Nives Meroi e Romano Benet ad Auronzo: la montagna come cordata di vita

28 July 2026

Venerdì 31 luglio, ad Auronzo di Cadore, la coppia leggendaria dell’alpinismo mondiale sarà protagonista della rassegna “AlTre storie… sotto le Cime”. Una serata per parlare di grandi montagne, ma soprattutto di scelte, fallimenti, coraggio e vita insieme.

Some mountaineering achievements are told through numbers, altitudes and summits reached. Others go beyond sporting results, because they speak of trust, responsibility and the ability to remain tied to the same rope even in the most difficult moments.

This is the story of Nives Meroi and Romano Benet, who will be the guests of the next event in the “AlTre storie… sotto le Cime” series, taking place in Auronzo di Cadore on Friday, 31 July.

The meeting will begin at 9:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber of Auronzo di Cadore Town Hall. Meroi and Benet will speak with Luca Calvi, co-creator of the event, retracing their approach to mountaineering, their relationship with the mountains and a life spent moving in the same direction.

A couple who made mountaineering history

Nives Meroi and Romano Benet were the first couple to climb all fourteen of the world’s eight-thousand-metre peaks together, without supplementary oxygen and without the support of high-altitude porters.

It is an exceptional achievement, yet it tells only part of their story. Their experience in the Himalayas has never been a race to the summit or an individual pursuit of records. Every expedition was approached as a true partnership, in which decisions, risks and responsibilities were shared.

For them, the summit was never more important than the person walking beside them. The strength of a climbing partnership, they have explained over the years, comes from unity and from the awareness that the real goal is not to reach the top at any cost, but to return home together.

Their vision of mountaineering is based on respect, listening and the ability to stop when necessary. These values make their story deeply relevant even far from the world’s highest mountains.

Failure as part of the journey

Meroi and Benet’s path was not shaped only by successful expeditions. Their first attempt in the Himalayas, on the north face of K2, ended without reaching the summit. They ran out of equipment and were forced to turn back when the goal appeared close.

That setback, however, became one of the most important experiences of their careers. The mountain had put them back in their rightful place, reminding them that not everything can be controlled and that turning back does not necessarily mean failing.

Their approach was also shaped by moments like this: accepting limits, learning from mistakes and finding the courage to begin again.

Their “fifteenth eight-thousander”

Their greatest challenge, however, did not come from a mountain face or a summit.

In 2009, during an expedition to Kangchenjunga, Romano Benet became seriously ill. He was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, forcing the couple to put their mountaineering plans on hold. Romano underwent two bone marrow transplants, made possible by the generosity of a volunteer donor.

For Nives and Romano, this marked the beginning of what they later described as their “fifteenth eight-thousander”: a long and uncertain journey, once again faced together.

Five years later, they returned to Kangchenjunga, to the very place where everything had stopped, and reached the summit. In 2015, they completed their ascent of all fourteen eight-thousanders by climbing Annapurna.

This experience also became the heart of Nives Meroi’s book, Non ti farò aspettare. La storia di noi due raccontata da me, published by Rizzoli in 2015. It is a story in which the mountains are intertwined with vulnerability, care and the quiet value of giving.

An evening in Auronzo dedicated to mountains and choices

The meeting on 31 July will therefore be much more than the story of an extraordinary mountaineering career.

It will be an opportunity to listen to two people who chose to live the mountains without separating them from life itself: embracing success, facing moments of interruption and learning to recognise what truly matters.

The evening is part of the fourth edition of “AlTre storie… sotto le Cime”, created by Nicola Bombassei and Luca Calvi and promoted by the Municipality of Auronzo di Cadore in collaboration with the Tre Cime Dolomiti Tourism Consortium.

Admission is free, subject to availability.

Event information

When: Friday, 31 July, at 9:00 p.m. | Where: Council Chamber, Auronzo di Cadore Town Hall | Admission: Free, subject to availability | Information: Auronzo.info