Idea Montagna 'Scialpinismo nelle Orobie Meridionali' is a ski mountaineering guide dedicated to the Orobie, mountains that have been skied since time immemorial, practically since the introduction of skis in Italy. Even before they were frequented by tourists, the inhabitants of the Bergamo valleys skied them on cross-country skis. The original ski mountaineering in these areas, but also up to the seventies and even eighties, was on narrow skis. The reasons for this approach are historical before being orographical, and go back to a concomitance of factors: a very strong contribution of personnel to the Alpine troops, with the associated training in skiing as a means of transport; the attraction of the military corps' sports centres as a profession; the scarcity of the terrain's aptitude for the development of alpine skiing; and the scarcity of economic resources in the area caused by the emigration of the workforce towards the industrial economy of the plains - Milan is nearby. Idea Montagna Scialpinismo nelle Orobie Meridionali ski mountaineering guidebook