reason wool has always been considered a valuable protection. In many South Tyrolean valleys, people had gone so far to dispose of wool by paying for it. Throwing away something so precious was an enormous waste, lacking respect for the farmer and the territory. Wool is an element that shows a “real” part of life in the mountains. A human factor between the animal and its “keeper”. Only by preserving all the traditional components will there be a better future and we’ll be more proud to live in nature every day.