In the Alps, words like "eternal" and "unchanging" once seemed credible. The peaks and glaciers appeared to look down with little interest on the environmental havoc that humanity left in its wake. And yet even Europe's most important mountain range is changing, above all as a result of the effects of climate change.

Read also: The Alps' glaciers are disappearing. And the crumbling Matterhorn is the symbol of this

Rising temperatures — evidenced once again last June by the highest temperature ever recorded on Punta Gnifetti, one of the highest peaks of the Monte Rosa massif — are causing the melting of glaciers, and within the next thirty years those lying below 3,500 metres will no longer exist.

Read also: The Marmolada glacier is doomed and will disappear in less than 30 years

To call for concrete action to protect these ecosystems — indispensable from both a natural and a cultural standpoint — four Italians will set off from Sondrio, in Valtellina, and cross the Alps heading for Davos, in Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum will take place.

On a mission for the mountains

From 21 to 24 January, the forum will, as every year, bring together the leading figures from institutions, businesses and civil society to discuss the most pressing economic issues. The expedition, which will depart on 21 January, consists of Giovanni Montagnani, an engineer and founder of the science communication collective CrowdForest, Luca Fontana, photographer and explorer, Michele Dondi, a financial software analyst and alpinist, and Marco Tosi, a mountain guide.

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The goal of the four, who will reach the Swiss Alps on skis, covering approximately eighty kilometres and tackling more than three thousand metres of elevation gain, is to protest against the climate crisis and highlight the contradictions and inaction of the world's powerful. "At COP25 no agreement was reached, and the main obstacles come from the very same people who, a month later, go to Davos to talk about sustainability," said Giovanni Montagnani, spokesperson for the project called Your path is to nowhere.

A symbolic act of rebellion

"We want to write this new story that begins with four ski mountaineers arriving in Davos through the mountains, with their skis and backpacks, while leaders from around the world step off the stairs of their private jets to talk about sustainability and equity," Montagnani declared.

The four alpinists are concerned about the disruption of the delicate Alpine balance and the consequences for mountain communities, brought about not only by climate change but also by misguided decisions such as the construction of unsustainable new ski resorts and the commodification of the mountains. They have therefore decided to stage this peaceful protest of great symbolic value, which in some ways follows the path traced by the two major climate justice movements that emerged recently, Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion.

United against the climate crisis

"With this expedition we want to give visibility to all those environmental movements that are fighting to make their voices heard," Montagnani explained, "because we are firmly convinced that change is only possible collectively. Sceptics can rest assured: the vehicles we will travel in are fully electric and the emissions for this journey are minimal."

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These are the top risks facing the world in 2020 wef.ch/2RjFwTx #risks20 @Zurich @MMC_Global

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The 5 main risks according to the World Economic Forum

The environmental collapse afflicting our planet, which is now worrying a growing number of people, will be at the centre of the 2020 edition of the World Economic Forum. For the first time since the forum was founded, the report on the five main global risks that could have a significant impact over the next decade, presented at the Davos summit, sees the climate crisis occupying every available position. The main long-term risks the planet will face, according to the report, are:

• Extreme weather events causing severe damage to property, infrastructure and loss of human life
• Failure by governments and businesses to mitigate and adapt to climate change
• Environmental damage and disasters caused by human activity, such as oil spills and radioactive contamination
• Severe loss of biodiversity and ecosystem collapse, with irreversible consequences for the environment and the depletion of resources for humanity
• Increasing natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions

Recognising the problem and placing it at the centre of debate is important, but, of course, concrete and immediate measures are needed to try to avert this tragic scenario from becoming reality. To call specifically for the immediate halt of all investment in fossil fuels, Greta Thunberg will also be present at the World Economic Forum, while on 19 January a large number of young people will set off from the Swiss municipality of Landquart, heading for Davos, to demand the resignation of the forum's participants, who are considered among the main parties responsible for the ongoing environmental crisis.