Mass for Mountain Guides
For 63 years, the cantonal mountain guide festival has been held approximately every eight years in Zinal, in Switzerland's Valais Alps
For 63 years, the cantonal mountain guide festival has been held approximately every eight years in Zinal, in Switzerland's Valais Alps
It celebrates passion for mountains and pays tribute to the guiding profession, which has been deeply rooted in the local heritage for over a century.
On this occasion, an open-air mass is organized, during which the guides' equipment - ropes, ice axes, harnesses - is blessed. These outdoor blessings are part of a long-standing tradition. Archival records attest to this, including a photograph shown in this video fragment. In the past, and still today, such rituals often accompany the “inalpe”, the seasonal ascent of cattle to alpine pastures in early summer.
According to certain legends, the valley’s first inhabitants, before the late Christianization of Anniviers, were of Celtic culture and revered the mountain peaks as deities. This ancient spirituality still resonates today through legends, and bears witness to a reciprocal relationship with the living world.
Celebrated between sky and stone, the mass seems to revive this deep bond with nature, yet its message contrasts with spiritualities that honor nature and its cycles and attribute a sacred value to certain sites such as glaciers. Today’s priest's message, reflect the Christian view: God dwells within humans, and nature — however majestic — is merely one of His creations.
