PowderPeople | Enrico "Mose" Mosetti

Sebastian: Dear Enrico, dear Mose, you had been a myth to me, so I am personally happy to find out more about you and to introduce you to our community. Let's start simple: which town on which planet do you come from? How did you get into skiing, did you have role models and how do you describe your evolution as a skier?

Enrico Mosetti "Mose": I was born in Gorizia, just on the border between Italy and Slovenia, so always been a bit gipsy. I moved to Sella Nevea in 2013, first staying in my van, then staying in different small apartments. Finally growing old I bought my own place last year in a small "ghost village" in between Tarvisio and Sella Nevea, called Riofreddo (Cold Creek).

I started skiing when I was two and a half years old thanks to my mum. I started ski touring at the age of 14, then freeriding and my first steeper descents at 17. I would say it was a very natural progression, step by step.

Role models... well, I grew up watching Bode Miller race, freeride films with Seth Morrison, but for freeride and steep descents Marco Siffredi was the biggest inspiration.

S: What does a fulfilling day on skis mean to you? How would you describe your ambition? Would you say you are more process/experience or more goal oriented in your approach? (I'd guess the first.)

M: When I was a bit younger, I was definitely more goal oriented than I am now. If I have a specific project, I still try to focus on it, but in general I ski more for the experience of being in the mountains, whether it's skiing in the trees or in a steep couloir.

S: You are one of the "Black Crows". What can you tell us about that collaboration? Black crows seem to like the Julian Alps and regularly host a ski test weekend up at Rifugio Gilberti, also this year? What is there to expect?

E: My collaboration with Black Crows started in 2014, but I bought my first pair of Black Crows skis back in 2010, and a few more in the following years. Then, after the magical winter of 2014, they contacted me and started supplying me with equipment. Since 2016, together with the local shop "El Condor Sport", we have been organising a Black Crows ski test at Rifugio Gilberti, a 3-day test at the end of March.

S. So, talking about Black Crows. Could you give us some insight into your preferred setup? How much do you see the skis being reflected in your or anybody's skiing?

M: As you can imagine, I have a whole range of skis, so I have the perfect setup for every condition. But my absolute favourite has always been the Corvus, especially the latest version of the Freebird. I spend 95% of my skiing days on skis with a centre width of over 100 mm - and I tend to prefer longer models. I'm 170 cm tall myself, my shortest skis are 179 cm long, the Corvus Freebird I use for touring measures 183 cm, and for freeriding with lifts or heli-skiing I use the Draco Freebird in 189 cm.

Every skier has their perfect ski - it should reflect their own style, technique and the terrain they want to ski. The challenge is to find the right ski. So get advice and test as many models as possible!

S: It is well-known that the Julian Alps is the region of most precipitation and snowfall allover the alps. How would you describe the local winter weather? In a regular winter, do you try to go out anyway anyday or what are the conditions you are waiting for?

M: It’s true that Julian Alps is one of the snowiest place in the alps, but at the same time we can have the freezing level quite high, so down in the valleys it could rain like crazy...

I'll try to go out to ski or climb every day depending on conditions, like this winter sometimes it was not possible due to the high snow line, and the rain in the valley.

Of course I love to ski pow, but I really like to ski any kind of snow, and spring snow is for sure one of my favourite conditions.

S: And in terms of culture, how would you describe Friuli? Friuli shares borders with Austria and Slovenia, and it holds a part of the Dolomites. Still, Friuli seems protected from tourism by the ever-more attractive neighbors. Would you welcome more tourism or are we fine with Friuli being the overlooked pearl of the Alps?

M: I think Friuli, and people of Friuli, are not ready for more tourisme. So I think it will stay more or less like now in the near future.

By the way it’s a beautiful region, in less than two hours drive you can go from the Adriatic to the Julian Alps or the Friulian Dolomites, and at the same time being so close to Austria, Slovenia and Croatia too is for sure a plus!

S. We recently saw you and Elisa (@umeshoku) in Chile - with your bike and full ski equipment. Can you tell us a teaser about that trip? What was the original idea and how did it develop?

M: The idea was simple: cycle from Santiago de Chile to Puerto Montt and climb and ride on some volcanoes on the way. Our original plan included eight volcanoes, but when we arrived in Chile, one of them suddenly became very active... so we ended up with seven.

In total, we cycled 1,700 km, with 12,000 metres of ascent - plus another 12,000 metres of ascent on skis. This trip was a dream I'd had for ten years. In 2015, I was on the verge of travelling to Chile for the volcanoes, but in the end I opted for the Cordillera Blanca in Peru instead.

S: The approach by bike... I see you pursuing it not only in South America but also locally. Where does that motivation come from? Environemtalism? Are you demonstrating better style, i.e. that ski touring does not have to come with fossil-fueled individual transportation (a.k.a. automobile)?

M: No, it has nothing to do with that. As a teenager, I was a racing cyclist for a few years, both on the road and on MTB. Then, as I climbed more and more, I just didn't have time for cycling anymore. During the corona lockdown, I rediscovered the bike for myself.

So it's something I've loved for a long time. For me, combining cycling with climbing or skiing is just another way of doing things or making them more interesting. For example, I love climbing easy routes (difficulty III/IV) solo - if I then do the approach by bike, the day becomes longer, more exciting and more fun. It's the same with skis - some tours might be rather trivial, but the bike simply makes them more interesting. And of course it's a more sustainable way of travelling, but that wasn't my main motivation.

S: Do you have any words on Marco Milanese, who was interviewed here last year?

M: Marco and I have been really good friends for over ten years. The first time we met, we climbed an unknown icefall together in the Slovenian Julian Alps. I'll never forget how he came to me in 2013 or 2014, after a powder day in Sella Nevea, and said: "Mose, you know... Air will be the future powder." I didn't take him seriously back then - and now he's drawing lines in the sky with his wingsuit!

S: Thank you so much for the insights into your skiing life and best wishes for the winter season! Any final thoughts or messages?

M: Peace, love and powder!