Federico "Fede" Cassai

I was born and raised in a small valley in northern Tuscany, and I’ve always been drawn to the wilderness and adventure. Living near the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines allowed me, even as a child, to explore these small mountains—in winter to ski and in summer to wander. During my college years, I became passionate about the history of Italian mountaineering, which led me to desperately search for a way to start climbing. Despite this, I had to wait until the tender age of thirty-two when, for work reasons, I moved to Milan. Only then, in fact, did I have the opportunity to frequent a climbing gym assiduously, where I tried my hand at every discipline in the sport in a purely recreational way. Thanks to Michele, my climbing instructor at the time, I had the chance to tackle a long route for the first time, and I was immediately captivated by the experience. It was also at that gym in Milan that I met Filippo, who, with his passion for the mountains and the joy he feels when climbing (except for bouldering, which he hates!), immediately struck me as a kindred spirit. After about a year and a half, I had to return to Tuscany, and here—thanks in part to my experience in Lombardy — I continue to climb at crags and bouldering areas, but my goal remains the mountains. Fortunately, Filippo and I have stayed in touch; we’ve managed to organize a couple of wonderful trips to the Finale area, and we keep adding projects to our agenda — even ones that seem beyond my abilities — but I still trust him.