March 7, 2006 – Yesterday, March 6, the torchbearers’ climb took place from the Rifugio Vigevano to the Corno del Camoscio, at the presence of institutions and journalists.

An enchanting day accompanied the torchbearers’ climb up Mount Rosa: the adventure already started the previous day with the arrival of the Paralympic Flame in Vercelli’s town of Alagna and subsequently headed towards the Rifugio Vigevano, where the torchbearers stayed overnight. The route, with arrival scheduled in Capanna Margherita and then detoured towards the 3,080 metres of the Corno del Camoscio due to the strong altitude wind, was organised thanks to the collaboration between the Collegio Regionale delle Guide Alpine del Piemonte (the Regional Board of Piemonte’s Alpine Guides), the Corpo Forestale dello Stato (State Forestal Corps), the Atl Valsesia Vercelli (Local Tourist Body Valsesia Vercelli), the Cai Varallo and the Comune di Alagna (Municipality of Alagna).

On March 6, at 4 o’clock in the morning, the guides and torchbearers made their way across the glaciers towards their destination: the first leg of the journey was the Passo Salati at 2,971 metres of altitude and waiting for the climbers there were the Mayor of Torino Sergio Chiamparino, the Councillor for Sport and Leisure of the Comune Torino with delegation to the Paralympic Winter Games Renato Montabone and the Councillor for town planning and private construction Mario Viano, besides numerous journalists from Rai and Tuttosport, who reached the altitude thanks to the helicopters of the State Forestal Corps.

To carry the lantern in this first leg of the journey there was Olivero Bellinzari, already torchbearer the day before on the route that separates Alagna from the Rifugio Vigevano who, during the journey towards the Corno del Camoscio, set free the sacred fire of the lantern in order to light up the torch carried by the torchbearer with a disability Antonella Seccia. A spectacular setting welcomed the Paralympic Flame on the top of the Corno del Camoscio, accompanied, aside from the last torchbearer with a disability Renato Frignone, also by the above mentioned authorities and by an expedition of forty people among Alpine Guides of the Piemontese Board, CAI, State Forestal Corps, Torino 2006 Paralympic Committee, Rai operators, Tuttosport and Aeroclub Torino journalists.