Page 69 - Bulletin, Vol.83 No.3, December 2024

I decided to spend a few days there and examine everything I could. Yes, I went
through the tunnel at an altitude of 1,900 metres, a tunnel almost 3 kms long. Yes, it
was sensational (a bit scary too, to be honest), but I wanted to see the dam(s), take
some photos and write this article. At the end of this long tunnel is the lake, with a dam,
and you have to climb much higher, 700 metres higher (a demanding and difficult hike)
to have this breathtaking view that has fascinated the INSTAGRAM world. But there's
also another dam - and this one, higher up, which is completely innovative. Not only is it
the highest in Europe, but innovation lies in the fact that it is lined with 5,000 solar
panels producing three times more energy than any other solar panels. Why is this?
Because this dam is above the clouds, and energy can be collected three times more
than at lower altitudes, from the sun and the reflection of the snow, and the sun is there
all the time because the panels are above the clouds. And it does not cause any
damage to the environment, because the panels are fixed on the dam wall. It is
spectacular, it is innovative, it is probably quite a daring and risky project, but it could be
our energy future, and a wise use of high-constructions in the mountains.

But the miracle is not just this dam. The miracle is also what lies inside the mountain. I
read that there was a huge power station inside the mountain, but I didn't realise how
big it was until I visited it. So, I organised a guided tour to see it and to describe it in the
article.

The guided tour started at the gates of the hotel I stayed in (the only building in this
remote location), the guide explained what to expect, we put on our jackets and
headphones (to hear better over the noise) and headed straight to the mountain, as if
we were to “bump” into it. But the closer I got, the more I could see the door ‘leading’
inside the mountain. Finally, I went through that door, and there were other doors
leading inside (always closed, perhaps for security reasons). After walking a hundred
meters «inside» the mountain, I got to a train / funicular, and the steep ride lasted about
20 minutes - all this was also happening inside the mountain. I could only see that I had

AAFI-AFICS BULLETIN, Vol. 83 No.3, 2024-12 67

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