Life in the Dolomites: Insights from Alex Schenk

Deep in the Dolomites overview

Writer Clara Jenner speaks to Alex Schenk, head guide and ski instructor at COMO Alpina Dolomites, about the enduring magic of life in the Italian mountains.

Important details from the source

• Alex Schenk is head guide and ski instructor at COMO Alpina Dolomites.
• Writer Clara Jenner speaks to Schenk about the enduring magic of life in the Italian mountains.
• “As humans, we’re not as important as we might think; the mountains make you realise we are small”, says Alex Schenk.
• It’s early evening in the Dolomites and he’s just returned from a day’s guiding in the Alpe di Siusi — Europe’s largest high alpine meadow and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• “The natural beauty is staggering here”, Schenk says; something that still gives him pause even after a lifetime spent living in these mountains.
• He grew up in Castelrotto, a small town around 10 kilometres’ drive from COMO Alpina Dolomites.
• Schenk describes a traditional upbringing on a picture-perfect Alpine farmstead.
• Life in the mountains was “a child’s dream: I’d get home from school, shove my bag in a corner, then get outdoors”.
• Schenk reckons he was around three years old the first time his parents put him on skis.
• After a shaky start (“I’m pretty sure I cried so much at three that they didn’t get me started properly until I was six”), he found his feet, quickly advancing to skiing competitively worldwide.

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Frequently asked questions

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Conclusion

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