Tommaso Sebastiano Lamantia, the artist-mountaineer. There’s no better expression to sum up the individual, born in 1982, with the South American mustache and kind gaze. The Varese-born photographer with a degree in industrial design has found his vertical dimension in mountaineering. It’s not just a passion but a response to the mix of curiosity and longing that the sight of a vast mountain inspires in him. The summit is a special place to reach for himself, and also to convey to those waiting for him at home through photos.
 
Tommaso began frequenting the high elevations (peaks in the Lombard Prealps and the neighboring Swiss Alps) at a very young age, when his parents entrusted him to the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) groups to burn off some of his boundless energy. As the years passed, he never lost his hunger for summits; in fact, it increasingly shaped his athletic endeavors, to the point where he became a CAI academician and a consultant for the CAI technical commission, as well as a canyoning technician and operator for the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps.
 
Today, the mountains are an integral part of his life, and Tommi likes to experience them in different ways — from highly technical climbs with ice axes and crampons to adrenaline-filled descents on skis or paragliding. Limiting himself to just one type of adventure isn’t part of our ambassador’s plans.
 
Though maintaining his roots in the Alps, the Lombard mountaineer’s quest for routes on rock and ice has led him to explore the remotest corners of the planet, from North America to Patagonia, from classic Alpine routes to the Himalayas. In 2024, he reached the summit of K2, his first 8,000-meter peak, without the aid of supplemental oxygen or porters, just a few hours after Benjamin Védrines.
 
The Karakoram peak enhanced an already impressive list of achievements, but for Tommi it is less important than the ongoing journey toward the personal summit that every enthusiast undertakes. Determination, creativity, and freedom are the values ​​that connect one of the top names in mixed climbing with Karpos, on our new journey together.

Is there some aspect of your profession as a designer that you apply when you’re in the mountains?
Completing a major ascent, especially if it’s a new route, is like developing a project. Beyond preliminary study, which is essential when climbing, technique and creativity are needed to find your own expression on the wall.
 
You combine photography and mountaineering. Have you ever wished you were on the other side of the lens?
As a photographer, I’m always looking for the best perspective from which to tell the story of an adventure or a situation. Sometimes I dream of being able to portray myself, as happened when climbing K2. As a photographer assigned to the story of an adventure, I found myself as the main character! The photos I took of myself above 8,000 meters are both my greatest mountaineering achievement and the best images I’ve ever taken, given the panorama.
 
What’s your favorite Karpos product?
The Castore Jacket. Warm, soft, and lightweight, it’s essential in situations where I need thermal protection. As a waterproof shell, I use the Storm Evo kit, a must-have for all my ice and mixed climbing excursions.