Anxiety and concern are growing for the two hikers missing since Sunday afternoon in the Valle dell'Inferno, on the Gran Sasso. A snowstorm hindered the rescue effort, with strong gusts of wind that made rescue operations impossible. The two mountaineers are 48-year-old Cristian Gualdi, an administrator in a window and door company, and 42-year-old Luca Perazzini, an electrician. Both enthusiasts and experts, they have numerous excursions and explorations together.

Eleven Alpine Rescue workers have been on site since yesterday to find them, and are currently preparing to spend Christmas Eve in a refuge, waiting to resume their search. The team also includes 8 workers from the hostel and the cable car. "Here we have enough food, electricity, hot water and personal hygiene products, all available to the rescuers and operators of the Gran Sasso Tourist Center (Ctgs), currently guests of the Campo Imperatore Hostel, waiting for the storm to end." These are the words of Giusy Scimia, manager of the Hostel, who reassures us about the situation at 2,115 meters above sea level.

"Being a mountain hostel, we are prepared for a possible state of emergency: we are equipped with supplies to stay here for at least ten days, managing up to 25 people. We are offering breakfast, lunch and dinner and rooms for the night to the rescuers and the three Ctgs operators, who work on the cable car. There are no other guests, as we made everyone come down on Sunday due to the adverse weather forecast" continues Scimia; three members of staff are helping her to give shelter to the customers.

In the meantime, the relatives of the two hikers arrived at Fonte Cerreto, the base of the Gran Sasso cable car. Some psychologists were also alerted.

(Online Union)

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