Piemont - Mit Mulis über Stock und Stein (ARTE 360° Reportage)

The profession of the muleteer still exists: In the Maritime Alps, in the Italian Piedmont region, the Morelli Buzzi mountain hut sits at an altitude of 2,300 meters. For three months of the year, the hut's operator must provide food and lodging to hikers. But there are no paths or roads here. That's where Luciano Ellena and his mules come in. He is the last muleteer and supplies the hut with provisions. A film by Philipp Laudauer © 2023, licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   At an altitude of 2,300 meters in the Italian Piedmont region, the Morelli Buzzi mountain hut sits high in the Maritime Alps. No paths or roads lead up here. For three months of the year, the hut's operator must provide food and lodging to hikers. The mountain hut owner can only afford the helicopter once a season. That's where Luciano Ellena and his mules come in. He's the last packhorse driver in Piedmont and will supply the hut with provisions for the next three months. For centuries, this dying profession was the only way to transport goods across the difficult-to-access Alpine passes. The packhorse drivers carry the heavy loads on the backs of pack animals. Luciano Ellena has dedicated his life to this dying profession since he bought his first mule, Katty, 20 years ago. He's loved mules for as long as he can remember. These robust ungulates are perfectly suited for the challenging ascents. However, they only exist because humans crossbred horses and donkeys. And without human intervention, they wouldn't continue to exist: as hybrids, they are infertile. So Luciano doesn't just work with the mules—he also breeds them. He earns his living exclusively with his mules, and summer is his peak season. Sometimes the sure-footed animals are hired to graze meadows, or he and Katty carry supplies into the mountains. Like now, when mountain hut owner Paolo has to open his refuge for the next three months. But the weather is unpredictable, and the planned helicopter delivery of food to the hut is in danger of being canceled. For the hut's opening, Luciano is not only supposed to transport supplies to the hut with his mule Katty, but he also wants to take his best student, Elisa, along on the arduous journey. How will Elisa fare with her mule, and will they reach the hut in time for the opening? #piedmont #muleteers #mules #maritimealps #documentary