Alessandro Beber and a group of friends from the Dolomites moves east, to discover the legendary sandstone towers of the Czech Republic, where climbing has developed its own tradition for over a century, as severe as it is fascinating!
Alessandro what inspired your love for mountaineering? And why did you decide to become a mountain guide?
If I think about the whirlwind of emotions I felt as a child at any reference to mountaineering and climbing—despite them being completely foreign to my family environment—it seems natural to believe that it was an innate inclination, something we all carry within us, struggling to surface.
Then, during my teenage years, when I finally came into contact with that vertical world made of adventures, projects, and explorations, it was like touching dreams I had long nurtured. In that moment, I knew that this world would forever be a part of my life
Becoming a Mountain Guide was therefore a natural choice, driven by the desire to keep dreaming with open eyes and to share the rewards of that incomparable school of life that is the mountains.
Another passion of mine has always been documenting my experiences, hoping to convey at least a fraction of the overwhelming beauty that mountaineers find among the peaks. In recent years, I have had the opportunity to express this through various reports and documentary films.
Tell us about your latest film, "C’era una volta ad Est."
What message do you want to convey?
"C’era una volta ad Est" was born from the desire to explore and tell the story of a lesser-known chapter of mountaineering in the West: that of climbers from Eastern Europe. For decades, due to the isolation imposed by the Soviet bloc, little was known about this community. Yet, they had always lived climbing with passion and determination, refining their skills while waiting for the chance to finally cross borders and challenge the great walls of the world.
The film follows our journey to discover two iconic locations of the Czech climbing tradition, Adrspach and Dolni Zleb, guided by Jiri Leskovjan, who personally experienced this vertical diaspora. Through his story and the history of these places, we aim to convey the sense of freedom, resilience, and dreams that have fueled generations of Eastern climbers.
