In the Aula Magna of the University of Mantua, David Battalla, professor of Anthropology at the University of Ulan Bator (Mongolia), and Nives Meroi, the first female alpinist to reach all fourteen peaks in the Himalayas, talked about their biggest passions and how important curiosity is in their lives. Battalla explained where his interest for anthropology began: a Geography class in middle school and an insatiable need to learn what he did not know about the world. Later in his life, he started a two-year journey through Central Asia, in Tibet and Mongolia, studying the nomad populations that live in these remote parts of the world. A common sense of curiosity is something that struck Nives Meroi, whose dream was to reach the peak of the fourteen Eight-thousanders in the Himalayan chain. She was able to make her dream come true with her husband, Romano.

Both authors explained the relationship between curiosity and beauty, a relationship that has always fueled their journeys through Central Asia. Irene Borgna, who chaired the meeting, ended the event by asking the two writers to pass on some advice to the next generations. Meroi underlined the importance of failure, which she experienced when she couldn’t reach the peak of K2 the first time she tried. Battalla answered by saying how relevant it is to rely on true values and believe in our dreams. He concluded by stating that the unexpected is a fundamental trait not just of the journeys we make, but life in general; the unexpected is not an element to avoid, but one to embrace.