The Vision
The mountains, like our planet, can appear solid, stable, and unchanging. But as we draw closer, we begin to see the cracks—loose rocks, collapsing ridges, and glaciers retreating further each year. We’re startled by the growing frequency of rockfalls and walk longer and longer to reach the foot of the ice. In The Eight Mountains, Paolo Cognetti invites us to look upward to glimpse our future and recognize just how deeply our world depends on these high-altitude lands. Mountains provide us with water and energy, shape our climate, and for many, offer a space for reflection, growth, and wonder.
Moreover, they offer a place to challenge ourself, to confront our confortable life with the, at times harsh, rules of nature. Climbing mountains, albeit pointless for some, constitute for me an opportunity to tune with my own nature and to relate to the world in a purely authentic way.
With Rise&Raise, I embark on a journey to climb the 82 highest peaks in the Alps—each one over 4,000 meters, inviting along the way passionate individuals, professionals, business leaders, and aspiring adventurers to join me on the summits, as a metaphor for personal and collective elevation.
Shaped by the mountains themselves, is a learning pathway that teaches many leadership lessons – decision-making, empowerment, resilience, responsibility and adaptability, to name a few. Through this adventure, I aim to amplify the messages the mountains are sending us, and to share their knowledge and lessons with a wide and diverse community. Drawing on these lessons, I support the emergence of new societal paradigms rooted in connection – to ourselves, to others, and to the natural world, by organizing leadership and educational workshops in the mountains.
As a trained bio-engineer with a passion for education and knowledge-sharing, I will also bring a scientific lens to the project – helping to raise awareness about the delicate balance of natural ecosystems and the fragile beauty of our world.
Finally, in climbing these peaks, I share the strength of adventure, the joy of exploration, and the power of discovery. Beyond the summits, this is a journey—a mutual elevation, a space for growth, and a path to reconnect with our inner leadership. It’s an invitation to return transformed and to embody a more authentic, inspiring presence in the world.
