Gianfranco Bracci

Florentine Gianfranco Bracci has been a teacher for the past 22 years.
He has in that time become a specialist in the environment, and works as
a journalist and photographer for the magazine AIRONE and the newspapers La Nazione and Repubblica. He is an expert in trekking, mountain biking and writes guides and photography books.

He was for 6 years the director of the Associazione Sentiero Italia, of which he was also a co-founder.
As an expert in 'Natural Tourism' he is a consultant for the Regione Toscana and has projected and developed a series of walkways and treks for horse and bicycle. The most famous of these being: GEA Grande Escursione Appenninica - Dolce Campagna Antica Mura- in Chianti
He has organized numerous school trips with 'Firenze Trekking' and 'Guida Ambientale Escursionistica' in the National Parks and protected areas around Italy, for thousands of school children who are involved in environmental projects.

A relentless force, he has participated in various expeditions.
Monti Altai/Siberia/Mongolia- Tassili N'Ajjer/Sahara - Marocchino - Tibet/China Mustang/Nepal - Everest/Nepal - K2/Pakistan - Australia -New Zealand - Polinesia/The Cook Isles - Madagascar -The Indian Desert Thar - South Africa.

In 1985 he was among the first Italian group which crossed the Tibetan snow villages, previously closed to tourism for 40 years. It was while on this particular expedition he took photographs of a dog believed to be extinct: Molosso Tibetano. These photographs on his return were taken up and used on various magazine covers.

Over the past few years he has been involved with intercultural exchanges, supporting the the peoples of Tibet. He believes in and supports a "Free" and "Autonomous" Tibet.

Natural Tourism- Walking to learn and learn about oneself

Using this motto Firenze Trekking has for the past 20 been promoting alternative school trips and trekking trips for adults in the Himalayas.
Always dedicated to increasing awareness of the environment, the group offers courses in Environmental Education and trips from 1 day to 1 week in Italian and Foreign National Parks, above all the areas of interest around central Italy. From Elba to the Foreste Casentinesi; from the Cinque Terre to the Alpi Apuane, to Chianti and Maremma… Walking is fun! And all that we learn in the field is worth much more than any theoretical notio.