Welcome to the Altitude and Trails site! I’m excited to kick this off with a quick hello and introduction.
You might be wondering who we are right about now. We are a group of hunters that love what we do and want to share some of it here and on some of social media platforms. I guess you could say that we are basically another hunting blog, but we’d like to think that we’re putting our own spin on things!
A little background on myself and why I started this project. Altitude and Trails started off one day when I started designing t-shirts as a tribute to the mountain wildlife we have in the Alps of Northern Italy. I got those shirts printed for myself and some friends, then started getting requests from other hunters and outdoorsmen.
The interest other people had in my art was very motivating and soon I was designing wildlife and outdoors apparel regularly.
As i delved deeper into hunting, it exposed me to the different opinions and points of views concerning this topic and the divide which exists around it. It was around this time that we started making videos of our excursions, and I felt like this was a great medium to share our perspective with the world.
Right, so, this is probably a good time to talk a little bit about who “we” are.
The blog acts as an outlet for us to combine our perspectives and express them. Maybe that might be interesting? We hope so! More posts to follow soon, thank you for reading and do visit back often!
Franko
the ALTITUDE guys
Francesco Formisano is a veterinarian surgeon specializing in large animals. He co-owns a clinic in rural France focusing on agricultural livestock. Originally from Italy, Franko completed his Masters degree in Veterinary Sciences at the University of Torino. His thesis entitled, “Contribution on the causes of mortality in wild ungulates in North-Western Italy” involved conducting 600 autopsies on wild ungulates from the Italian alps to determine their most frequent and fatal pathologies. Today, Francesco’s professional interests and personal passion in sustainable hunting and conservation collide, culminating in a move to New Zealand to hunt and study the Himalayan Tahr under the "Altitude and Trails" banner - a collaborative and educational hunting lifestyle project he started in 2017. Recognizing the potential contribution of fellow hunters as citizen science, Francesco co-founded the Pink Eye Project with Luca Rossi and Paolo Tizzani to explore and discover improved management of mountain ungulates.
Born in the Venice seaside and raised between sea and land, Michele Benetti live hunting is a tradition and a lifestyle. Educated by his father in the art of sea-hunting, he keeps of handing down the knowledge imparted by his great-grandfather. Bread and wildmeat, cooked by his skilled mother, brought him where he is now: a great hunter and with a even bigger passion for the table. His vision is hunting in order to valorise wild meat, for an ethical, genuine and healthy nutritional lifestyle. Since 2017 he wanted to start sharing his vision through socials bringing him to be today one of the cornerstone of the Altitude and Trails project.
Giacomo Olivero is one ot the team’s youngest and most energetic member. Born and bred on the alps, Jawi is a big game ranger and guide who has been hunting since he was a pup. As a hunting license instructor and part of the Alpine Rescue Team which is most active in the worst winters, Jawi knows the mountains like his backyard and is very familiar with most of the local animal habitats both on and off the beaten track.
Tommaso Danese is a new entry of the group as a fresh professional in the wildlife world. Since always, passionate about wildlife ecopathology and welfare, today he works as Large Animal Vet PhD student in Ruminants comparative nutrition, University of Parma. While he continues his academic research path, he is learning tele-narcosis and general wild ungulates medicine under the wing of a Senior Wildlife vet, working side to side in North and Central Italy. Hunter and conservationist, he tries to mix his animals and mountain passions every day.
Mario Chiari is a veterinarian, specialized in health management of wildlife (PhD) and diplomate at the European College of Zoological Medicine (Wildlife Population Health). Mario is a Hunter, lover of nature and its inhabitants. Mario's works includes the support of the Veterinary Authorities in the implementation of monitoring and surveillance activities in both domestic and wild animals, in the disease outbreaks survey and in the implementation of disease control and eradication programs in wildlife including different TADs (i.e. Classic Swine Fever, African Swine Fever, Bovine tuberculosis, Avian Influenza, Rabies and vector-borne diseases as West Nile disease). Mario has been involved in different European projects (including ASF-STOP COST) and he is author and co-author of more than 40 scientific articles published in international journals. He has the great fortune to combine a passion for wildlife and hunting with his job, trying to share the relevant notions for conscious hunting and integrated wildlife management to hunters.
Giorgio Ficetto is a big game ranger of the north-western piemontese mountains, Giors’ day-to-day responsibilities include keeping tabs on animal populations, mating patterns, and ensuring sustainable hunting through enforcing Italy’s rigorous tag and check system. A true mountain man; come the hunting season, he's likely to be hiding out in the one of the great northern alps in pursuit of the elusive chamois, muflon, red deer, or roe deer. A veteran of the Alpine Rescue Team and an integral part of its search and rescue operations over the years, once the snow hits, Giors will often be out and about patrolling parts of the mountains on skis.
Guillaume Desenfant is a media man. Photographer, journalist, editor-in-chief, co-director of documentaries for television and host of the Seasons channel for 9 years. Creator of a web TV channel for the Fédération nationale des chasseurs, director of the Fédération des chasseurs de la Gironde, and recently host of Campagnes Hebdo, a TV show on the new channel Le Chasseur Français TV, Guillaume uses all means to talk about hunting, not forgetting social networks. He is passionate about hunting in all its forms and is also a fisherman.
Brad Turner is tangata whenua of Canterbury, New Zealand. Brought up in a generational hunting family chasing wild species came naturally in life along with a love of outdoors. He spends his time exploring the alps with his family and chasing mountain monarchs, the Himalayan Tahr. A Kaitiaki of the land he wants to see the flora and fauna flourish while having a healthy herd of wild spices to harvest for his whānau
Tangata whenua - people of the land
Kaitiaki - career/protector/conserver
Whānau - family