VAL SERIANA & SCALVE MAGAZINE
tra loro nella speranza che giungessero fino a terra. Verso le 23 vedemmo le pile spuntare dal bosco e portarsi sotto di noi. Aprimmo quindi la botola sul pavimento per calare un’estremità, che fortunatamente li raggiunse. Avevano una ricetrasmittente e con la nostra di bordo dicemmo loro di appendere subito le coperte. Il recupero della corda non finiva più, furono attimi interminabili culminati dalla gioia di vedere spuntare dal buio l’enorme saccone. Una volta svuotato lo calammo nuovamente per recuperare i viveri. Dopo mangiato ci accovacciammo in un angolo con la cabina che non smetteva di ondeggiare. In piena notte, verso le 4, squillò il telefono. “Siamo pronti a tirare” ci disse il macchinista. Potete solo immaginare quale fu la nostra gioia nel sentire ripartire la funivia e vedere sempre più vicine le luci di Valbondione».
The dam of Barbellino
The dam of Barbellino, with a capacity of 18,5 million cubic metres of water, and a perimeter of nearly four kilometres, is the biggest artificial lake of Bergamo. Realized between 1927 and 1931, its wall reaches the 69 metres high, but the level of the water doesn’t exceed the 61 metres. The guardians who control the water during the entire year live in a little house at high altitude in which nothing is missing. The dining room has two windows: one overlooks the big wall, the other one overlooks the Pizzo Coca, the <<King of the Orobic Alps>>, with its 3050 metres high. On the wall above the sofa there is a small painting which tells their incredible story. There are written, in fact, the names of all those who became brave keepers of the big dam during the last years. In
a different room there is the equipment which allows to monitor the system. It is from here that, five times a year, since 1969, the keepers operate directly on the drainage in order to free almost six thousand litres of water in one second to create the spectacular effect of the waterfall of Serio. The keepers who controlled the dam are 49 until now. The oldest
is Angelo Bonacorsi of Valbondione and one of the experiences that he remembers the most is connected to a sudden failure he had to handle... so many hours in the cable car, swaying on the Serio waterfalls in the dark: <<the time passed, we started to be cold and there was only a blanket which we constantly gave to each other>>.
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