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LA“Rescue is first and foremost a matter of people and equipment, and of this essential pairing we are convinced that the primary element — indeed the essential one — is the person. It is from their spirit, as well as their skill, that the success and speed of every rescue action depend.”
The origins in 1952
Mountaineering and mountain rescue have evolved together: as one progressed, so did the other. Our history is rooted in the passion for the mountains and in a spirit of solidarity in service to the community.
From the early 1800s to the early 1950s, rescue relied mostly on the generosity of individual mountaineers – figures such as Marino Stenico, Bruno Detassis and Cesare Maestri – who intervened alone or with improvised teams.
In 1952, a serious accident occurred in the Brenta Dolomites. Three young hikers lost their lives after being trapped for days in a crevasse; only a fourth companion survived.
Within the SAT – Società Alpinisti Tridentini and the CAI – Club Alpino Italiano, the conviction grew that an organised mountain rescue service was necessary.
Scipio Stenico, a doctor and alpinist from Trentino, together with Mario Smadelli and Carlo Colò, developed an innovative and forward-looking plan: to create a structured mountain rescue corps divided into stations located in the main centres at the foot of the mountains, each coordinated by a station leader (Capostazione).
In 1952, the first Station of the Corpo di Soccorso Alpino was established in Pinzolo. The idea rapidly spread throughout Trentino and, from 1954 onwards, across Italy with the foundation of the Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico (CNSAS) of the CAI.
Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Trentino today
Still today, when needed, we are there: organised, trained and rooted in the territory. Alongside operational interventions, we carry out prevention and safety awareness activities for all who live in or enjoy the alpine environment.
In 2022, we celebrated our 70-year history with an exhibition which, through photographs from past and present and seven key themes, showed how the spirit of solidarity of our rescuers has evolved alongside equipment, materials and techniques.
Download the exhibition catalogueJoin us in our commitment — together for our region and its mountains
Our work exists thanks to people who dedicate time, care and expertise to the community. You too can contribute to this ongoing commitment: with a donation – for equipment and training sessions – or by choosing to begin the path that leads to becoming a rescuer.