Mirto Visonà

“Climbing is all about freedom, the freedom to go beyond all the rules and take a chance, to experience something new, to gain insight into human nature. And there is always more than one answer to a question, more than one story behind every experience.” – Reinhold Messner

3 Adjectives that describe your passion
Passionate, complete and engaging.

3 Adjectives that describe your passion
Passionate, complete and engaging

How long have you worked at Marzotto?
Since January 15, 1995. I was 25 years old

What at Marzotto gives you the most energy and why? 
The awareness of working in a team and having different tasks to do which are both dynamic and interesting.

What does your job involve?
The processing and management of technical data, the management of laboratory tests and various complaints by clients regarding problems with the fabric.

How long have you been climbing? How did your passion start?
I have been practising this sport since I was 14 years old (about 35 years). It came about almost by chance. One day the school was closed due to a teachers’ strike, and with a friend of mine we decided to go for a walk along a trail just outside Valdagno. Then for fun we started climbing a boulder about ten metres high, and we managed to do so without any protection, just trainers. Since that day, I have never stopped

What aspects of your passion (climbing) can you put into practice when at work? What are the aspects in common between your work and your passion?
Well, certainly precision and concentration, which are mandatory in both cases. Then, there are other aspects such as having mental and physical control, both on the rock face and when you’re having to decide whether or not to respond to a possible problem with the fabrics. Reaching your objective is another important aspect that characterizes both activities, as well as the awareness of where you are and what you are doing. Climbing is a sport that implies a certain lucidity and awareness.

Where are the best places to go climbing in Italy? And in Veneto?
There are many of course, and each has its own characteristics. In Veneto, it ranges from the cliffs in the valleys to the Dolomites, and in between there are the Vicentine Alps (Campogrosso and Pasubio), Lumignano, Monte Baldo, and Alto Garda, where an infinite world of places awaits, each one better than the last (Val d’Adige with Sengio Rosso, Ceredo, Monte Cimo, …). Elsewhere in Italy, the islands (Sicily and Sardinia) are very beautiful, as well as eastern Liguria (Finale Ligure), and Lazio (Sperlonga). And this is just to name a few.

What inspires your work? / What gives you most satisfaction with your job?
Having studied fabrics, it comes naturally to be able to work in this field. The greatest satisfaction comes from the fact that new things are constantly being discovered; the fabrics are never the same and the market always requires innovation.

Which of your qualities has helped you most in your job and why? 
There are a lot of things, but certainly the tenacity to reach a goal and the search for the best way to achieve it.

What is the greatest result you have achieved in your passion?
It’s certainly been an evolution. I started out training on our Piccole Dolimiti and went onto climbing very demanding cliffs in the Dolomites (ninth grade routes in the mountains). Then, if we’re talking degrees of difficulty, I’ve reached a grade 7c on the French scale (XI grade UIAA scale).

What are the difficulties of your job? And your passion? How do you overcome them?
Although they have many things in common, they are different. My work and my passion take place in totally different environments, and both have their own difficulties. At work, concentration is needed to avoid mistakes and stay calm, even when answers are required urgently. We have a schedule to keep; by respecting it and trying to put ourselves in the shoes of who’s making the request, we do our best to give a clear answer. When climbing, the difficulties are both mental and physical. For the former, you have to have a clear head, and be determined and quick in reading the route, otherwise you will fall. For the latter, it’s simple: you have to train. In both cases, however, you need to be present and conscious to be able to overcome difficulties. Being tenacious and decisive also certainly doesn’t hurt. However, I can confirm that this sport definitely helps to improve and develop both physical and mental skills.